From the Executive Director's Desk

FLATE is fortunate to have a team with many talents and a work ethic that would “knock your socks off”. Although you many not know these individuals, you certainly have seen and /or experienced their high quality work. This “From the Executive Director” is focused on our media group. A view of our other talents is coming next issue but now it is time to look at the people that help give us our look.

From a visual perspective I am sure that Hank Williams would have really be singing “Hey good looking, you really do have something cooking”. Our website designs are spectacular thanks to the imagination and dedication of our contract webmaster, Colin Miller (One Graphic, Inc). Colin takes seed ideas from us and makes them come alive on both www.fl-ate.org and www.madeinflorida.org.

Other visual impacts and icons have been the creation of local artists and graphic designers Jim Wordes, Chiara Brandon and Wayne Chin. Among other graphic designs Jim Wordes developed the first version of our FLATE logo in 2002. Jim, Chiara and Wayne have all created graphic display panels, banners, posters and various FLATE and Made in Florida, Engineering Technology Degree and Toothpick Factory branded icons for us. Jim Wordes is also the author of our original “Made in Florida” video. The Spanish version and its revision to be released this summer are the product of Keith Thomas and Constantine Stephanakos, respectively.

All of these great people work hard to make us “look good” in the public eye – and we appreciate their efforts. Consistently looking good brands our dissemination products and facilitates us executing our mission to offer a manufacturing educational delivery to meet the workforce capacity and high performance skill needs of the manufacturing sectors in Florida.

But, looks are not everything. FLATE’s Media Specialist, Janice Mukhia complements the visual branding with the rest of the FLATE stories. She is the point person for our quarterly FLATE Focus newsletter; FLATE’s Manufacturing Monthlies (brief industry and educational updates from around the state); regular press releases; frequent news articles for MAF (Manufacturers Association of Florida) and other statewide venues; and keeps the News Tab on the fl-ate.org website updated. Janice also drives special media projects including our recent development and distribution of a series of “Made in Florida” public service announcements and development of the Engineering Technology Degree marketing materials, and our ongoing efforts to make Made in Florida a special “go-to” place in social networking venues.

Our media team has been constantly dynamic and hard working. However, life is a process with many changes and offering opportunities for all of us. I now anticipate that many unimaginable opportunities will be coming to Janice in the near future with her recently-awarded Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications—Public Relations from the University of South Florida securely in hand. Janice will continue to be an important part of our team, at least until the day she is lured away by one of these new opportunities. I want to wish Janice a very warm congratulation on her new professional credentials and say “thank you” to her for all the hard work she has given to FLATE over the past two and one half years!