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U.S. Senate committee examines threats to Florida tourist economy at USFSP Thursday

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Florida Democratic U.S. Senator Bill Nelson will convene a field hearing titled “Threats Facing Florida’s Tourism Driven Economy” on Thursday on the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus. 

Undoubtedly, threats from climate change and sea-level rise will be on the agenda, as guest panelists include Sherry Larkin, Associate Dean for Research at the University of Florida and Mitchell Roffer, president of Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecast Service, Inc.

Also scheduled to testify are Robin Sollie, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce, and Maryann Ferenc, the co-owner of Tampa’s Mise en Place as well as a board member of the U.S. Travel Association and Brand USA.

Nelson will lead a discussion on negative impacts to Florida’s tourism industry and ways to protect and bolster it, according to a statement issued by his office Monday.

The event will take place before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where Nelson resides as the ranking Democrat. It takes place at 1 p.m. Thursday at the USF St. Pete’s University Student Center, 200 6th Avenue South.

 

Mitch Perry has been a reporter with Extensive Enterprises since November of 2014. Previously, he served as five years as the political editor of the alternative newsweekly Creative Loafing. He also was the assistant news director with WMNF 88.5 FM in Tampa from 2000-2009, and currently hosts MidPoint, a weekly talk show, on WMNF on Thursday afternoons. He began his reporting career at KPFA radio in Berkeley. He's a San Francisco native who has now lived in Tampa for 15 years and can be reached at [email protected]

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