Close to 1,000 business and civic leaders, and elected officials from Broward County and South Florida gathered on Friday, March 31st for Broward Workshop's 9th Annual State of the County forum. Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief presented an overview of the county’s current affairs noting that government continues its focus expanding airport and port operations, reducing the size of county government and maintaining a healthy financial reserve.
Dr. Jerry Parish, Chief Economist at the Florida Chamber Foundation reported on key Florida economic indicators and how they compare to Broward County’s own. Broward leads on key indicators like voter participation, poverty rate, high-school graduation rate, and visitor revenue. The county currently lags on jobs, housing (sales), and consumer sentiment. Unemployment rate remains unchanged.
George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami was this year’s keynote speaker. Mr. Piro spoke about a wide range of intelligence-related topics, including counterintelligence, terrorism, cyber-security and public corruption. Mr. Piro asserted that the FBI’s Miami office plays a leading role in combating terrorism in our country.
