With Just Getting Started, Deputy Mayor and City Administrator Dr. Kanika Tomalin is “telling the St. Pete story” through one-on-one conversations with change-makers. With many exciting plans and projects on the horizon, St. Petersburg’s upward trajectory remains strong. “So much has been done, but here’s the secret: We’re just getting started.
Dr. Tomalin's guest is Alison Barlow, executive director of the St. Petersburg Innovation District. Based around a concentration of research-oriented anchor institutions, the district exists to identify innovative solutions that will grow economic and social vibrancy in our city; the "cross-pollination" that can exist between disciplines. "Who knows what will come out of that?" Barlow asks. "That's a lot of what an innovation district, in my book, is about - possibilities."
Dr. Tomalin’s guest is Alison Barlow, executive director of the St. Petersburg Innovation District. Based around a concentration of research-oriented anchor institutions, the district exists to identify innovative solutions that will grow economic and social vibrancy in our city; the “cross-pollination” that can exist between disciplines. “Who knows what will come out of that?” Barlow asks. “That’s a lot of what an innovation district, in my book, is about – possibilities.”
When you take a marine scientist and a pediatric researcher, and you provide them a vehicle to have a conversation, what can come out of that?"
We don't operate in silos terribly much any more. Really and truly, that cross-disciplinary field is the field of the future."
Dr. Kanika Tomalin is a thought leader, policy-maker, community ambassador, and health advocate.
As the first African-American, female Deputy Mayor and City Administrator of one of Florida’s largest cities, Dr. Kanika Tomalin is a role model for women from all walks of life and an advocate for innovative policies, equitable community revitalization, healthy families, at-risk youth and education.
Her signature initiative, Healthy St. Pete, which launched in 2014, has made community health a priority and impacts the lives of thousands of Sunshine City residents. By creating access to healthy food options, implementing free fitness zones in city parks and adding resources for individuals and families to make healthy living easier – Dr. Tomalin has made a tangible difference.
Dr. Tomalin’s understanding of the critical role health plays as a determinant of overall quality of life was shaped prior to her career in the public sector. She quickly climbed the ranks in the healthcare industry, most recently serving as the regional vice president of External Affairs for the Bayfront Health Network and director of Strategy for Health Management Associates’ 23-hospital Florida Group.
