ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (February 17, 2023)- The St. Petersburg Economic Development Corporation announced today that its founding president & current CEO J.P. DuBuque will be leaving the organization he helped build to become the chief operating officer at accounting firm Rivero, Gordimer & Company. DuBuque, whose resignation is effective April 28, has been president of the St. Pete EDC since its founding in 2016. Under his leadership, the public-private organization has helped companies relocate, expand, and open in St. Pete, announcing more than 2,100 new jobs in the City’s targeted industries and increasing private sector revenue by 86% and public support by 50% over the past six years, with 68 current St. Pete EDC Investors.

Strong Partnership Between the City and the Business Community

The St. Petersburg Economic Development Corporation grew out of St. Petersburg’s Grow Smarter initiative, helmed by the City and the St. Pete Chamber of Commerce. “We have had incredible success highlighting St. Petersburg as a world-class business location through the EDC’s marketing and business attraction efforts,” said City of St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch. “The St. Pete EDC has been a valuable partner in promoting the Sunshine City to out-of-market companies considering relocation or expansion, and J.P. has been an important link between the City, the business community, and prospective businesses.”

Duke Energy’s director of industry recruitment Danielle Ruiz, who is the EDC’s immediate past chair, echoed the Mayor’s sentiments, saying, “J.P. has done a great job of creating a strong foundation for the organization with focused efforts to market the tremendous assets throughout the city and the region. We’ve worked collaboratively to help attract complimentary businesses and their workforce talent across the finance, data analytics, marine and life sciences, specialized manufacturing, and creative arts and design sectors, as a concierge to discover, explore, and choose St. Pete as a location for their business.”

“I am so proud of what we’ve built at the St. Pete EDC,” DuBuque said. “I have loved working with companies to educate them about the business benefits of our area and connecting them to the people and programs they need to be successful here. In my new role I look forward to using the experience I’ve had working with companies at different stages in their life cycles in various industries and focusing it on one company to help it excel over the long term.”

Herman Lazzara, managing partner at RG & Co. said, "We've seen the entrepreneurial and collaborative approach that J.P. has taken in St. Pete and look forward to having him bring that to RG&Co. With his personal value set so aligned with our corporate values, we know that J.P. will enhance our ability to grow our team to drive impact for both our valued clients and our community. J.P. brings a deep understanding of practice management that he developed during his long tenure as the senior administrator for a regional CPA and Advisory firm in Maryland. This industry experience combined with great leadership skills will help RG&Co prosper as we enter our 5th decade of serving our clients."

St. Pete EDC Enters Next Phase

As part of its continued growth, the St. Pete EDC is currently developing a strategic plan for the next three to five years to continue to expand its public-private partnership success. “We’ve demonstrated that we’ve made an impact and been financially successful,” said Marcus Greene, Truist market president and current chair of the St. Pete EDC. “Now we’re looking at how we take that to the next level, attracting even more companies to our area. The companies that choose to relocate, expand, or open here generate new jobs, innovation, and investment in the Sunshine City.”

Greene added that that the EDC’s executive committee is developing the plan for selecting DuBuque’s successor. In the interim, the St. Pete Chamber of Commerce will assist the EDC, after DuBuque leaves, in its mission of marketing and business attraction for the City. The St. Pete EDC anticipates that it will soon finish its strategic plan and embark on identifying DuBuque’s successor.

As always, the St. Pete EDC will continue to provide progress updates to its investors and the St. Pete community.

About the St. Petersburg Economic Development Corporation 

The Greater St. Petersburg Area Economic Development Corporation helps innovative companies discover, explore, and choose St. Pete for relocation or expansion. The St. Pete EDC promotes the Sunshine City as a place where innovators thrive in a vibrant and authentically warm business community. The private-public partnership supported by more than 65 organizations markets St. Pete to and works with out-of-market executives, referral sources, and site selection consultants for companies in the City’s targeted industry sectors (data analytics, financial services, marine & life sciences, specialized manufacturing, creative arts & design). Companies that relocate, expand or open in St. Petersburg generate opportunities for the people of St. Pete, bringing new jobs and business to the Sunshine City.