Out of over 19,000 municipalities across the United States of America, only 20 are invited by the National Civic League to apply for the prestigious All-America City Award. Last June 2025, Tallahassee emerged as one of 10 finalists who took home the title.

The honor is nationally recognized to be one of the highest awards a community can receive and is bestowed upon those who demonstrate outstanding civic accomplishments, citizen collaboration, and innovative initiatives. This year marks a third victory for Florida’s capital city.

“I’m really proud of the community coming together to achieve this,” says Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey. “Tallahassee is a great place to live, work, and play, and I think our secret’s getting out!”

The focus of this year’s All-America City Award revolved around the theme of “strengthening environmental sustainability through inclusive community engagement,” something Dailey says Tallahassee has been fostering via its dedication to clean energy usage, the further development of its green spaces, and a citizen’s approach to community planning and redevelopment.

One key initiative that led to the city’s designation this year was its adoption in 2023 of its Clean Energy Plan, a foundation of 87 goals that will lead to the achievement of 100% net clean, renewable energy. Thus far, progress has been made in the form of the development of infrastructure for electric vehicles with over 500 home charging stations, improvements to grid resilience, and energy efficiency, leading to more economical electricity bills and the fact that 42% of the city’s fixed-route bus fleet is now electric.

Tallahassee also boasts one of the nation’s largest on-airport solar farms, which has led to the further implementation of renewable energy across thousands of households.

“We’re very proud of our sustainable efforts,” Dailey says. “We are one of the leaders in producing solar energy at our facility, and we like to think we’re leading the way.”

Dailey also lauded the efforts of the city’s parks and recreation team, as park system expansion has officially put Tallahassee past the 100 park mark at 102 and approximately 4,000 acres in green space, with more in the making.

“I think we’re up to about 95% of having the entire municipal population living within a 10-minute walk of a park or a green space inside the city limits,” Dailey says.

The expansion has made possible increased participation in city athletics and community center programs, enhancements to infrastructure, public safety, and the beautification of underserved neighborhoods, which include the Southside.

And, on that note, Dailey says the Southside Action Plan, a comprehensive effort to directly address the needs of neighborhood infrastructure, planning, and housing, is an essential part of the application they submitted for the award. Through surveys, virtual meetings, and special events, Tallahassee addresses citizens’ needs directly, resulting in the addition of over 2,000 affordable housing units, more than $200 million invested in renewed infrastructure, increased public safety measures via new transit, and aesthetic improvements.

“It’s a prime example of what happens when we listen to our citizens and come together with a shared vision for Tallahassee,” he says.

For the All-America Award presentation itself, Dailey and his team headed to Denver, where each finalist put on a presentation before a panel of civic leaders. These presentations have evolved over the years, Dailey says—it’s not a dry PowerPoint, and the serious stuff was in the writing submitted early on. He advised his team to concoct something that demonstrated Tallahassee knew how to have a good time.

The result was a Daily Show-type of skit in which Dailey and Tallahassee residents, officials, and community leaders hilariously conveyed the fruits of their labors as they were hosted by local radio personality Greg Tish.

They left quite the impression, and the fact that Tallahassee has received the designation for a third time is something Dailey doesn’t take for granted.

“I think it shows that Tallahassee has, over the decades, been on the right track, and we still are,” Dailey explains. “To be recognized for our excellence is a humbling experience. The citizens have worked really hard to get to where we are, and I’m just proud to be the mayor.”

Since its unassuming beginnings in 2009 as a luncheon for patent-holding faculty at one of Florida State University’s “neighbor” schools, the University of South Florida, the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has settled in the academic scene as the premier organization recognizing academic inventors. Today, the NAI boasts almost 300 chapters at member institutions in 19 countries and two tiers of membership for individuals: Fellows and Senior Members. Senior Members are active faculty whose innovative spirit and inventions are poised to revolutionize their industries. They are the high-impact inventors changing the world—or just about to.

Four faculty members at Florida State University were chosen to join the 2025 cohort of Senior Members (a group of less than 800 members in total): Drs. Hoyong Chung, Prashant Singh, Branko Stefanovic, and Yaacov Petscher. From plant-based plastics to Atlantic shrimp, their research has put the gears in motion for healthier and fairer futures.

Hoyong Chung

In 2025, there’s one thing almost everyone seems to agree on: Plastic is bad. Plastics pollute, shed microplastics, deplete resources, diminish the value of objects, and accumulate inside the human body, causing an untold number of potential health complications.

