A new state-formed group called “Florida Is For Veterans” is charged with helping promote Florida as a veteran friendly state and enticing military members to make Florida their new home.
The legislature created the group through a bill passed last session. During an organizational meeting Monday group members talked about several goals including a plan to contract with a university to create a veteran entrepreneur program. Florida Department of Veterans Affairs Legislative Director, Bobby Carbonell, talked about what that program could look like.
“They’ll be doing things like peer-to-peer mentoring, guest speakers, using existing university programs. A lot of of universities have entrepreneurship degrees,” Carbonell said.
Florida is for Veterans is housed by the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs. The Florida legislature has earmarked $3-million in grant funding for the group. But the organization must first develop an “operation plan” for how it will spend that money and how it will measure its performance.