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CDC of Tampa celebrates past success, future endeavors at annual luncheon

 
Ernest Coney Jr., (right) the president and CEO of the CDC of Tampa, converses with Stephen Glaude, the president and CEO of the Coalition of Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development in Washington D.C., (left) who gave the keynote speech at the CDC's Champions luncheon Tuesday (Oct. 9) at the TPepin Hospitality Center. Special to the Times | Event Heroes of Tampa Bay
Ernest Coney Jr., (right) the president and CEO of the CDC of Tampa, converses with Stephen Glaude, the president and CEO of the Coalition of Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development in Washington D.C., (left) who gave the keynote speech at the CDC's Champions luncheon Tuesday (Oct. 9) at the TPepin Hospitality Center. Special to the Times | Event Heroes of Tampa Bay
Published Oct. 11, 2018

Hundreds of business professionals, community partners and colleagues filled the TPepin's Hospitality Center on Tuesday (Oct 9) at the CDC's (Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa, Inc.) Community Development Champions luncheon celebrating its success creating opportunities and reducing disparities within local communities.

Guests took pictures with two Busch Gardens stilt walkers decked out in colorful attire and conversed with representatives of various CDC programs including its Youth Success Center, Real Estate Development center and its workforce development center.

WFLA News Channel 8's Rod Carter emceed the event which featured remarks from keynote speaker Stephen Glaude, the president and CEO of the Coalition of Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development in Washington D.C., who marveled at the CDC of Tampa's 26 years of dedication to the community and its nationally recognized leadership.

Glaude recalled a previous speech where he jokingly concluded by urging government and county workers to "leave their good-paying corporate jobs and tie back into their community by joining the nonprofit world", and how former CDC of Tampa CEO Chloe Coney actually took his words literally and left her job at the county to start this organization.

Coney stepped down and now her son, Ernest Coney Jr., serves as the CEO. He stressed the organization's mission and shared some of their upcoming projects to build a fresh farmer's market in East Tampa offering healthy and affordable food options so kids do not succumb to obesity by buying fast food simply because it's cheaper. The organization also plans to build several affordable townhomes throughout Tampa with garages and dedicate four in each community for those experiencing homelessness.

"Most businesses are created in the garage, so we're making sure we instill that by ensuring every home has a garage," Coney Jr. said.

"And you don't have to be unique. We want to make sure that every family has an equal opportunity."

Javed Morgan, a Jamaica native, inspired many in the room sharing his success story coming from a family where his parents only received a fifth and eighth grade education, and how he came to America at a young age, graduated high school at Middleton High School and then became the first in his immediate family to graduate college.

Morgan, who is now a financial advisor and business owner of WealthWave which helps individuals achieve financial prosperity, credits much of his success in college and in his career to the CDC of Tampa for teaching him how to write good essays for college, and for teaching him how to write his first check and manage his money.

"I had the second best essay and received 75 percent partial scholarship towards my education at UCF, and that's all because of the resources at CDC." Morgan said.

Several elected county officials and candidates running for office were also in attendance, as well as congresswoman Kathy Castor who gave a few remarks congratulating the CDC's efforts and success in the community.

Contact Monique Welch at mwelch@tampabay.com.