Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 1-14-22

Feature
Mayor Appoints Woman To Senior Leadership Role
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Mayor Jane Castor re- cently appointed Ms. Nicole B. Travis as the Administra- tor of Development and Eco- nomic Opportunity. The position became available by the pending departure of Ad- ministrator Carole Post. Ms. Travis will join the ad- ministration effective Janu- ary 24, and Ms. Post will work with her for one month to ensure a strategic transi- tion of responsibilities.
Ms. Post’s last day as Administrator will be Febru- ary 25.
Ms. Post, who led Mayor Castor's transition team in May 2019, will rejoin the USF administration to head University-wide Facili- ties and Public Safety Opera- tions. She has been on a two-year leave from USF to serve in the Castor Admin- istration.
After a thorough and ex- pansive search for her next Administrator, Mayor Cas- tor selected Ms. Travis, who has served the City of Lakeland in four different leadership positions of in- creasing seniority since 2010. Her most recent positions were Deputy City Manager and Director of Community and Economic Development.
MS. NICOLE TRAVIS
... Newly appointed Adminis- trator of Development and Economic Opportunity
Travis’ career in the private and public sectors has been marked by success and expe- rience directly aligned with Mayor Castor's Transform- ing Tampa's Tomorrow strategic initiatives.
Ms. Travis was instru- mental in establishing and enhancing public-private partnerships resulting in Lakeland’s successful down- town revitalization, city-wide redevelopment, entrepre- neurial ecosystem, and mas- ter planning for commercial corridors. Under her leader- ship, policies and programs were developed to address Lakeland’s unique housing challenges. Ms. Travis’ ex- pertise and passion for equi- table community development solutions signif- icantly increased Lakeland's
MS. CAROLE POST ... Returns to USF
affordable housing inventory and she is credited for her collaborative leadership and vision that stimulated high caliber economic develop- ment and more efficient city services.
Mayor Castor said, “Landing Nicole for this crit- ical position is a big coup for Tampa. She has the experi- ence, track record, and pas- sion to deliver on our commitment to Transforming Tampa’s Tomorrow and en- suring we maintain our mo- mentum while protecting and nourishing what makes our community so special.”
Prior to her leadership roles with the City of Lake- land, Ms. Travis began her public service career as an urban designer with the City of Tampa from 2006 to 2009.
Her private sector work in- cludes leading numerous projects at architectural firms in Florida and Virginia.
“Tampa is a growing, di- verse and innovative city with a thriving future. I am both honored and excited to join Mayor Castor’s adminis- tration to help further her vi- sion of Transforming Tampa’s Tomorrow. I look forward to working closely with her leadership team and city staff to ensure Tampa continues on the Mayor’s commitment to provide the highest level of service to res- idents and the business com- munity,” Ms. Travis said.
She is the recipient of sev- eral awards that include: 2019 Tampa Bay Business Journal Woman of the Year Honoree and the Urban Land Institute Trendsetter Award.
Mayor Castor said, “Ca- role has been an incredible and inspiring force within my administration, providing in- valuable knowledge and ex- perience that has helped us reach milestones and pave the way for a brighter future.
“While we always knew her time with us was limited, Carole's ambitious and vi- sionary plans quickly turned into reality, as she seamlessly assumed the reins of a large, complex operation that serves thousands of clients and resi- dents every day and helps drive Tampa's economic en- gine. We are grateful for her dedication to public service and wish her well on her re-
turn to USF.”
During her time with the
City, Ms. Post is credited with implementing key criti- cal initiatives, including streamlining the building permitting process to serve nearly 20,000 applicants a year, initiating the new City Planning Department to lead land use policy planning, and developing the $38 million Tampa Convention Center expansion project. She also led the distribution of tens of millions of dollars in COVID relief funds for residents and businesses, managed the City’s COVID construction safety program, and the ‘Lift Up Local’ restaurant relief program. Despite the chal- lenges of COVID during her service, her departments is- sued development permits for construction valued at nearly $4 Billion and initiated dozens of programs to ad- dress affordable housing needs and homelessness.
"It was a great honor to serve in Mayor Castor's ad- ministration, which has been making strides since the very beginning. I am proud to have built an amazing team that demonstrates tremen- dous dedication and commit- ment every day, and continuously advances all five of the Transforming Tampa's Tomorrow strategic initiatives. I could not be prouder of the progress we have made and am eager to see it continue to flourish,” Ms. Post said.
PAGE 2-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2022