St. Pete Standard

The St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce has announced the formation of the Future of Work Task Force, with USF St. Petersburg Regional Chancellor Christian Hardigree serving as its Chair. The task force will focus on the need to prepare students and young professionals for the workforce by addressing and working to solve concerns, as well as providing adequate resources to help recruit, develop, and retain talent in St. Petersburg.

"Prioritizing workforce development to benefit both the students and business community is vital to the community," said Hardigree.

Hardigree comes to St. Petersburg from Denver, where she served as the founding dean of Metropolitan State University’s School of Hospitality and is credited with “helping the school transition to a free-standing institution, implementing departmental structures and a strategic plan.” Hardigree was able “to secure external funding and leading the school’s faculty through a ‘complete redesign’ of the curriculum,” and accordingly provided further opportunities for the students at USF. Through her hard work, she reveals her goals of USF becoming a top 25 institution.

The Future of Work Task Force will compile internships, work studies, shadowing, and mentoring opportunities from partners for students, increase FAFSA completion rates, as well as create cohesive messaging regarding education between public/private/government sectors. Through the task force, the Chamber of Commerce seeks to create a cohesive education ecosystem to avoid duplication of services and focused on all stakeholders contributing in a meaningful way.

The next Future of Work Task Force meeting is Thursday, September 21 at 4pm. The meeting will be located at Power Design (11600 9th St N). Meetings are open to all current Chamber members. Learn more and RSVP here.