For Immediate Release Thursday, May 31, 2012 Contact: Sarah Bascom, 850.294.6636 Celina Parker, 850.443.
9965
Polk County Community & Business Leaders to Give Florida Polytechnic University a Voice and Support
More Than 70 Leaders Join to Create Florida Poly Vision, Inc. Lakeland, Fla. More than 70 community and business leaders from Polk County and surrounding communities came together today to announce the creation and kick-off of Florida Poly Vision, Inc. (Florida Poly Vision). Florida Poly Vision was created to support the future success of Floridas new university Florida Polytechnic University. This diverse group of local leaders and community members have joined to provide a much needed voice for Floridas 12th university until the official infrastructure is put into place to recruit the best students, educators and academic leaders to Florida Polytechnic. In addition to the leadership and members of Florida Poly Vision, in attendance today, numerous elected officials from the area also joined the event to show their support of Florida Polytechnic University and the new community-driven support group. The elected officials in attendance, included Senator JD Alexander (R-Lake Wales), Representative Ben Albritton (R-Bartow), Representative Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland), Mayor James H. (J.P.) Powell, City of Winter Haven, Mayor Jack Myers, City of Auburndale, Commissioners Melony M. Bell, R. Todd Dantzler, Bob English and Edwin V. Smith of the Polk County Board of County Commissioners. "With dreams of leading the nation in technology and innovation-driven higher education from its base in Polk County, Florida Poly Visions leadership and members are proud to be a part of the overall effort to move Florida Polytechnic University forward," said Cliff Otto, from the United Way of Central Florida building, who will serve as the West co-chair for Florida Poly Vision, and is the current president of Saddle Creek Corporation in Lakeland, Fla. "We know that Florida Polytechnic University can live up to its potential and recruit the very best students and educators, but in order to take that first step, we need to work together to let all of Florida and the nation know that this new university has hometown support," said Vic Story, who will serve as the East co-chair for Florida Poly Vision and is the current president of The Story Companies in Lake Wales, Fla. "Florida Polytechnic University will call our Polk County home, but its impact can be felt statewide, so we must make a concerted effort to support the university until an official infrastructure is put in place," said Alice Hunt, MORE
PAGE 2 FLORIDA POLY VISION vice chair for Florida Poly Vision and current vice president of Hunt Construction of Central Florida, Inc. in Lakeland, Fla. "Trustees and alumni organizations act as hosts and built-in support systems for established universities, so until all of these needed elements are in place, we hope to meet that need and make a difference." "It's time to look forward, come together and embrace Florida's 12th university," said Ingram Leedy, vice chair for Florida Poly Vision and chief executive officer of iThink Partners, LLC in Winter Haven, Fla. "As business leaders and as a community, we need to unite and send a strong positive message. The new Florida Polytechnic will have a direct focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) that will have a major impact on our local communities and the entire state of Florida." The University of South Floridas Polytechnic Campus in Lakeland, Fla., becomes Florida Polytechnic University on July 1, 2012, starting the clock on its many benchmarks. Florida Poly Vision's mission will be to act as the leading voice of support, host educators and potential speakers and discussion seminars, fundraise for related events, and gather community and statewide support for the universities' success. Today's press conference was viewed LIVE statewide at www.floridapolyvision.com. Check back to www.floridapolyvision.com for updates on the overall effort and the full resource website's launch on June 8, 2012. Follow us now on Facebook and Twitter at http://on.fb.me/KyGmVp and @FLPolyVision. Full biographies on Florida Poly Vision's leadership, as well as a complete listing of the members of Florida Poly Vision today, are attached and below.
### BIOGRAPHIES VICTOR B. STORY EAST CO-CHAIR Victor B. Story is the current president of The Story Companies, a group of family-owned corporations that include citrus holdings, management, marketing, harvesting and hauling across Central Florida. Vic currently serves as president and board member of Florida Citrus Mutual, vice president and board member of the Orange Growers Marketing Association, Inc. and is a member of Citrus World Inc. In addition, Vic currently serves as a board member of the Polk County Farm Bureau and is a member of the American Legion Post 71. Formerly, Vic has served as a city commissioner and mayor of Lake Wales, president of the Polk County Farm Bureau, vice chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission, and served on the Polk County Charter Review Committee. Vic has also served three terms as chairman of the Polk County Farm Service Agency, chairman of Concerned Property Owners of Polk County and served on the Polk County Farm Labor Housing Task Force. Vic attended the University of Florida, Florida Southern College and Polk Community College, and currently resides in Lake Wales, Florida. CLIFF OTTO WEST CO-CHAIR Cliff Otto is the current president of Saddle Creek Corporation, a nationwide, third party logistic company that provides dedicated and shared warehousing, transportation, contract packaging, fulfillment and related logistics services across a broad array of customers. Previously, Cliff has served as the executive vice president for Saddle Creek Corporation before taking over as president in 2007. Cliff has more than 30 years of industry experience and has held leadership roles with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals and several grocery industry associations, as well as served as national president of the Warehousing Education and
PAGE 3 FLORIDA POLY VISION Research Council. Cliff is a graduate of the University of Kansas and the University of Maryland, and currently resides in Lakeland, Florida. INGRAM LEEDY EAST VICE CHAIR Ingram Leedy is the current chief executive officer of iThink Partners LLC and manages a portfolio of cloud related technology companies. The portfolio companies include Elephant Outlook, Protected Trust and Inland Fiber & Data. Ingrams community involvement includes serving as the president of the Winter Haven Economic Development Council, and board member of the Polk State College Foundation. Ingram is a graduate of the University of Florida and currently resides in Winter Haven, Florida. ALICE HUNT WEST VICE CHAIR Alice Hunt is the current president of Hunt Properties, LLC and vice president of Hunt Construction of Central Florida, Inc. Alices community involvement includes holding leadership roles in the Polk County Builders Association and Florida Homebuilders Association. Alice currently serves as board member of the Early Learning Coalition and the Central Florida Speech and Hearing Center, and serves on the executive board of the Central Florida Development Council and the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce. Formerly, Alice has served as the chairman of the board of the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce. Alice is a graduate of the University of South Florida and currently resides in Lakeland, Florida.