Linda Brandt and Melinda Ridgley to Serve on Economic Development Commission Councils
Brevard County, Florida—The Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast has engaged in research, analysis and dialogue with key stakeholders to create a three-year strategic plan with four strategic priorities, three key goals and five industrial clusters. Linda Brandt, President and CEO, brandt ronat + company and Melinda Ridgley, Vice President, Accounts, brandt ronat + company have volunteered for important councils which will help guide the implementation of the EDC’s strategic plan. Each council is structured around four strategic priority areas and will serve as integral tools in achieving three important goals: Create 2,250 New Jobs; Change 12 Business Policies; and Become a Community of Distinction.
Linda Brandt is a member of the Community of Distinction Council, a community team committed to garnering national commendation for Brevard County. Council members will initiate strategies and plans to unify the efforts of the entire community to achieve national recognition. This will include the establishment of strategies for attainable recognition based on the strengths of the area and working in cooperation with the Competitive Business Environment Council for proper handling of identified business impediments.
Brandt brings 27 years of marketing experience, and a history of award-winning work in the fields of writing, creative direction and analytical strategy. She also has an impressive track record of community service, including being a past chairman of the Brevard Cultural Alliance Board, serving on the Board of Directors of the EDC, and she has been a member of the Florida Tech School of Management Board of Overseers and Industry Education Committee.
Melinda Ridgley is a member of the Competitive Business Environment Council, created with the sole purpose of building a more competitive Brevard County business environment. The council will identify policies most influential to a company’s decision to relocate. It will use the organization’s collective knowledge and influence to abolish any impediments to doing business in the county by helping to improve current policies. The long term goal of the committee is to make Brevard County one of the most business friendly locations in the World.
Ridgley is also very active in the community, being named Volunteer of the Year by the EDC in 2007 (along with her husband, Bryan), and she was also listed in the 2008 “100 Most Influential Business Leaders” by Space Coast Business magazine.
The strategic plan, when successful, will position Brevard County as a leader in job creation, business climate evolution and in marketing—both nationally and globally. With investors of the EDC and the community supporting this plan, the organization can achieve its goals and the vision all communities seek—a strong and vital economic environment resulting in a superb quality of life.