Tampa Downtown Partnership – Board Chair Announcement

Tampa FL – With Tampa’s Downtown surging in activity and growth the Tampa Downtown Partnership has named its new board chair and officers marking the organization’s 36th anniversary. Incoming Board Chair Abbey Ahern brings a fresh perspective becoming the first millennial to hold the position.

“We were able to maintain momentum for Downtown Tampa through the pandemic working with all our partners re-launching the programs people love. Now we’re continuing to support the energized and prosperous neighborhoods of Downtown” said Lynda Remund Tampa Downtown Partnership President and CEO.

“We’ve brought back events like River O’ Green and Fourth Friday added smart kiosks to help visitors find their way and hosted a worldwide conference of urban leaders. As more people than ever look to our region as a destination to ‘live work play’ we are keeping Tampa’s Downtown at the forefront of that conversation.”

Among the Tampa Downtown Partnership’s highlights from the past year:

– IKE Smart City kiosks launched giving visitors interactive access to information and directions

– Served as worldwide host for the 67th International Downtown Association Conference

– Winter Village brought record attendance with more than 26000 skaters

– Pressure washed 130 blocks of Downtown sidewalks and concrete spaces

– River O’ Green returned with an estimated 16000 attendees

– The 26th Annual Downtown Development Forum returned in-person gathering influential local leaders to discuss the state of Tampa’s Downtown

– Developed new techniques to count bicycle and pedestrian users leading to better future planning.

The Partnership also announced today that Abbey Ahern would become the new board chair (Headshot Link). Ahern is the founding principal of the commercial brokerage division of Dohring Ahern Appraisal and Brokerage which she launched in 2005. Ahern brings the viewpoints of a millennial and mother of young children to the position.

“I’ve grown up alongside Downtown. When I was a young adult gathering friends to fill planters with flowers along Franklin Street our community was also blossoming- and so many of the ideas and events that made that blossoming possible came from the Tampa Downtown Partnership” Ahern said. “Serving as board chair and helping support their incredible work is so exciting for me.”

Ahern takes over as chair from Wells Fargo’s Jim Themides who will serve as immediate past chair. Other executive committee positions include Vice-Chair Jin Liu of Carlton Fields Treasurer Tim Koletic of Fifth Third Bank and Secretary Stephen Panzarino of AECOM.

The remaining executive committee members are John Avlon and John LaRocca of Hillsborough River Realty/The Jeffries Companies Dr. Jason Collins with Adeas-Q Michael English from JT3 LLC Kimberly Madison of Strategic Property Partners and David M. Mechanik with Mechanik Nuccio Hearne & Wester PA.

About the Tampa Downtown Partnership

Tampa Downtown Partnership is a private membership-based not-for-profit 501(c)(6) comprised of companies organizations and individuals with a common goal of advancing Tampa’s Downtown. Through an annual contract with the City of Tampa Tampa Downtown Partnership administers the Special Services District. In addition to Tampa’s Downtown Guides and Clean Team Tampa Downtown Partnership serves downtown through marketing business development transportation advocacy public space activation planning and beautification.