Shaun Drinkard brings 8 years of placemaking experience to his new role
TAMPA (April 6, 2018) – Tampa Downtown Partnership is pleased to announce the promotion of Shaun Drinkard to Senior Director of Public Programming and Operations. On the heels of announcing a new Director of Membership and appointing Lynda Remund as Acting President and CEO, this announcement is the latest in a series of exciting staff assignments.
In his new role, Drinkard will lead district operations which includes the Downtown Guides and Clean Team program as well as all public programming within the Special Services District (SSD). In February, Tampa Downtown Partnership received approval from City Council to proceed in seeking an expansion of the SSD which will include Tampa Heights, Water Works Park, and Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park. The proposed boundary will be approximately 1,200 acres with 15 public parks. The current boundary is approximately 890 acres with 12 public parks.
“Shaun has been a critical component to activating our riverfront and interior Downtown public spaces,” said Lynda Remund, Acting President and CEO for the Tampa Downtown Partnership. “His passion for creating memorable experiences and ability to bring together all the players to make these events happen has put Tampa on the map as a fun and vibrant city that boomers to GenXers and millennials want to live, work, play, and learn.”
Joining the Tampa Downtown Partnership in 2010 as the Director of Placemaking, Drinkard has been instrumental in bringing monthly and annual programs to Downtown Tampa including Rock the Park, a free monthly music series, and Winter Village, an eight week holiday experience featuring waterfront dining, ice skating, and holiday shops in Tampa’s Downtown. Taking a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces, Drinkard’s hands-on approach quickly evolves visions into implementation strategies.
“Downtown Tampa is changing and the Tampa Downtown Partnership is evolving to become a more nimble and relevant organization to address the issues facing Downtown,” said Mickey Jacob, Chairman of the Tampa Downtown Partnership. “Shaun has the experience, network, and proficiency to manage the growth of our special service district and our free public events.”
Shaun received his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from Louisiana State University in 2004. In 2017 he was selected as one of the industry’s brightest professionals by the International Downtown Association to participate in their prestigious Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program. He stays involved in the local community by serving on the Board of Directors for the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts where he served as the 2013 Festival President.
