Pinellas County Economic Development
Karisa Rojas-Norton, MPA, CEcD, serves as the Public Relations and Media Manager for Pinellas County Economic Development since December 2021, focusing on economic development marketing, public communications, and media relations. Previously, Karisa held various roles with the City of Largo, including Economic Development/Community Redevelopment Agency Manager and Economic Development Program Planner/Business Ombudsman, where responsibilities included managing economic development activities and business support programs. Earlier experience includes positions with the City of San Juan Capistrano, Consensus Inc., the City of Costa Mesa, and law offices, where Karisa engaged in economic development strategies, legislative research, and grassroots communications. Karisa holds an MPA in Public Administration and a BA in Political Science from CSU Long Beach.
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Pinellas County Economic Development
Anchored by the urban markets of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, Pinellas County is home to the headquarters of three Fortune 500 companies: Jabil, Tech Data and Raymond James. The county’s diverse, yet symbiotic, industry clusters ensure the availability of an adaptable high-tech workforce. With industry leaders Home Shopping Network (HSNi), Nielsen, ValPak and Catalina Marketing, Pinellas is rapidly becoming Florida’s hub for advanced data analytics. The county also has the second largest base of manufacturing employment in Florida, and a community-wide focus on supporting creative and innovative entrepreneurs. Through relationships with major universities and high-tech institutes, Pinellas has become a center for research and development in marine science, electronic instruments, medical devices, sensors, nanotechnology and health care. Draper Laboratory and SRI International have operations in Pinellas. The community’s proximity to MacDill Air Force Base allows Lockheed-Martin, Honeywell, Raytheon, GE Aviation, L3 Communications and General Dynamics to operate efficiently with a ready workforce and easy access to clients based at USSOCOM. Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED) works with existing businesses to encourage expansion and seeks to attract new companies with high-wage careers to the community. Through investment tools, business classes, professional consulting services, trade missions to open new markets, and strategic partnerships, PCED fosters a pro-business environment and promotes the ideal business climate of Pinellas County, Florida. Learn more at http://www.PCED.org