Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs’ Modeling, Simulation & Training Blue Ribbon Commission, a coalition of community leaders and industry stakeholders advocating for this high-value and high-wage economic sector in Florida, recently toured Lockheed Martin, EA Sports and the Downtown Technology Entrepreneurship Ecosystem.
MS&T Commission Chairman Waymon Armstrong, co-founder and president of Engineering & Computer Simulations Inc. and Thomas l. Baptiste, Lt. Gen., USAF (Ret), President and Executive Director of the National Center for Simulation, kicked off the tour with a briefing and legislative update before the group embarked on a tour of Lockheed Martin’s Orlando facilities, which employs approximately 4,043 local residents.
“Protecting, nourishing, and growing this capital-intensive and innovation-driven sector is vital for all future generations of Floridians,” Mayor Jacobs said. “My Blue Ribbon Commission continues to educate key audiences about the reach, breadth, and diversity of this key economic driver and brings awareness regarding the highly synergistic nature of MS&T to other key sectors of our economy.”
After a meeting with executives from Lockheed Martin and a tour of its Orange County operations, the group departed for a walking tour of the Downtown Orlando Technology Entrepreneurship Ecosystem. Stops included visits at Canvs, a nonprofit coworking space for technologists and entrepreneurs, the renovated Church Street Exchange building, software company Voxeo, digital creative agency PRPL (Purple, Rock, Scissors) and a meeting with entrepreneur Johnathan Taylor who owns the tech firm EntreNext.
During lunch, the group watched a screening of the Orlando Rising documentary at the historic Cheyenne Saloon. David Glass, publisher of the Florida Technology Journal, and Kai Isaac, CEO and producer of FilmScape Production, talked about digital technology and the incredible momentum the tech and digital industries have built in Central Florida.
Daryl Holt, vice president and chief operating officer of EA SPORTS, led the group’s final tour of the company’s Maitland headquarters. EA SPORTS is an international award-winning developer of sports video games including Madden NFL, FIFA, NBA Live, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR, NHL, NCAA Football, and EA SPORTS UFC.
The Blue Ribbon Commission continues to be supported by a broad coalition of supporters including Jacob V. Stuart of the Central Florida Partnership, U.S. Congressman John Mica, Rick Weddle of the Metro Orlando EDC and Randy Berridge of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council.
The Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force are at the core of our simulation and training industry, contributing nearly $5 billion to Florida’s gross state product, nearly 30,000 high-tech jobs, with salaries averaging $70,000 per year. When combined, with indirect and induced jobs, the industry employs more than 60,000 citizens that call our region home.
The Commission commenced its efforts with an inaugural meeting at Orange County on June 24, 2013. Members of the Commission come from the broader seven-county region, including Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Polk, Brevard, and Volusia counties.
