Be educated, vote and make your voice heard

Welcome to the Catalyst’s Community Voices platform. We’ve curated community leaders and thinkers from all parts of our great city to speak on issues that affect us all. Visit our Community Voices page for more details.

Whether you’re a local or a visitor, there’s no denying that St. Pete is a unique town. The waterfront, the walkability, the cool businesses and beautiful beaches make it an ideal destination for just about anyone and any occasion, but what truly sets it apart is one key characteristic – it’s big city vibe with small town feel. 

We don’t have multiple state and private universities with tens of thousands of graduates each year. We do have a strong education ecosystem built on success at the K-12 level, feeding into colleges and universities that offer degrees from associates to doctorate and higher. Beyond that, we create opportunities to continue education in workforce programs and encourage careers in the trades.  

While we’re proud to have some of the most recognizable and successful companies in the world headquartered in our backyard (Raymond James, HSN, Jabil, just to name a few), it’s the small businesses that really keep St. Pete thriving and shining. 

It’s the type of place where you’ll bump into a friend walking in Vinoy Park, or spot Mayor Welch grabbing a coffee at Kahwa, and later walk into a high rise for a meeting with stakeholders where decisions impacting your future are not only being made, but your voice is actually being heard. 

The connective tissue of St. Pete lies in our collaborative voices. It’s in our communal desire for growth, for better yet fierce protection of what we have and where we’ve come from. 

The city just landed one of the largest development contracts in the southeastern United States as both the City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County voted to approve funding for the new Rays stadium and Historic Gas Plant District redevelopment. This presents new opportunities as well as new challenges for our community.  

2024 also happens to be a presidential election year – which means there are also a laundry list of other candidates and issues that will be adorning your ballot on both Aug. 20 (Primary) and Nov. 5 (General Election).

The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce has been convening and advocating for local businesses for over 100 years, offering both members and all in the community a variety of opportunities and events to get involved. 

One of those opportunities is Meet the Candidates event Tuesday (Aug. 6) where over 30 candidates running for seats from United States Congress to school board and city council will be available to chat and explain their platforms to community members. 

The Chamber will touch on current events and issues that we’ve been advocating for on behalf of our members over the past few years including attainable employee housing, resiliency and regional connectivity. This is also the last chance for attendees to get to know the names and faces seen on yard signs around town before the Primary Election. 

The future of St. Pete is in the hands of these candidates – get to know them! 

All members of the community are invited, and we encourage you to bring a friend and – more importantly – a first-time voter.  

Free registration is available for local students; email me for the discount code and more information.

Did you know that there will be over 10 ballot initiatives on the 2024 General Election ballot in Pinellas County? This includes six state amendments, one school referendum and seven county ballot questions.  On Oct. 23 the Chamber will be hosting “What’s on the Ballot?”, an informative event designed to educate the community about the ballot initiatives in the 2024 election.  

This event aims to provide voters with a clear understanding of the proposed measures and their potential impact on the business community. Local experts, including legal analysts and policy advocates, will provide detailed nonpartisan explanations of the various ballot initiatives.  

Attend an election education event, check your voter registration status, learn more about ongoing Chamber committee meetings and advocacy opportunities – take action to be sure your voice is heard! The time is now to ensure that the policy decisions and elected officials who represent our community reflect your vision for the future of our city.

Christie Bruner is the Vice President of Advocacy with the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce.