100 Central Florida
Our panel of 100 influential leaders discusses the most important issues affecting you.
To read responses from more Central Florida 100 participants, go to OrlandoSentinel.com/cf100
TOP STORIES FROM LAST WEEK
GOP POLITICAL QUEEN, John L. Evans Jr., Organizational behavior scholar; DeSantis appointee: The benevolent queen of Republican politics in our Sunshine State is Helen Aguirre Ferre. Slight in physical stature, the Nicaraguan-born former journalist packs a punch. “Courage is contagious,” she exhorts. That’s why our governor is the first official in anyone’s memory whose fundraisers are yielding an actual waiting list. She held court at a tony Tallahassee coffee house with a slap on the table: “Get involved at the local levels. That’s what liberal kingpin George Soros is doing.” There you have it.
SCHOOL-READY, Glenton Gilzean Jr., president/CEO, Central Florida Urban League: I was shocked to read that only half of Florida’s kindergartners were ready to begin school this year. State law requires children to complete an assessment to better gauge their needs, however, once we have the results, intervention must begin immediately. Both in school and at home, we must continue to stress reading with our children, as less than 40 percent of youth acquire these skills on their own. Furthermore, lack of reading comprehension is an early warning sign of dyslexia, and it may compound and severely impact a child’s academic progress. Parents and schools must come together to create a culture at home that reinforces literacy.
BUDGET AIRLINE MERGER, Francisco Gonzalez, host, Agents of Innovation podcast: Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines announced plans to merge. I’ve had surprisingly great experiences on Spirit, flying nonstop from Florida to Guatemala and the U.S. Virgin Islands. They are cheap but make you pay for basic snacks, a seat of your choice and even a carry-on on bag. Frontier works the same way, but my one experience with them was so miserable I vowed never to fly them again. Budget airlines aren’t bad — but when one thing goes wrong, 10 things seem to. Now these two budget airlines plan to come together? Oy vey.
CHARITABLE FLORIDA, A.J. Marsden, assistant professor, Beacon College: Anyone who has ever met a true Floridian knows being charitable comes with the territory, but now we have data to prove it. A recent study conducted by Helpadvisor.com examining tax returns for 2019 found that four ZIP codes in Florida ranked in the top 25 most charitable cities — the most in any state. Miami Beach ranked No. 1 with just under $200,000 in charitable donations. Palm Beach ranked No. 3 with just under $100,000. Naples and Vero Beach ranked No. 16 and 24, respectively, and together brought in just under $60,000 in donations. It is a proud day to be a Floridian.
A JOB WELL DONE, Khalid Muneer, broker/owner Jupiter Properties Central Florida: The retirement announcement of Dr. Barbara Jenkins as superintendent of Orange County Public Schools was something of a surprise to us. Dr. Jenkins is to be congratulated on supervising 206,000 students during a very difficult period of the pandemic and navigating the political controversies surrounding it. Locally educated from school to college and supervising the eighth-largest school district in the country is indeed a great achievement.
RACE EDUCATION, Muhammad Musri, president, Islamic Society of Central Florida: More than a dozen HBCUs, including Bethune-Cookman University and Edward Waters University in Florida, received bomb threats in February, which is Black History Month. FBI reports believe that six minors with connections to a violent neo-Nazi group are responsible. Racism is America’s original sin, and the real solution to such hate and attacks is good education of African American history and deep discussions of issues of race in schools, colleges, and universities. Unfortunately, Florida’s governor and the Legislature are focused on banning the teaching of critical race theory instead of trying to figure out how to stop such hate and racism.
NEW DRIVERS LICENSE REGULATIONS,
Pamela Nabors, president/CEO, CareerSource Central Florida: The need for truck drivers with a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) has reached a critical point. This training consistently tops the list of referrals for CareerSource Central Florida, in part because it sets individuals on an in-demand career path that directly impacts the paralyzing supply chain issues plaguing the economy. New federal driving regulations were released for CDL, passenger, school bus and hazardous material transportation license applicants. While there is quite the buzz surrounding these new regulations, it may help to align training curriculum at vocational schools across the county that teach skills for this critical industry.
CHICKEN SUPREME, Larry Pino, attorney and entrepreneur: In shuttering the last of its restaurants in Orlando, Fuddruckers joins a plethora of burger chains such as wellknown Wahlburgers vanquished by chickens. Chick-fil-A has made it abundantly clear: Americans prefer chickens to cows. In the 1940s, it was all about beef, followed by pork. Since then, chicken has continued its rise in popularity to be the most consumed meat in the U.S., resulting in 8 billion chickens consumed last year alone. Of late, the Chicken Guy joins Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, and over 45 different chicken restaurants to satisfy Central Florida’s appetite for poultry. It appears that healthier eating is here to stay.