When Judy Genshaft was chosen USF president a decade ago, a strong selling point was her focus on partnerships. USF was neither commuter warehouse nor ivory tower. It was a key catalytic partner for the area. She has become a prominent, go-to player in regional economic development.
The most recent example: the hiring of former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker for the newly-created position of director of innovation partnerships. Notably, the research variety. It is USF’s gain–and St. Petersburg College’s loss, where Baker’s bid for the presidency was rejected in the spring. But more importantly it is a win-win for the area.
Baker, 53, is business smart, well-connected, affable and an astute choice for a job that will put a premium on building relationships with the business communities on both sides of Tampa Bay. As mayor, he collaborated with Genshaft in recruiting the defense contractor SRI International and Charles Stark Draper Laboratories, an M.I.T. spinoff.
He is by training a business attorney and by predisposition a chamber of commerce sort. In fact, he’s a former chairman of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce.
Although these are challenging times, it is no time to be less than aggressive when it comes to recruiting, retaining and expanding businesses. USF is in a prime synergistic position to help itself while helping regional economic development. Baker, whose position will be funded by the USF Research Foundation, is an enlightened, pragmatic hire.