The Tampa Bay OWIT nominated a new Board President - Christyna Doege.  Christyna has been a long time member of the chapter and was also our 2016 International Woman of the Year! We are delighted to have Christyna on board.

Below is a letter from Christyna..

Dear TBOWIT Members & Friends,

I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself as your 2017 TBOWIT President.  My name is Christyna Doege and when I’m not at TBOWIT, I am representing the Marketing & Business Development department at Port Tampa Bay. TBOWIT has some exciting events coming up this year.  However, before I tell you about those events, I first want to ask you:   Do you know what I like about the Tampa Bay Organization of Women in International Trade, TBOWIT?

Whether you are a regular attendee or you haven’t checked out TBOWIT in a while, we have some exciting events coming in 2017. This February is our kick-off luncheon featuring Challenges and Opportunities in International Construction and Design Project with Alba Rodriguez of Skanska USA Building. We are working on a March luncheon, so keep an eye out for it as it will address some timely topics on tariff and trade issues. Back by popular demand, we will once again host a “wines of the world” tasting event to be held in April. In May, TBOWIT is partnering with EXIM Bank to host the EXIM Symposium: Export Essentials.  This coming September, TBOWIT will participate in a joint event with OWIT South Florida, and OWIT Nairobi - TBOWIT is just one chapter of a global organization!  Plus, our TBOWIT Gala to be held towards the end of October 2017. It’s going to be a fun, full year!  Keep informed by visiting our website at www.tbowit.org.

Pulling off a great year of informative and supportive events is the work of a team. The TBOWIT Board is a great team and I want to thank the TBOWIT Board for their support and wisdom. I also want to thank our wonderful members. Without you, faithful member, we could not invest in the next generation with our TBOWIT scholarships or find such wonderful speakers. Thank you TBOWIT Members!

I look forward to an exciting year,

Kind Regards,

Christyna Doege
TBOWIT President 2017 

It’s not every day that you get to take a tour of a highly successful global company to see and hear firsthand how they do what they do! A group of TBOWIT members got that chance this past November when Amalie Oil opened their doors and ushered us into a whole different world. To say that it was cool is an understatement!

You might recognize Amalie Oil’s name from their naming rights to Amalie Arena. Amalie Oil and its predecessor have been around for a long time and we got an in-depth tutorial from Denny Madden, Senior VP, Global Sales & Marketing. We learned how the company grew from gasoline stations to toll blending. We learned the ebbs and flows of the oil industry. We learned about the efficiencies that Amalie has gained by being located in a port. We learned about the necessity of chemistry and testing and formulation. We learned about the logistics of getting product to market efficiently. We learned about best practices and always striving to improve from in-house technology to reducing the amount of plastic in quart sized bottles. We learned that you have to pass a lot of tests before the major oil companies trust you enough to try you out.

Trust Amalie – they do! Today, Amalie deals with selling their branded oil products, toll blending which is blending for other companies, and blending for private labels. Amalie has done work for all major oil companies out there including Shell, Gulf, Total (French owned), Advanced Auto, O’Reily, and A LOT more!

After an informative, friendly, and oftentimes humorous presentation by Mr. Denny Madden, we were given a tour of Amalie’s facility and warehouse. The warehouse alone covers two city blocks. We were given an extensive tour into all of the nooks and crannies of the terminal with lots of questions being answered. We walked from the loading docks through the warehouse through the pallet packing site through the heart of the blending operation through the testing area and ended with an in-depth look into how the filling bottle assemble line works. We could just be global business, manufacturing nerds, but it was exciting to see this business in person!

TBOWIT can’t thank Amalie Oil and Mr. Madden enough for taking the time out of his busy schedule to not only give us a presentation and tour, but to give us a real inside look into the heart of Amalie Oil. We were duly impressed as will anyone who gets to see this state-of-the art international company.

 

 

 

 

 

Christyna Doege, has been awarded the honor of 2016 International Business Person of the Year, by the Tampa Bay Organization for Women in International Trade (TBOWIT). This annual award is presented to a local business person who exemplifies high ideals in business professionalism within the realm of international trade. The mission of TBOWIT is to promote international trade and affairs in the Tampa Bay area and to provide a forum for networking, education, and related activities with a global focus and an emphasis on women.

