North Star and Osceola County Lead FCCMA Session on Economic Development Diversification & Resilience

Jacksonville, FL, June 1, 2023 — North Star, a national place branding and marketing agency, today presented at the Florida City and County Management Association (FCCMA) Annual Conference alongside its client, Osceola County, Florida. Will Ketchum, president at North Star, and Don Fisher, Osceola County manager, led a discussion on how cities and counties can best pivot economically to achieve their best futures.

The presentation demonstrated Osceola County’s recent transformation from a region historically driven by tourism and agriculture to a more diversified, resilient economy of technology and innovation. Fisher shared the county’s strategy to diversification, which involved building the necessary infrastructure to attract technology-based companies, talent and additional investment. 

Most notably, the county spearheaded the development of NeoCity, a tech corridor that convenes collaboration between leading universities, research institutions and companies to create a vibrant ecosystem of smart sensor technology, photonics and optics. Today, Osceola County is the seventh fastest-growing county in the nation.

To supplement the infrastructure and support further growth, Ketchum shared how Osceola County pursued and ultimately refined their county brand to better tell their evolved story and strengths. The brand, ‘Be First to What’s Next,’ speaks to the county’s historical and ongoing reputation of driving Central Florida forward. The brand has helped county officials better tell their story and why the region is ripe for more opportunity, growth and investment.

“As historic, driving industries of Florida mature, economic reinvigoration and resilience are central issues for several cities and counties across the state,” said Ketchum. “Once you’ve made that economic pivot, you must have your story and reputation reflect it. Osceola County has laid the groundwork for other regions that seek to reimagine their economies and compete for their fair share of growth.”

For more information about the Osceola County story and brand, visit https://northstarideas.com/case-studies/osceola-county-florida/. 

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About North Star Place Branding + Marketing
North Star Place Branding + Marketing is America’s leading place branding organization. North Star is passionate about the matchless qualities that define and shape each and every community. Using two decades of experience and perspective, North Star helps client communities uncover and express their authentic story and inspire local action to achieve their preferred future. With offices in Jacksonville and Nashville, North Star brands and markets downtowns, towns, cities, counties, developments of regional impact, regions and states for the purposes of economic development, tourism, talent attraction, citizen engagement and unification of community-wide public entities and partner organizations. For more information, please visit northstarideas.com.

Media Contact
Tyler Holder
tyler@northstarideas.com