Economic Development Reporter

I grew up in a small town in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, graduated from Wake Forest University, and am now the Tampa Bay Times’ economic development reporter, covering local industry, business development and unemployment. It’s a bit of a leap from my previous role as the Times’ entertainment critic, covering music, pop culture and the performing arts. But in a post-coronavirus world, the economy and job market are topics no one can ignore. I’m still happy to talk music. But what I really want to know is how your bank account is doing right now. Are you out of work? Investing in a local company? Trying to launch Tampa Bay’s next big business? Let’s get into it.