Ms. Doege is the Program Coordinator for Customer Service at Port Tampa Bay, a position she has held since January 2013.  Prior to this, she worked in the port’s finance department.  Before joining the port, she was a senior billing analyst at Ports America Group, the largest stevedoring and terminal operating company in the U.S.   She began her career as an English teacher in Zhuhai, China, before becoming the office administrator for American Finance Adjusters, and then she joined CP Ships as a customer service representative.  She is a graduate of Stetson University, with a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business, and also holds a DELF premiere degree in French form Université d ’Avignon.   An active member of Toastmasters International, she has been the VP of Public Relations for the new Urban Center Toastmasters and recently received the Distinguished Toastmasters Award, an accomplishment that only 4% of members ever achieve.  Earlier this year, she won first place in the Division Toastmasters contest.

Doege’s work at the port has her play an active role in all aspects of business development, including organizing and coordinating customer events, promotional materials, port statistics, cargo projections, budget coordination and managing the day to day activities of the marketing department.  Recognized as the “Queen of Port Tours”, she has an encyclopedic knowledge of not just Port Tampa Bay, but all aspects of international trade and transportation.   In addition to being a great ambassador for Port Tampa Bay, she is an important part of Tampa Bay’s international business outreach efforts.

“It is great to see Port Tampa Bay staff recognized for their leadership in the community, and Christyna Doege is a shining example of this,” Paul Anderson, port president and CEO, said. “The definition of a team player, Christyna plays a key role in our international business development efforts, and no task is too big or too small for her in support of our objectives,” he said.

 

 

(Copied from Port Tampa Bay Press Release)

 

Sabina Zunguze, TBOWIT board member is launching GroYourBiz Florida in the Tampa Bay area on October 24,2016. 

GroYourBiz is an international organization that is  devoted to fostering and supporting women entrepreneurs and business owners through peer-to-peer advisory groups. Sabina will soon be launching more boards around Florida. GroYourBiz is a partner with OWIT International. 

If you are interested in coming to this FREE event, please RSVP to szunguze@fl.groyourbiz.com

Our Keynote will be the Canadian Consul General Susan Harper and Carolyn Booth, Executive Vice President and Head of Business Banking at BMO Harris Bank

Click Here for Full Invite

 On June 15 2016, the Tampa Bay metro region announced that it has been selected to join a small group of city-regions that will create new strategies to attract and leverage foreign direct investment through the Global Cities Initiative, a joint project of the Brookings Institution and JPMorgan Chase. The effort builds on the Tampa Bay Export Alliance, the regional export plan created here in 2014 in order to take full advantage of international trade and investment as a major opportunity for economic development.

 

Chosen by Brookings through a competitive application process, Tampa Bay will join Baltimore, Fresno, Houston, Salt Lake County and St. Louis in developing a foreign direct investment plan. Tampa Bay was evaluated for its readiness, capacity, and commitment to maximize foreign direct investment sources such as greenfield expansions, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, joint ventures, and sovereign wealth funds. 

 

“We are very excited to be a part of this Global Cities Initiative FDI cohort,” said J.P. DuBuque, Interim CEO and President of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation. “If we expect to compete in today’s economy, we have to put ourselves at the center of international commerce. The strategies identified in this study will help us get there.”

 

Launched in 2012, the Global Cities Initiative helps metropolitan areas grow their economies by strengthening international connections and competitiveness, with a focus on traded industry sectors.  GCI activities include producing data and research to guide decisions, fostering practice and policy innovation, and facilitating a peer-learning network for replication and dissemination.

 

“We chose to work with metro areas that proved they are committed to pursuing international economic opportunities and able to think creatively about foreign direct investment as part of a comprehensive economic development strategy,” said Marek Gootman, Brookings fellow and director of strategic partnerships and global initiatives. “We are confident that Tampa Bay is positioned to take greater advantage of foreign direct investment, and can be a national leader in finding more effective approaches to global economic engagement.” 

 

Foreign direct investment makes an outsized contribution to regional economic development, not only as a new source of capital. Foreign-owned enterprises tend to pay higher wages, invest more in research and development and worker training, increase exports through access to global networks, drive productivity growth, and transfer innovations. As the world’s largest economy with a stable investment environment, the U.S. has been a top destination for foreign direct investment, yet its share of that investment has fallen. Metropolitan leaders, in partnership with their states, are best equipped to attract and retain foreign direct investment by promoting their areas’ unique specializations and establishing strategic, mutually beneficial relationships.

