{"id":336462,"date":"2026-07-11T01:23:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T01:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/336462\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T01:23:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T01:23:20","slug":"the-orlando-regional-perspective-july-10-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/336462\/","title":{"rendered":"The Orlando Regional Perspective | July 10, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to this week\u2019s\u00a0Regional Perspective,\u00a0where I share stories that bring the\u00a0Orlando 2045 Vision<\/a> to life and highlight the progress shaping our region\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

1) Orlando\u2019s story reaches a global audience \u2013 Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and I joined NYSE Live at the New York Stock Exchange to share Orlando\u2019s growth story with a global audience. The conversation highlighted how our region is becoming a leading destination for innovation, talent and investment, and a globally recognized, opportunity-rich economy. Read more and watch the replay<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2) New forum brings candidates for Orange County Mayor to the debate stage \u2013 The Orlando Economic Partnership (OEP) is proud to partner with WFTV Channel 9 to host a live debate featuring the candidates for Orange County Mayor, a race that will help shape the future of the county and the entire Central Florida region. Decisions related to economic development, transportation, housing, infrastructure and quality of life will influence our region\u2019s competitiveness and progress toward the Orlando 2045 Vision. As part of our commitment to engaging the broader community in the issues that matter most, we encourage residents, business leaders and stakeholders to tune in and hear directly from the candidates. Join moderators Martha Sugalski and Greg Warmoth for the live debate on August 4 at 8 p.m. and be part of the conversation.<\/p>\n

3) Talent growth continues to power the region \u2013 The latest OEP Market Snapshot shows Orlando\u2019s labor force grew by more than 18,000 people over the past year, while wages rose faster than inflation. Although consumer spending has softened, the region continues to benefit from a strong workforce and growing talent pipeline. Access the latest snapshot<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4) Changes underway to create a more vibrant Downtown Orlando \u2013 The groundbreaking of the Church Street Festival Street project marks another step toward creating a more vibrant and active downtown. Investments in walkable, engaging urban spaces help support local businesses and advance the region\u2019s focus on creating great places for people to live, work and gather. Share the news<\/a>.<\/p>\n

5) Investments spur more economic development wins for the region \u2013 Recent announcements from Rapta, Coke Florida and Unusual Machines demonstrate a trend we continue to see across the region: investment attracts investment. These expansions strengthen Orlando\u2019s advanced manufacturing and aerospace sectors while creating high-value jobs that support a more diversified economy. Here\u2019s more context around why these expansions matter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

6) Connecting Orlando to the world \u2013 Virgin Atlantic\u2019s move to Terminal C at Orlando International Airport marks a major milestone in the airports ongoing effort to elevate the passenger experience with the opening of a new wing supporting gate expansion. Strong global air service strengthens business relationships, supports tourism and reinforces Orlando\u2019s role as an internationally connected region. Read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n

7) Enroll now in Leadership Orlando Class 111 \u2013 We are proud to announce Linda Ferrone<\/a>, chief customer and marketing officer at OUC- The Reliable One, as Class Chair. Linda brings a wealth of leadership experience to this role, having led customer experience, innovation, and community engagement initiatives at one of the nation\u2019s top public power utilities. Leadership Orlando, with more than 50 years of developing the next generation of civic and business leaders, brings together professionals from across industries to engage in the critical conversations shaping our region\u2019s future. Enrollment deadline is Friday, August 14. Learn more and enroll<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

8) Celebrating manufacturing excellence \u2013 Congratulations to Hernon Manufacturing, JST Power Equipment and ILLUMUS for earning Manufacturer of the Year honors from the Manufacturers Association of Central Florida. Their leadership in innovation, technology and workforce development reflects the strength of the industry sectors helping shape Orlando\u2019s future economy. Share the news<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Programs & Events<\/p>\n

PLI Political Leaders Track \/\/ Application Deadline Extended to July 10 \/\/ LEARN MORE & ENROLL<\/a><\/p>\n

Leadership Orlando Class 111 \/\/ August 14 Enrollment Deadline \/\/ LEARN MORE & ENROLL<\/a><\/p>\n

LEADForward Roundtables Fall 2026 Cohort \/\/ August 14 Application Deadline \/\/ LEARN MORE & ENROLL<\/a><\/p>\n

Leadership Orlando Alumni Association \u2013 Stay connected, continue leading, and help shape what\u2019s next for our region \/\/ LEARN MORE & JOIN<\/a>
Listening to Leaders: Leading Through Innovation \/\/ August 21 \/\/ Participation open to Leadership Orlando Graduates ONLY \/\/ Questions? Nate.Edmund@orlando.org<\/a><\/p>\n

2026 Executive Leadership Mission to Austin \u2013 Sept. 23-25\u00a0\/\/ Early Bird ends Friday, July 31 or when capacity is reached \/\/ REGISTER TODAY<\/a> \/\/ Interested in being a sponsor? Contact Katie.Thomason@orlando.org<\/a><\/p>\n

ICYMI<\/p>\n

Developer sought to transform 102-year-old downtown Orlando building<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 Orlando Business Journal<\/p>\n

Florida Cities Are Already Cutting Spending Ahead of Pivotal Property-Tax Vote<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 Wall Street Journal<\/p>\n

Orange County to buy $13 M hotel next to jail as possible homeless housing<\/a> \u2013 Orlando Sentinel<\/p>\n

Long-stalled Oviedo Mall transformation takes major step toward mixed-use makeover<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 Orlando Business Journal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Welcome to this week\u2019s\u00a0Regional Perspective,\u00a0where I share stories that bring the\u00a0Orlando 2045 Vision to life and highlight the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":129656,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[139,141,140],"class_list":["post-336462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=336462"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336462\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/129656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=336462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=336462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=336462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}