Executives from the airline, building and financial industries will speak at The University of Tampa Fellows Forum on Wednesday, March 5, at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. The event takes place in Louise Lykes Ferguson Hall at 7:30-9:30 a.m.
The business leaders will share their unique perspectives with the Tampa Bay business community. The forum is moderated by Stacie Schaible of News Channel 8. In attendance will be:
*Robert Fornaro, president and CEO of Airtran Airways *Peter Beck, managing director of The Beck Group *Tom James, chairman and CEO of Raymond James Financial
One of the country’s largest low-fare airlines, Airtran employs more than 9,000 people and operates more than 700 flights a day. Fornaro joined the company in 1999, after serving as vice president for both Northwest Airlines and US Airways. His daughter is a freshman at The University of Tampa.
Recently recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the “100 best companies to work for,” The Beck Group is an integrated builder offering project finance, design, construction and development services through nine offices. Beck has held various positions in the firm, and has served as managing director since 1991.
Raymond James Financial, a Florida-based company, offers financial services to individuals, corporations and municipalities. The company’s three principal broker/dealers serve 1.6 million accounts, and asset management subsidiaries manage approximately $38 billion in assets. James is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School and holds a Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg. He joined Raymond James Financial in 1966, four years after the company was founded by his father, Robert A. James.
Tickets for the Fellows Forum are $40 for the general public, and are available through the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce’s Web site at http://www.tampachamber.com or (813) 276-9440.
The University of Tampa Fellows Forum has been the flagship event for the Board of Fellows since 1987. This year’s presenting sponsor is UBS. Platinum sponsors include Raymond James Financial, The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, The Tampa Tribune and The Tampa Bay Business Journal.