Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 3-17-17

Local
City Of Tampa To
Event Planner’s Passion Has Made Her A Major Player In Entertainment World
Celebrate Women’s
History Month
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Four years ago when event planner, Tash Johnson hosted her first social affair – horseback riding – a whop- ping 15 people showed up.
Last summer, a few thou- sand people accepted John- son’s invitation to party the night away at a secret location in Orlando’s Lake Nona com- munity as part of Diner En Blanc, the exclusive all-white pop-up picnic.
And in just a week, John- son is set to host another big event that’s sure to attract large crowds – the Gasparilla International Food Festival.
Be it a dinner cruise or carnival, for Johnson the mission behind each and every event remains the same: to bring people together and enjoy themselves in a lively at- mosphere.
“What really pushed me was that there were so few events going on in Tampa at the time,” she said. “There has to be something else out there.”
The business of entertain- ment is in the native Ja- maican’s blood: Johnson is the daughter of music pro- ducer and famed Black Scor- pio record label founder, Maurice Johnson.
Growing up, Johnson met some of reggae and dancehall’s biggest stars in- cluding Sean Paul and Bee- nie Man.
Her father was adamant that she keep her distance from the artists, but allowed her to gain experience in the business by answering phones, booking studio time, and assisting with events.
Tash was hooked.
“I eventually wanted to do something of my own that would allow me to create that excitement...in my own way,” she said.
best to create great experi- ences for her patrons.
The success of the cruise party gave Johnson the con- fidence to organize an even bigger event, the Red, White, & Blue Festival, a family-ori- ented affair hosted around the July 4th holiday.
An estimated 5,000 peo- ple attended, Johnson said.
It was the result she needed to apply for a license to bring Diner En Blanc to Or- lando. The popular outdoor dining event started 20 years ago in Paris and now takes place in cities all over the world, including Johannes- burg, Dubai, and Chicago.
Johnson’s request was approved and she was granted a three-year contract to host the event.”
For the upcoming food festival, Johnson said she wants visitors to walk away with a deeper understanding of the various cultures that make up Tampa.
“Nothing can bring people of all walks of life together like food,” she said. “It’s not just about the food, but getting people together in the same place.”
If You Go
The Gasparilla Interna- tional Food Festival will take place from 5 to 9 p. m., Sun- day, March 26, in Ybor Cen- tennial Park, 1800 E. 8th Ave., in Tampa. Admission is free. Visit www.cityfestivals.org for more information.
Josephine Howard Stafford Memorial Award to be presented at celebration
The City of Tampa will hold its 21st Annual Women’s History Month Celebration on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 10 a. m. The event will be held at the Tampa Convention Center in Ball- room D, 333 S. Franklin Street. The celebration is free and open to the public.
Mayor Bob Buckhorn will present Regina McBride-Smith, Recre- ation Team Supervisor II, with the 2017 Josephine Howard Stafford Memorial Award.
For 33 years, Regina McBride-Smith has served as a role model in the Parks and Recreation Department. She is an Ambassador of the Teen Intervention Program, and received the 2016 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Hu- manitarian Award. She is also the founder and director of the Trailblazers Youth Ath- letic Ministry, which has reached over 1,200 youth
The Josephine Howard Stafford Memorial Award was created to honor a cur- rent or former City of Tampa female employee who demonstrates outstanding commitment to her position and the community. The award is presented in mem- ory of Josephine Howard Stafford who served as an Assistant City Attorney for 24 years. Ms. Stafford was the first female judge in Hillsbor- ough County and a pioneer for women’s issues, both pro- fessionally and in the com- munity.
As part of the event,
Colonel Jennifer R. Crossman, Vice Wing Com- mander, 6th Air Mobility, MacDill Air Force Base, will present the 2017 MacDill Air
REGINA MCBRIDE-SMITH ...Josephine Howard Stafford Memorial Award Honoree
Force Base Women’s Appre- ciation Award, honoring an outstanding female member of the military at MacDill AFB.
The keynote speaker will be Lynn Pippenger, Senior Vice President and Treasurer (Retired), Raymond James Financial. A native of St. Pe- tersburg, who once worked for the iconic Webb City, Lynn Pippenger began working for Raymond James in 1969. She created the firm’s first Human Resources department and launched an internal educational program now known as Raymond James University.
Ocea Lattimore, Direc- tor of Logistics and Assets, will serve as the Mistress of Ceremonies.
The celebration will be recorded and replayed at a later date on City of Tampa Television, Frontier Fios Channel 15 and Charter Spec- trum Channel 640. It will also be available for viewing on the City of Tampa’s Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/u ser/CityofTampa.
For more information on Tampa’s Women’s History Month Celebration, including past JHS Memorial Award winners, please visit tam- pagov.net/whm.
TASH JOHNSON
After graduating high school, Johnson moved to the United States to attend the University of Tampa.
The city instantly captured her heart.
“I literally just fell in love with the city,” she said. “If not Jamaica, this is the only place I could find myself living.”
After earning undergradu- ate and graduate degrees in business, Johnson began working in higher education.
But her passion was event planning. In 2012, Johnson started Tash Johnson & Co. Events. The following year, she organized the horseback riding event.
Johnson’s next event was a bigger attraction – and risk.
She used her own money to finance a cruise party, not knowing if anyone would show up. The gamble paid off when dozens of people snatched up tickets and filled the boat.
Johnson said she learned the importance of doing her
FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 7-A