SPC Unveils Chris Sprowls Workforce Innovation Hub at the Tarpon Springs Campus

St. Petersburg College welcomed visitors to the Chris Sprowls Workforce Innovation Hub at the Tarpon Springs Campus on Feb. 20, 2024. The state-of-the-art facility is primed to become a key location for manufacturing, creativity, and collaboration in Pinellas County, and a focal point of the Tarpon Springs Campus.

“With the unveiling of our innovation workforce hub, this is a momentous event,” Rod Davis, Provost of the SPC Tarpon Springs Campus, said in his opening remarks at the kickoff ceremony. “This transformative endeavor not only symbolizes SPC’s commitment to progress but also serves innovative opportunities that lie ahead. It has been five years of planning and dedication, and I have heartfelt gratitude to those who brought this vision to life and made it a tangible reality. We embrace a pivotal opportunity to work closer with the community, build partnerships with businesses, and, above all, empower our students.”

This 10,000-square-foot space is named after Chris Sprowls, the former Florida House of Representatives Speaker. It celebrates his vision of cultivating a skilled workforce by fostering skill development, encouraging collaboration, and contributing to the growth of local manufacturing businesses.

Sprowls, one of the event’s guest speakers, talked to the crowd of about 75 people and said how “incredibly humbled” he was to have the Hub named in his honor.

“We are so blessed to live in this community,” Sprowls said. “We have amazing leaders who talked about a vision of what this space could be and, whatever small vision I had, they have far exceeded those expectations.”

The Hub is made up of three separate and distinct areas that can be rented:

• Entrepreneurial Space
• Makerspace
• Event Space

“The Hub is a solution to building a sustainable talent pipeline for the future,” said Dr. Jackie Skryd, SPC’s Vice President of Workforce Development and Corporate Partnerships. “It gives us a place where students can gain practical skills and real-world experience, ensuring job readiness. It is also a place where students, businesses, the College, and the community can connect, network, develop ideas, and collaborate, ultimately leading to placement in great jobs. I don’t know of a place like this in the area, but it adds to the Tampa Bay region’s position as a national leader in talent and innovation.”

SPC Board of Trustees Chair Jason Butts spoke of Sprowls’s unwavering commitment to family values and advancing the state of Florida. “This hub was built to foster creativity, critical thinking, and adaptability,” Butts said. “It is a commitment to innovation and education.”

Sprowls spoke of his partnership and friendship with SPC President Dr. Tonjua Williams, and how he has met many leaders, but none compare. “She comes to work daily and fights for the underdog,” he said. “She figures out what their dreams are and makes them come true. SPC is the best-kept secret in higher education because it provides world-class education and gets students passionate about learning. SPC is a diamond in Pinellas County because of this dedication. This place allows us to have a place of creativity to allow people to interact with amazing business leaders. It shows there are so many opportunities for people in Pinellas County.”

During the event, Williams toured the carefully crafted space with its private booths, conference rooms, high-top tables for individual work, and long, family-style tables designed to encourage collaboration. Then, in her closing remarks, she thanked Sprowls for his vision and read Nancy Duarte’s The Torcher Bearers Calling to show her gratitude.

“Speaker Sprowls was with me during my first time in Tallahassee,” she said. “And he is our torch bearer. I want to thank him for choosing courage over comfort and helping close the gap between the workforce and education. We are helping Florida become the number one state in the nation to have people work. At SPC, college is for everyone. We have an opportunity for everyone, and we could not do this without you. Thank you, you did it, we did it!”