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In 2015, the TECO Energy Center for Leadership launched the Leadership Summit. This interactive event brings together a large group of participants composed of leaders throughout the Tampa Bay business community, University of Tampa students, faculty, nationally recognized speakers and panel members. Attendees are able to connect with local business leaders, gain valuable leadership insight and advice, and learn about hot topics in leadership.

2025 Leadership Summit

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025
7:15 a.m. to 12 p.m.

University of Tampa
Vaughn Center
9th Floor, Crescent Club

Keynote Speaker: Kris Kelso

Kris Kelso is a keynote speaker, a two-time entrepreneur, a professional certified coach, and is the author of “Overcoming The Impostor: Silence Your Inner Critic and Lead with Confidence.“ Kelso has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs, business owners, and their leadership teams as a coach, facilitator and mentor. He is the dean of entrepreneurship at the Professional Christian Coaching Institute, a business mastery coach at Heroic Public Speaking, an advisor and instructor at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, and is a contributing writer for Fast Company Magazine, Yahoo Finance and The Nashville Business Journal. Kelso has founded multiple companies and has served on the boards of directors of several nonprofit organizations.

He and his wife have three sons, and they live in a suburb of Nashville, TN. You can learn more about Kelso and his work at www.kriskelso.com and www.overcomingtheimpostor.com.

Leadership Panel:

Chris Letsos
CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay

Liza A. Mizel
SVP, Treasurey Management Relationship Manager, Regions Bank

Barbara Tripp
Fire Chief, Tampa Fire Rescue

Kris Kelso

2021 Leadership Summit

Topic: "Developing Your SPARK As A Leader"

Keynote Speaker: Simon T. Bailey

Speaker, Breakthrough Strategist, Life Coach and Author of Be the Spark: Five Platinum Service Principles for Creating Customers for Life

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Leadership Panel:

Mary Pat King
Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of West Central Florida

Brian Butler
Army Officer (retired) and President and CEO, Vistra Communications

Simon T. Bailey

Speaker, Breakthrough Strategist, Life Coach and Author of Be the Spark:
Five Platinum Service Principles for Creating Customers for Life



2020 Leadership Summit

Topic: "Reaching New Heights"

Keynote Speaker: Mary Abbajay
Best-selling Author of Managing Up: How to Move Up, Win at Work,
and Succeed with Any Type of Boss

Mary Abbajay
Leadership Panel:

T.J. Szelistowski 
President, Peoples Gas

Jessica Muroff 
CEO, United Way Suncoast

Yvette Segura 
Regional Vice President, USAA

Mary Abbajay
Best-selling Author of Managing Up: How to Move Up, Win at Work, and Succeed with Any Type of Boss



2019 Leadership Summit

Topic: "Leadership in Turbulent Times"

Keynote Speaker: Jen Shirkani
Author of Choose Resilience and Ego vs EQ, Emotional Intelligence Speaker

Jen Shirkani
Leadership Panel:

Bob Rohrlack 
President and CEO, Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce

Major General Edward F. Dorman III
United States Army, (Retired), Director, Logistics and Engineering, U.S. Central Command

Henry Gonzalez III
Tampa Bay Market President, Beach Community Bank

Jen Shirkani
Author of Choose Resilience and Ego vs EQ, Emotional Intelligence Speaker



Spring 2018

Topic: "Conquering the Pinnacle of Leadership"

Keynote Speaker: Ryan Holiday
Author of Perennial SellerEgo is the EnemyThe Daily Stoic and more

Ryan Holiday
Leadership Panel:

Gregory Celestan
Chief Executive Officer, Celestar Corporation

Judith A. Lisi
President/CEO, David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts

Timothy J. Adams
Chairman of the Board, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center

Ryan Holiday
Author of Perennial Seller, Ego is the Enemy, The Daily Stoic and more



Spring 2017

Topic: “Empowering Growing Leaders”

Keynote Speaker: Mark Hertling
Global Strategy and Physician Leader Development, Florida Hospital
Author of "Growing Physician Leaders: Empowering Doctors to
Improve Our Healthcare"

Mark Hertling
Leadership Panel:

Rhea Law
Chair, Florida Offices, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC

Dave Pizzo
Market President, West Florida Region, Florida Blue

Dave Ciesla
Regional Trauma Director, Tampa General Hospital and USF Health



Spring 2016

Topic: “Courage: The Essence of Leadership”

Keynote Speaker: Gus Lee
Award Winning and Best-Selling Author of Courage: The Backbone of Leadership
and With Schwarzkopf: Life Lessons of The Bear

Gus Lee
Leadership Panel:

Jane Castor '81
Chief of Police (Retired), City of Tampa

Mark House
Managing Director, The Beck Group

Suzanne McCormick
President and CEO, United Way Suncoast



Spring 2015

Topic: “Leadership Makes the Difference!”

Keynote Speaker: Don Hutson
New York Times Best-Selling Co-Author of The One Minute Negotiator

Don Hutson
Leadership Panel:

John Ramil
President and CEO, TECO Energy Inc.

Pam Iorio
National President and CEO of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America,
Former Mayor of Tampa

Maj. Gen. Karl Horst
Former Chief of Staff of U.S. Central Command located at
MacDill Air Force Base

Pete Teigen
Business Transformation Executive, Watson Project, IBM