Ernest Coney, Jr.
CEO, CDC of Tampa

Ernest Coney, Jr., is CEO of the Corporation to Development Communities of Tampa (CDC of Tampa). He brought over 15 years of executive management-level experience in providing health, social and economic programs to benefit low to moderate income persons and the elderly. With an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and a master’s degree from the University of South Florida, he developed strong business acumen in the areas of management, finance, and performance improvement. In his previous position as COO of CDC of Tampa, Mr. Coney expanded the concept of community building “Brick by Brick and Block by Block” – creating jobs, providing entrepreneurship training, providing financial literacy, developing youth leadership, revitalizing commercial areas, and building affordable housing. The nonprofit corporation has also enhanced its reach, by helping over 1,000 individuals systematically break the cycle of poverty on an annual basisithin the first few years of his tenure as CEO, Mr. Coney leveraged over $50 million dollars in joint venture projects, to include real estate and program service projects. Most notably was the development of Fort King Colony, a 120-unit affordable apartment complex and Haley Park, an 80-unit senior housing complex. He has also helped to create two prominent county-wide, cross sector collaborations – Economic Prosperity Center and Safe & Sound Hillsborough, as well as, designed a national award-winning City-Wide Façade Program. Under his leadership the CDC has created Tampa Vocational Institute (TVI), to address the disproportionate rates of unemployment and underemployment in urban neighborhoods. TVI has increased CDC’s ability to address the growing “skills gap” and corporate training needs for local area businesses and individuals.

Over its 30 years, CDC of Tampa has generated more than $445.25 million in economic impact to the Tampa Bay Region, providing comprehensive community development strategies that connect workforce development, housing and real estate with education, community safety and resident leadership to drive economic prosperity.