Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Talk of the bay: AT&T to come knocking on Florida's doors

By Times staff
Published September 20, 2007

Watch out Verizon and Bright House. There could be a new kid on the block champing at Tampa Bay's cable and high-speed Internet territory. AT&T is announcing a multimillion dollar investment in Florida todaythat would pave the way for it to bring high-speed Internet and video entertainment. The company is teaming up with Gov. Charlie Crist in Tallahassee to unveil its plans. The investment is a fallout of the recent statewide video-franchising reform that allows cable TV providers to gain quicker access to Florida consumers.

New tourism chief is right at home
It took awhile, but Gov. Charlie Crist finally appointed a replacement for Pam Dana, the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development's director under Gov. Jeb Bush. Crist didn't stray far from home, though. He chose Dale Brill, the 42-year-old chief marketing officer for tourism booster Visit Florida. Brill's prior jobs include a stint as e-commerce guru at General Motors, for which Fast Company magazine named him a "Fast 50 change agent" in 2002. He also taught communications at Florida State University and has a doctorate in communications from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Asked at a press conference Tuesday whether hurricanes make it hard to promote Florida, Brill replied, "We actually don't use the "H" word at Visit Florida, and we've been very, very fortunate."

She's come a long way since copiers
Clearwater native Sara Blakely was 27 and selling copiers for Danka Business Systems when she cut the feet out of her pantyhose so she could wear them under a pair of light-colored pants. It was a eureka moment: Now, Blakely's brand of shapewear, Spanx, is sold in boutiques and department stores across the country and is a favorite of Hollywood starlets. Blakely, now 36, recounted her trip up the entrepreneurial ladder to an audience of 600 at the Tampa chamber's first Women of Influence luncheon on Wednesday. The event, held at the tony Pepin Hospitality Center in Tampa, sold out before invitations were sent, organizers said. Last year was a big one for Blakely: She launched the Assets brand for Target and created the Sara Blakely Foundation, which has awarded college scholarships to 278 young women in South Africa. "I wanted to make a difference in women's lives, not just their butts," she said.

Powered up
What Florida company will develop lithium-ion battery technology for hybrid vehicles? Visit blogs.tampabay.com/energy/.

[Last modified September 19, 2007, 23:07:33]