There is a lot of good happening in Tallahassee these days. Our community is growing and people are starting to take notice. Here at Chamber HQ, we keep a running list of accomplishments and accolades that are a representation of the continued progress being made in our hometown. The best part about that is our list is getting quite long. Tallahassee is quickly becoming the kind of place that people are not only talking about but looking to as an example for how to make some big things happen.
2019 was a year filled with good news on this front. It seemed that nearly every month brought another example of a high ranking or meaningful designation. Of all the areas we track for this positive news there were two that stood out last year. Our quality of life and attractiveness for talent set the pace for our success.
Tallahassee residents have long enjoyed a high quality of life, but in recent years, our secret has gotten out. The age of the internet has allowed for cities like ours to be found and deservedly celebrated for being a great place to live. Whether they take notice of our award-winning parks and trails, world class schools or even the impressive infrastructure that supports our local economy, there is a lot for us to be proud of. We don’t get everything right, but we do some things quite well and for that, we should certainly be comfortable bragging.
As for talent, every day we are creating more offerings for the next wave of Tallahassee residents. The high quality of life we enjoy is a big part of that however, at the end of the day people need to feel like they can find an opportunity to get ahead here. This goes way beyond just recent college grads. Tallahassee is on a path to becoming a city where people of all ages and walks of life can confidently come to create a future for themselves. No matter where someone may fall on the career spectrum, there is an increasing range of opportunities found in our community. Jobs and wages are both trending upward and entrepreneurship is on the rise. Educational partners are also standing up new efforts to offer training for high wage jobs in skilled industries. There is still a long way to go, but Tallahassee’s talent story is increasingly impressive.
As one of Florida’s best mid-sized cities, we are beyond just trying to get people to stay here after college. Now is the time to put the pedal down and keep the accolades coming. Each time someone sees Tallahassee in a magazine spread, national ranking or piece of digital content, it only increases the odds that they find their way here someday. As many of us know, there are a staggering number of people who have chosen to make Tallahassee their permanent home after originally having no plans to do so. Our city and way of life tends to grow on people and as we continue to evolve, there are more reasons than ever for folks to think about Tallahassee as the place to be.
With all these points in mind, our very own Sarah Solomon produced a wonderful new video that is tailor made for our members to brag on Tallahassee. Sarah carefully crafted a highlight reel for all the great accolades that rolled in for our city in 2019 and our ask of you is to share it. We want you to tell your neighbors, family, friends and anyone else who will listen why you love living and working in Tallahassee. You never know who may see it and be inspired to come take a look. Our bet is that they may just want to stay.