 

“JPMorgan Chase is proud to be a part of the development of Tampa Bay’s FDI plan and to support innovative planning that will contribute to our region’s future economic success,” said Michael L. Dosal, Managing Director North Florida, JPMorgan Chase. “International trade and investment represent a promising pathway for local businesses to grow and, in turn, create jobs and expand our local economy.”

 

Tampa Bay will be represented by a team of local leaders including Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, Pinellas County Economic Development, Pasco Economic Development Council, Port Tampa Bay, Tampa International Airport and the University of South Florida with additional support from the Tampa Bay Partnership and various other public and private sector entities.

 

As a result of this project, Tampa Bay will produce a foreign direct investment market assessment; strategic plan with goals, tactics, and implementation commitments; and a policy memorandum. The work will complement the region’s existing regional export plan to form a complete international trade and investment strategy.

 

For more information on the Global Cities Initiative please visit www.brookings.edu/projects/global-cities.aspx orwww.jpmorganchase.com/globalcities.  

 

The Global Cities Initiative is a joint-project of the Brookings Institution and JPMorgan Chase designed to help metropolitan leaders advance and grow their regional economies by strengthening international connections and competitiveness, focused on their traded sectors. GCI activities include producing data and research to guide decisions, fostering practice and policy innovations, and facilitating a peer-learning network through replication and dissemination. For more information, seehttp://www.brookings.edu/projects/global-cities.aspx or www.jpmorganchase.com/globalcities.

It was a pleasure to see TBOWIT member, Mrs. Maria Alejandra Villasmil, at the 2016 International Town Hall. A year ago, Maria had the idea to start her own logistics firm and in 2016 it was a delight to see Maria standing in front of her company table, M&J Trading and Logisticsl. Maria  serves as Chief Executive Officer and President and is responsible for the strategic leadership of the organization to ensure its future relevance, credibility, and viability. With a background in logistics, her company is poised for the future. Congratulations Maria!

 

  To find out more, please see http://www.tradingandlogistics.com/our-company/ 

 

  

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Export Alliance for putting on the 2016 International Town Hall this past Friday, May 6, 2016. TBOWIT had an exhibition table and there were quite a few of us in the crowd.

   I did miss getting a picture of member Devon Barnett, Pasco EDC, who was in attendance, but I did grab snapshots of Nancy Crews - Custom Manufacturing, Susie Hoeller - TBOWIT Board Member, Eileen Rodriguez - FL SBDC at USF, Maria Alejandra Villasmil - M&J Trading & Logistics, Deborah Wilkinson - Tampa Bay Protocol, Lorrie Belovich - THEDC.

     Yes - I know that some of the pictures are sideways. It's because the file size is too large for this program to handle. I will re-size them. In the meantime, I'll just say the file sizes are too big because we have A LOT of women power represented!

 

 

 

 

 

  TBOWIT Members & Guests were delighted by Alain Cerf, President of Polypack Inc., an international packaging machinery manufacturer with headquarters in Pinellas Park. Polypack and it's accompanying Tampa Bay Automobile Museum were the site of TBOWIT's February Networking event.

   It doesn't get much better than a tour of this solar-powered facility and an in-depth discussion on cars and machinery with Alain, the successful proprietor of this global business and true car aficionado. This was a great venue in which to learn and network!

 

   

   

                     

                                   

TBOWIT Board Member, Susie Hoeller, J.D., CITP, was the featured speaker at a recent February World Trade Center Tampa Bay seminar.  The topic was TPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. We are fortunate to have Susie as a member of TBOWIT as she is a wealth of knowledge on the subject of TPP.

 

  Susie was able to break down this complex geo-political strategy and trade deal into meaningful segments and talk about Florida's opportunity to grow. Susie specifically mentioned the benefits to exporters, small businesses, supply chains, food safety, and services exporters. She also mentioned TPP's affects on e-commerce & digital freedom, intellectual property creation, environmental protections, first-ever disciplines (to avoid unfair competition), prioritizing of good governance, sustainable development & capacity-building. Susie also dedicated a portion of her presentation on criticisms of TPP including:  no anti-currency manipulation provisions, no climate change provisions, wage level disparities, & etc.      

 

   In Susie's own words,

"It is not perfect but there is no doubt that it will create new, higher paying jobs in Florida (nearly 50,000 by 2025 as projected by the Business Roundtable) and enable Tampa Bay businesses, large and small, to pursue success in exporting their goods, services, digital content and other intellectual property."

