People Profiles

Paul Grove, president and CEO of WEDU, the west coast of Florida’s Public Broadcasting affiliate, lives according to the same values as the company he serves: a lifetime of learning, and discovery, through innovation. For Grove, a graduate of the University of Florida school of broadcast journalism and telecommunications with more than 35 years’ media

Tampa Bay area resident Leah Roddenberry earned a royal upgrade in June, when she shifted her Miss Tampa crown over to make way for the Miss Florida tiara. The honor caps a two-year cycle of competition preparation and pandemic-era outreach, and begins her countdown to the Miss America scholarship competition in December. She describes her

Jared Moskowitz has been in public life for 15 years, and he’s only 40. Politics has always been in his blood. Born in Coral Springs, Moskowitz grew up in a political household—his father was a big fundraiser for the Democratic party—and he remembers that Jesse Jackson was the first politician he ever met, and that

Jonathan Moore is a Tampa Bay problem-solver who believes in the boomerang effect. That “give and you shall receive” philosophy has permeated his relationships within the Tampa Bay business community for two decades. Today, the InVision Advisors president manages design and construction processes for owners, keeps philanthropy top of mind and wakes up every day

Graduating from college during the Great Recession of the late 2000s was a daunting experience, indeed. It was hard for young graduates to be picky about their career offerings—there weren’t very many. It was the same for Ali St. Cyr, now broker and owner of Tomlin St. Cyr Real Estate Services, in Tampa. Like a

When Kamala Harris gave her acceptance speech in November, for vice president, she recounted words her mother had told her, “You may be the first to do many things but make sure you’re not the last.” This quote rang close to home to Ambee Stephens, CEO of the EmpowHERment Community Center, a nonprofit organization based

Heart-shaped chocolate boxes on every shelf. Red roses at every florist. We all know February is traditionally the month for love and all things heart-related. February also reminds us to take care of our heart. It is American Heart Month—an annual celebration to encourage people to join the battle against heart disease. Jake and Kate

Growing up in St. Pete Beach, Linda Olson watched her father run a small commercial art business out of their home. It was valuable early exposure to entrepreneurship for the woman who today is helping shape the future of entrepreneurship in the Tampa Bay region. As the founder and CEO of Tampa Bay Wave, a

Photos by Michael McCoy Ben Heldfond’s most prized possession is a book, one that resonates with the story of his life. A first edition of The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, written by AA’s founders, Bill Wilson and Bob Smith. Heldfond, who is 24 years sober, is forthcoming about his story of recovery. Heldfond is

Sarah MacDonald, president of TECO Services and executive vice president of corporate safety and environment for Emera Inc., TECO’s holding company, is at the forefront of an exciting time in the energy industry. A recently released report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, warns that more needs to be done to cool

Tonjua Williams became St. Petersburg College’s seventh president on July 3, 2017. A St. Petersburg native, Williams began her tenure with the college in 1986, rising through a variety of academic and administrative roles to become the first woman and first African American to hold the position at the school. Previously, she was senior vice

Interview transcribed by Melissa Razdrih Dewey Mitchell and Allen Crumbley have been in business together for more than 30 years. Both are brokers, and co-owners, of Capstone Tropical Holdings in Trinity. Meeting at the University of Alabama in 1974 as freshman with football scholarships, the two maintained a longstanding friendship that led to an amazingly