Newsroom & Press.
Member news, Chamber statements, media coverage and press contacts.
New businesses opening. Milestones reached. Awards won. Partnerships formed. Community impact made. This is where St. Pete business gets to celebrate itself — and where the Chamber makes sure those wins don’t go unnoticed.
We don’t just talk about St. Pete — we show up for it.
From the floors of the State Capitol to City Hall, from community forums to regional partnerships, the St. Pete Chamber is an active, vocal and proud champion for this city’s businesses and the people who run them. We track the legislation that affects you, engage the elected officials who represent you, and make sure the St. Pete business community always has a seat at the table.
Bianca Soler
Vice President, Executive Office & Brand
Where Chamber positions get said out loud.
Statements, testimony and forum remarks are published here alongside the press releases, so there is a single record of what the Chamber has actually said and when.
Chamber press releases and statements.
Official Chamber releases, statements and testimony, published in full. Journalists looking for comment on St. Pete business should contact the Chamber directly.
The live GrowthZone news listing appears here.
Mayor Ken Welch announces key staff hires
Three long-time city employees are being elevated to new roles
St. Petersburg, Fla — Mayor Ken Welch announced the elevation of three city employees to new positions, including Robert Gerdes as Assistant City Administrator, James Corbett as Neighborhood Affairs Administrator and Joe Zeoli as Interim City Development Administrator.
Gerdes formerly served as Neighborhood Affairs Administrator, a position he began in Jan. 2018. He’s been with the city since 2000, serving as an operations manager in the Codes Compliance department from Feb. 2014 through Nov. 2015, and the department’s director from Nov. 2015 through Jan. 2018. Prior to that he held roles in the Planning and Economic Development department, Parks and Recreation and Downtown Enterprise Facilities.
Corbett will replace Gerdes as Neighborhood Affairs Administrator after serving as the Codes Compliance Director since 2018. He’s been with the city since late 2014, including as an operations manager for Codes Compliance and an Operations Analyst.
As Director of Codes Compliance, Corbett led on various blight reduction programs and initiatives to provide lots for affordable housing. Corbett holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of South Florida and a State of Florida Building Contractors license.
Zeoli has been with the city for nearly 35 years. He will be the new Interim City Development Administrator, elevated from Managing Director of Administration and Finance. Prior to that he served as a finance manager in City Development Administration from 1987 until 2001. He formerly served as a system auditor for Florida Power, now Duke Energy, a senior accountant with the accounting firm Cherry Bekaert & Holland and a financial analyst at NASA during a college internship.
Zeoli has an undergraduate degree in Accounting and Master of Business Administration from the University of South Florida. He’s a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Public Pension Trustee and a member of the Florida Government Finance Officers Association.
Welch previously announced top staffing hires, including Stephanie Owens as Deputy Mayor and Chief of Policy, Tom Greene as Interim City Administrator, Janelle Irwin Taylor as Communications Director and Doyle Walsh as Senior Advisor.
Mayor Welch was sworn in Thursday, Jan. 6 as the city’s 54th Mayor.
