New economic partnership starts

A new, five-county regional economic development partnership for Southwest Florida got off the ground Nov. 10.

“It's important for us to be working together,” says Kathy Baylis, President and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County. Baylis announced the creation of the Southwest Florida Economic Development Partnership at the EDC's monthly breakfast meeting — this one held in North Port at Heron Creek Golf and Country Club.

The program, moderated by Baylis, featured a panel of economic development agency representatives from the other partnering counties: Collier, Lee, Charlotte, and Glades. Each economic development group contributed $40,000 to get the operation running.