On Thursday, May 2, Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd made an appearance in Plant City. If you are asking yourself, “What does the Florida Secretary of State do?” Here it is: The position is the custodian of Florida law, the chief election officer, the chief arts and culture officer, the state protocol officer and, of course, the head of the Department of State. The office ensures fair elections, investigates election fraud, administers business filings, handles Florida’s relations with foreign governments doing business in Florida, and oversees historical and artistic resources, among other things. In the organizational chart of Florida government, the Secretary of State reports to the Governor and Lt. Governor.
Mayor Nate Kilton and others discuss the business climate of Plant City with Florida Secretary of State, Cord Byrd.
“Secretary Byrd is one of the most priceless pieces to the puzzle for everything happening for our downtown and for grants,” said Dawn Hyatt, Executive Director of Historic Downtown Plant City Main Street. “He is a huge advocate and we are blessed he was able to take the time out of his busy schedule to come down and let us show him around our downtown. It’s a real honor to have him here.”
The Secretary of State visited at the invitation of Hyatt. Her organization’s main mission is stimulating economic vitality and the revitalization of downtown Plant City. “That means bringing people downtown,” said Hyatt.
Cody Lenz stands in front of Three Hands Mead Company in downtown Plant City.
“We’re really excited to have the Secretary of State here to highlight what we have done so far,” said Cody Lenz, co-owner of Three Hands Mead Company, and a Board Member of Plant City Main Street. When asked about the benefits of the Cord Byrd visit, Lenz added, “We are getting exposure beyond the local area. Exposure from anybody is a huge help, but having him from the state government here in Plant City will really help expose our downtown to the rest of the state.”
Wenda Trunzo talks about Krazy Kup with Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd.
Secretary of State Byrd, who gave Plant City Main Street three awards in 2023, came to meet with merchants and hear about their businesses. “He is a fantastic advocate and we really wanted the opportunity to show off how wonderful our downtown is here in Plant City,” said Hyatt. Secretary of State Byrd took keen interest in what these businesses offer, what made them decide to locate downtown, and how things are working for them. The three-hour tour took Byrd to Propagation, Krazy Kup, The Crafted Butterfly, Mr. Seba’s, Three Hands Mead, State Theatre, and Spirit Art Gallery. This gave Byrd about 20 minutes of discussion with each business owner.
“I was very pleased that he would come to Plant City and meet with us,” commented Wenda Trunzo,” owner of Krazy Kup. Trunzo offered to the secretary her thoughts about what is needed to grow the historic downtown. She appreciated Byrd’s engagement with her. “It was very, very nice to meet him,” she commented.
Dawn Hyatt, Executive Director of Historic Downtown Plant City Main Street with Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd.
When asked about his reaction to being in Downtown Plant City, Byrd said, “I’m really impressed with what this is doing for business owners who are taking the past and bringing it into the future, and creating new businesses and really fostering a sense of community. It is great for me as Secretary of State to get out and visit these communities so that I can take that message back to Tallahassee and tell the stories of the business owners and the people in the community. So it’s more than just numbers on a spreadsheet– it’s real people, real stories and doing this it is really good for Florida.” Byrd’s aim is that the state will continue to fund Main Street programs.
Historic Downtown Plant City Main Street is an entity that operates using a four-point approach that is a time-tested framework for community-driven, comprehensive historic downtown revitalization. The framework is:
Design: Supports a community’s transformation by enhancing the physical and visual assets that set the commercial district apart.
Economic Vitality: Focuses on capital, incentives, and other economic and financial tools to assist new and existing businesses, catalyze property development, and create a supportive environment of entrepreneurs and innovators that drive local economies.
Promotion: Positions the downtown commercial district as the center of the community and hub of economic activity, while creating a positive image that showcases a community’s unique characteristics.
Organization: Involves creating a strong foundation for a sustainable revitalization effort, including cultivating partnerships, community involvement and resources for the district,
The organization offers memberships that include promotion and networking. The local Plant City office is accredited through National Main Street America.