BUSINESS
Lynda Weatherman is on a
mission to distill the essence
of the Space Coast into a
brand the world will easily
recognize and remember.
As president and CEO of the Economic
Development Commission of Florida’s
Space Coast, Weatherman knows all
too well that the Space Coast’s embarrassment
of natural and economic
riches can be challenging to concentrate
because they are so many and so varied.
An area that once focused primarily on
launching rockets has developed into
a tourist mecca and major cruise ship
port, not to mention a center for manufacturing
and hi-tech. The evolution
requires a retelling.
“There is a bit of a sense of urgency
to tell our story,” said Peter Cranis,
executive director of the Space Coast
Office of Tourism.
The EDC has joined with Cranis’ organization
44: SPACE COAST LIVING | SPACECOASTLIVING.COM
in a special initiative that
launched earlier this year.
“Known as Mission Space Coast, the
EDC, in partnership with the Space Coast
Office of Tourism, is reaching out to the
community to define who we are and
develop the brand that will identify us to
the world,” Weatherman said.
Interactive discussions with key industry
stakeholders continue through the end of
the year. Multiple focus groups were held
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OF FLORIDA’S SPACE COAST
across Brevard to identify perceptions
of the Space Coast as a place to live,
work and play. A broad public survey was
distributed to at least 5,000 residents in
November. Findings, along with external
data collected for a perspective outside
the Space Coast, will be presented at the
EDC annual meeting in February before
the development of a brand design.
Weatherman could well be the Space
Coast’s most ardent cheerleader, for
since she took over the EDC’s helm in
1994, she has devoted herself to further
energizing Brevard’s economic climate
by raising awareness of the area and
its potential.
Since the dawn of the space program,
Redefining
mission By Maria Sonnenberg
Initiatives transforming Space Coast’s economic identity
>>
Lynda Weatherman, president and CEO of
the Economic Development Commission
of Florida’s Space Coast, is working on a
collaborative effort to define the area and
develop a brand for it.
/SPACECOASTLIVING.COM
