DEO program highlights asset-based economic development
for rural communities throughout Florida.

STARKE - Today, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) announced that the City of Starke has been selected to participate in the Competitive Florida Partnership, a rural community development initiative. The Competitive Florida Partnership focuses on improving local economic development activities, particularly in the rural areas of our state. DEO will assist Starke in creating strategic economic development plans that are tailored to the community’s unique assets. DEO Executive Director Jesse Panuccio visited the community on December 16.

“The Competitive Florida Partnership program piloted early this year was a huge success for the participating communities, helping them to harness their strengths and assets for economic and community development,” said Jesse Panuccio, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. “We look forward to working with the City of Starke to explore the economic development opportunities in the community, share best practices, and engage a robust network of community and business leaders.”

“This is a great opportunity for the City of Starke to further their economic and community development as an extension of their Envision Bradford efforts,” said DEO’s Division of Community Development Director William Killingsworth. "We look forward to working together in partnership with the City to identify assets and strategies to implement the community’s vision."

The City of Starke’s Competitive Florida proposal demonstrated their ongoing effort to build partnerships and construct a countywide vision for economic development. Their Envision Bradford 2023 process, initiated in 2013, involved approximate 75 community leaders and stakeholders from the entire community and resulted in a list of recommendations and next steps. Starke would like to use the Competitive Florida Partnership process to make progress on some of these next steps by identifying their assets, developing an economic development strategy to move them forward, and targeting resources to carry out actions identified. Santa Fe College is a key player in both workforce development and business incubation in the region.  Their commitment to the City of Starke’s success is strong and may serve as a catalyst for moving forward and a best practice for rural communities. 

“Finding revenue streams to put action to the Envision Bradford 2023, in partnership with Santa Fe College has been a yearlong process.  The North Florida Regional Chamber of Commerce determined Envision Bradford would not be just another exercise that was done by our community but a living, breathing document that would see things happen and that change would be taking place.  We are very excited to be working with our local and state government to see this process continue and evolve.  The Chamber is ready to support Starke in whatever way necessary during the Competitive Florida Grant,” said Pam Whittle, President / CEO, North Florida Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“I am excited about the tools the Competitive Florida Partnership Program provides and eager to work to advanced economic growth in our area,” said Brad Bishop, Incoming Chairman of the North Florida Regional Chamber of Commerce.

"I am pleased that the City of Starke is participating in the DEO's Competitive Florida Partnership," said Senator Rob Bradley. "This program will assist community leaders in their efforts to develop a strong economic strategy for Starke and Bradford County."

Representative Charles Van Zant said, “I am pleased that the City of Starke has been selected to participate in the Competitive Florida partnership program as it will certainly advance their plans for community and economic development and bring together important players in the surrounding communities. Starke and Bradford County are special places and this program will help the area’s leaders highlight the unique assets of the community.”

The Competitive Florida Partnership helps rural communities value and market local assets and challenge them to set realistic goals for advancing their economic development vision. The four participating communities will design and develop innovative strategies that promote partnerships, community design, and a viable local economy. Earlier this year, the City of Port St. Joe, the City of Newberry, the City of White Springs, and Desoto County were the first four rural communities chosen to participate in the program.

Asset-based economic development is a bottom-up approach that focuses on developing and promoting existing local resources to strengthen the local economy. This approach focuses on a rural community’s tangible and intangible assets combined with economic advantages and how these can be leveraged into sustainable economic growth and prosperity. Assets in a community may include but are not limited to: individuals and human capital; associations and voluntary networks; political advocates; historical and cultural resources; natural landscapes (including renewable and nonrenewable material resources); financial assets; the built environment including transportation networks, communications facilities, utilities, public facilitates and commercial buildings; institutions such as schools, hospitals and government agencies. DEO will work with the selected rural communities to identify and market these assets and facilitate promotional opportunities to bring economic development to their community. 

For more information regarding the Competitive Florida Partnership, please visit: www.floridajobs.org/CompetitiveFlorida.

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