Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll visited Pensacola yesterday. She was honored at a reception at Jackson’s Steakhouse and later walked down Palafox to join in the festivities of Gallery Night. Carroll remarked to the 30 or so people at Jackson’s that Pensacola has changed greatly since she went through her Aviation Maintenance Officer training at NAS Pensacola in 1985.
Friday was a busy day for Carroll who flew early into Pensacola, traveled to SanDestin to speak to the Aerospace Alliance and then returned to Pensacola to tour IHMC.
The Aerospace Alliance is a regional economic development group formed to promote the aviation and space industries in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana. Until now, the state of Florida hasn’t been an active participant. Carroll told the group that has changed with Gov. Rick Scott.
At Jackson’s, Carroll was positive. She believes that Northwest Florida is on the upswing, particularly with the potential of attracting defense contractors. “We have tremendous intellectual capital here,” said Lt. Gov. Carroll, referring to her visit to IHMC. “We need to focus on attracting the manufacturing jobs that go with those ideas and innovations.”
As Gov. Rick Scott did earlier this summer, Carroll pledged to help with any company recruitment effort. She volunteered to call any prospect and invite them to come and see what Pensacola has to offer.