 

For more detailed information, find Susie at the next TBOWIT event. In the meantime, here is a link to a brief summary put out by the Department of Commerce.

 

 

floridaTPPDept of Commerce.pdf

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION IN SUPPORT OF TPP:

Office of the U.S. Trade Representative        https://ustr.gov/tpp/

U.S. Coalition for TPP                                      http://tppcoalition.org

Business Roundtable                                       http://www.tradebenefitsamerica.org

U.S. Commerce Department (ITA)                 http://www.trade.gov

January 6, 2016

Dear TBOWIT Members:

As we start 2016, I wanted to take a few minutes to thank you for your support during 2015.  We had an exciting year, filled with diverse presentations and opportunities for both learning and networking in our “after-hours” events.  We kicked off the year with a presentation by Commodore Richard Menhinick, of the Royal Australian Navy, giving us insight into  CENTCOM’s analysis of current global threats and the crisis in the Middle East.  We took time during networking “after hours” to  learn about the importance of protecting trademarks and brands when doing business globally and also how to protect ourselves—in our own interactive self defense workshop—and explored some of Tampa’s newest, trendier spots, such as the Edge at the Epicurean Hotel and the Oxford Exchange.  In May, we heard from author Holly Thomas about the importance of understanding the psychology behind people’s view of money and finances as we engage with them in business, and then closed the summer months with  an introduction to Uruguay by a  fellow OWIT member and Uruguay expert visiting from the Miami OWIT chapter.    The fall brought us an “insider’s” view into the opportunities and challenges in Cuba by Spanish counsel who has been advising European multinationals doing business in Cuba for over 20 years. During our Annual  International Business Awards and Scholarship Luncheon in October, we recognized  Jeff Vinik for his incredible support to our community, helping launch Tampa as a true international city, while  featured speaker Steve Griggs,  the Lightning’s CFO, highlighted the important role of professional sports in a city’s growth and  global image.  At this event we were blessed with the ability to give out two scholarships, at both  the undergraduate and  graduate student level, to students pursuing international studies.  As the year drew to a close, we had our annual boat tour of Port Tampa Bay, and toasted the holiday season at Aloft with colleagues from TBIBC, FRAMCO and other international groups before stepping back in time and embarking on a Victorian Christmas Stroll at the Henry B. Plant Museum at the University of Tampa.  Through our link to OWIT National, our members had access to multiple webinars throughout the year on  a variety of topics to enhance our skill sets in the international and business settings.  We were extremely fortunate to add some new talent to our Board: Martha L. Arellano, Debbie Fallucca, Susie Hoeller, and Michelle Mauch, as long-serving members stepped off.  We especially want to thank Eileen Rodriguez and Maddy Krasne for their dedication and support of our group for many years.  Sadly, this year we  also lost one of our own—Lisa Burdick Yoder-- who served our chapter indefatigably both on the Board and as our liaison to the OWIT national leadership, even as she battled cancer.  We stand stronger today because of her efforts and devotion to our chapter for over ten years, and have dedicated to her memory our newly-instituted graduate scholarship.  Lisa’s spirit of intellectual curiosity, awareness of international  affairs and global leadership has been a great legacy to our chapter. Like many groups, we have had challenges as a chapter, but we have marched on and continued to bring to our members programs that inform them about matters relevant to their global interests, and as a result  have seen our numbers grow this year.  All in all, as your outgoing President, I have much for which to be thankful, the greatest being  the friendships of my fellow Board and TBOWIT members I have come to know over the years.  There is an energy and excitement in our group that assure me our mission will be carried out--to enhance Tampa Bay through trade and international business.  This year we already have changes that promise to raise us to new levels.  We look forward to hosting our membership luncheons in Capital Grille—a conveniently-located venue that offers great food as well as a sophisticated meeting space.  Our in-coming President, Martha L. Arellano, is a dynamic woman leader  and respected banking professional who has great plans for our continued growth and program enhancement. Martha will officially assume her role as President at the next membership luncheon meeting on January 28. I look forward to seeing you there.  Finally we have recently added Sabina Zunguze to our Board, who brings with her expertise as an OWIT national officer.  Personally, I can’t wait to see what else 2016 brings! Regards, Olga Pina President / January 2014-2016