Florida Gubernatorial Nominees David Jolly and Byron Donalds to Headline WLRN's Inaugural Sunshine Economy Summit

Presented by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, the September 23 event brings business, government and community leaders together to examine South Florida's economic future.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- WLRN will bring Florida's Democratic and Republican gubernatorial nominees, David Jolly and Byron Donalds, to its inaugural Sunshine Economy Summit on September 23, 2026, at the Downtown Event Center in Fort Lauderdale. The candidates will participate in separate, moderated conversations about their economic priorities ahead of the November election, anchoring a gathering focused on the decisions shaping South Florida's future.

Presented by Platinum Sponsor Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, with support from Gold Sponsor Kaufman Rossin, the summit will connect statewide policy with the concerns facing South Florida residents and employers. Housing affordability, insurance costs, workforce changes and opportunities for investment and job creation will frame a regional conversation about how growth can translate into lasting prosperity.

"The economy is not abstract. It is the cost of a home, the future of a business and whether people can build a life here," said Tom Hudson, WLRN's CEO and special correspondent, who will host the summit. "We're bringing the people making consequential decisions into a conversation about what those decisions mean for the communities we serve."

The summit builds on WLRN's reporting on the people behind the economic headlines, bringing business leaders, policymakers and community voices into direct conversation. WLRN journalists Carlton Gillespie, host of The Florida Roundup, and Wilkine Brutus, Palm Beach County reporter, will also moderate panels.

"The Alliance is proud to present WLRN's inaugural Sunshine Economy Summit because today's conversations are vital to the local economy," said Bob Swindell, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance.  "Our region's long-term prosperity depends on collaboration across all sectors, this summit crates an important opportunity to strengthen those partnerships, especially encouraging the growth of targeted industries that produce an outsized benefit through new high-skill, high-wage jobs, capital investment and new income flowing into the community."

The challenges of sustaining that prosperity will come into focus through discussions on housing and philanthropy. Related Group President and CEO Jon Paul Pérez and Merrimac Ventures managing partners Dev Motwani and Nitin Motwani will examine the pressures on buyers, renters and will discuss the implications of Canadian tariffs on building homes and condos, as well as the cost of capital with rising interest rates.

Philanthropist Jorge M. Pérez and Community Foundation of Broward President and CEO Jennifer O'Flannery Anderson will explore the role of charitable investments helping close economic gaps and expand opportunities.

A regional perspective will come from Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean J. Trantalis, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Doral Mayor Christi Fraga and Lake Worth Beach Mayor Betty Resch. Across two mayoral discussions, they will explore the connections between local government property tax revenues, economic development and immigration's effects on the workforce and business community.

The conversation will also extend to industries creating opportunities across the region. HEICO's Victor H. Mendelson and Willis Lease Finance Corp. CEO Austin C. Willis will address aviation investment and higher-paying jobs, while Florida Panthers President of Business Operations Michael White will examine the economic impact of sports, major events and tourism.

The summit also receives support from Silver Sponsors Baptist Health, Coastal Construction and FPL, and Bronze Sponsors JM Family Enterprises, McGrath & Gayle CPA, LLC, and UBS. Additional table sponsors include Broward County's Office of Economic and Small Business Development; Chapman Partnership; Shutts; Truist; UDT; Lewis Brisbois; the City of Hollywood; Florida International University's Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center; and Corporate Benefit Partners.

The Sunshine Economy Summit will take place at the Downtown Event Center, 416 NE 1st Street, Fort Lauderdale. Lunch is included for registered guests. Registration, ticket and table information are available on WLRN's Sunshine Economy Summit event page. For media registration please contact Giselle Reid at [email protected]

About WLRN

WLRN is South Florida's NPR and PBS public media organization, serving the region through radio, television and digital platforms. Its journalism, educational resources and cultural programming connect communities with trusted information and meaningful stories that help South Florida better understand itself and the world.

Media Contact:

Giselle Reid
Vice President of Marketing and Communications
WLRN / South Florida Public Media Group
[email protected] 

SOURCE WLRN Public Media