Florida's Booming Economy

Описание: Our speaker this month brings the “boom” to the above title of our luncheon program. Clark Mica is President of the Institute of Makers of Explosives (IME). This trade group, which represents U.S. manufacturers and distributors of commercial explosives, is out with a new economic impact study that highlights the critical role of these explosives in building the U.S. and Florida economies. In Florida, commercial explosives are used in many activities, including mining aggregate in South Florida quarries, drilling and installing oil and gas pipelines, and in the explosive bolts that release the space rockets fired from the Kennedy Space Center. “I’ll be sharing how explosives build America and Florida,” Mr. Mica told Club Officers in a recent conference call. “Think about all the construction
going on infrastructure-wise in Florida, whether it's building roads, building
subdivisions, housing developments, there's a lot of work at that level that's
being done. You don't have to dig down too far to hit rock in Florida. So in
order to level the area, you have to use commercial explosives,” he said.
Like many industries, IME members face challenges in finding an available
workforce, supply chain disruptions, and rising transportation costs, while also addressing environmental impact and safety concerns, which Mr. Mica will also discuss.
Prior to joining IME, Mr. Mica served as Vice President of Government Affairs at The Fertilizer Institute in Washington, D.C, where he directed its policy advocacy efforts to Congress and within federal agencies. He previously served as Presidential Appointee in the George W. Bush Administration at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As its Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Relations (Acting), Mica was the Department’s liaison to the White House, federal agencies, Governors, Mayors, and public and private industry organizations. He also served as a Congressional Liaison Officer at HUD, working on a variety of homeownership issues.
A native of Winter Park, Florida, Mr. Mica earned his bachelor’s degree in political science at Appalachian State University. He will be introduced by Christopher Emmanuel, Director of Government Relations for the University of Florida and Club Vice President.