Leadership in East Orlando

By Sara Bridget Au

When I was initially asked to take part in the inaugural class of the Leadership In Action program for the East Orlando Chamber of Commerce, I jumped at the chance. The class of 19 came from banking, healthcare, the law, education, real estate, and small business. We met eight times between November and May.

Our very first meeting as a class last November was eye-opening. Being new to Insight, and thus to the Chamber, I only knew a few of the others in the room. That soon changed, as we discussed the results of our personality profiles. After getting to quickly know each other’s likes, dislikes and quirks, we got an overview of the history and issues in Orlando, specifically as they relate to the East and Southeast regions. We then were given a “team-building” exercise of cooking a full dinner for 30 people using non-related food items and gas grills. It was comical, and certainly brought us together.

Our December meeting focused on the environment, a huge issue for us as our sprawling communities abut what is nearly the last remaining undeveloped green space in the metropolitan region. We learned about the dire need to conserve water and started to discuss what would become a theme throughout the class: how to balance growth. A nature trail hike and airboat tour gave us firsthand views of the beauty of the land.

The January meeting was all about healthcare, and we had an amazing behind-the-scenes look at Florida Hospital East, including the busiest emergency room in their system, demonstrations of some of the latest diagnostic technology, a hands-on look at the various emergency response units, and discussions about the uninsured in our area.

Next up was education, and another VIP tour, this time at UCF. I was blown away by what’s coming out of the simulation and technology departments there – literally world-changing stuff. (See pg. 8 for more.) We also spent time at University High School.

The transportation-themed day came at a very important time, just after the announcement that a temporary access road would be built to link Alafaya Trail to the Beachline, greatly impacting both East Orlando and the Lake Nona areas. We also discussed how the commuter rail project and LYNX directly impact our quality of life on this side of town, as well as tested alternative forms of transportation with a bike ride through Avalon Park.

April’s meeting was all about growth and place-making, with a specific focus on the “Medical City” of Lake Nona. In one breakout session, we were asked to identify the direction in which we see our area going, and what kinds of choices should be made for smart growth. Another tour, this time of the construction site at the UCF College of Medicine’s Burnett Building (we got to wear hard-hats!).

Last up was a look at the government of the county, the city and the region. We sat in as judges in the 9^th Judicial Circuit heard plea bargains and arranged trial schedules. We discussed the budget crunch and how it is affecting everything. We met with members of the school board the day after their controversial start time flip vote, and heard their reasonings. We got the lowdown on the failure of the commuter rail issue in Tallahassee from Representative Darren Soto, and heard why he thinks it can be revived after the general election this fall.

And, late in May, we graduated, smarter and more informed on the issues important to East and Southeast Orlando, and ready to play our part in leading our community forward.