Bemetra Simmons is the President and CEO of the Tampa Bay Partnership, a coalition of regional business and nonprofit leaders focused on improving the civic quality and economic well-being of Tampa Bay. Since taking the role in 2021, she has worked to convene CEOs, policymakers, business leaders, and community organizations around major regional issues including housing affordability, transportation, workforce development, education, and economic competitiveness.

She explains:

◼️Why Tampa Bay’s housing crisis is really a workforce housing crisis

◼️How 400,000 households are being cost burdened by housing and transportation

◼️Why Tampa Bay needs a regional strategy instead of every city solving problems alone

◼️How merging transportation planning could help Tampa Bay compete for major infrastructure funding

◼️Why public private partnerships may be the key to building housing, transit, and long-term regional growth

0:00 Intro

1:02 What the partnership does

4:45 Regional housing study findings

7:32 Tampa Bay Rising initiative

12:24 Merging transportation planning organizations

19:34 Regional Infrastructure Accelerator explained

21:27 Five shortlisted transit projects

33:15 Private capital and financing

39:21 Workforce housing challenges

49:08 Regional collaboration and identity