Hoyong Chung has set out to complicate this idea, explaining, “Many people misunderstand [and believe] that plastic is so bad, so we have to use less. This is kind of true, because of course, we should use less classic plastics,” Chung says, like plastic bags offered by Walmart or Target, but our interactions with plastic shouldn’t end with an outright boycott.

“We should not just kill studies in plastics,” Chung purports but instead increase support for researching to design better plastics. Chung has designed nontoxic, biodegradable plastic that is safe for the environment.

Chung is a polymer scientist who uses organic chemistry to synthesize new polymers, which are large molecules consisting of many smaller molecules in a repeated pattern, resulting in many of the common materials we know and use. All plastics are polymers, but not all polymers are plastics. Some are natural, like lignin—a polymer found in the cell walls of plants (similar to cellulose), helping to make stems and leaves rigid. It’s a plant byproduct commonly seen as waste. This polymer is the basis of Chung’s plastic innovations.

Using lignin, Chung’s group has designed and synthesized a new biomedical adhesive that is not only as strong and flexible as plastic but works wonderfully in the presence of water. Combined with its nontoxic properties, it’s an excellent option for surgical applications and is already in use in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

Chung’s adhesive is being used as a patch placed on the trachea to relieve chronic coughing for elderly patients, as it resolves issues with thinning tissue in the area. “It’s not really a risky surgery,” Chung explains, and “if [surgeons] start to use this adhesive, then [they] can reduce the surgery time substantially,” allowing more patients to be treated. So far, the collaboration has been successful.

The Hoyong Chung Group recently moved into a lab in Florida State University’s brand-new Interdisciplinary Research and Commercialization Building. Judging by the array of samples, impressive, specialized equipment, and tests in progress throughout the group’s gleaming space, Chung’s work in the field has just begun.

Prashant Singh

Bags of steaks, chicken, clams, and shrimp might seem more suited to a top chef’s kitchen than to an inventor’s lab, but in Prashant Singh’s built-from-scratch workspace, the bounty behind the refrigerator and freezer doors isn’t for cooking; it’s for testing. Each sample helps advance the development of his invention, RIGHTTest™, a tool designed to verify species authenticity in seafood.

Singh has eaten a lot of shrimp, he says, smiling. Fishermen tend to give bags, even boxes, as gifts. After all, the work Singh is doing has already made a tangible impact on the seafood industry and fishermen’s livelihoods. His invention, RIGHTTest™, validates the species of a small sample of seafood product, guaranteeing authenticity in market and restaurant settings. Seafood mislabeling and fraud is an increasingly prominent issue in the industry; the market for Atlantic white shrimp is a prime example. This highly desirable species, caught along the Atlantic Coast from New York to Florida, is often substituted with cheaper species (like those farmed in the Pacific) that are virtually identical to the untrained eye. Not only does mislabeled seafood rob the consumer of value but some specimens can be toxic.

RIGHTTest™ can reliably verify the species of raw or cooked shrimp (even seasoned) within two hours. Years of development have resulted in a portable device about the size of a cooler (it can even be placed in a stroller). One of Singh’s graduate students, Hanna Victoria Brown, who stands in the lab defrosting a bag of what looks like Cajun shrimp, explains how handy the device has become. She just returned from a seafood festival in Alabama, where she checked vendors’ products on the spot. If a vendor had mislabeled a fraudulent product (which most often happens on day two), she explains, they are fined and suspended from the festival.

Even outside of the festival scene, “When people see seafood at a restaurant by the water,” Singh says, “people assume the product is authentic and coming from the body of water they are looking at, which is frequently not the case. Our goal is to support and fight for our domestic fishermen who are in need of our help.”

Singh believes consumer demand is paramount in driving academic research. It’s already clear that RIGHTTest™ fills a pressing need in the industry and will keep rolling out all over the South.

Branko Stefanovic

When Branko Stefanovic joined a group of scientists studying the liver at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, he took the first step in life-changing research for treating liver fibrosis. Liver fibrosis, which is most commonly associated with fatty liver disease, affects a significant amount of the general population, particularly those who struggle with obesity, hepatitis, or alcoholism. Liver fibrosis occurs when the long fibers that form liver tissue are damaged repetitively, forming scar tissue that’s less supple and resilient. Often, people “don’t know they have [fibrosis],” Stefanovic says, until a doctor finds it in an advanced stage.

Stefanovic has studied fibrogenesis for over 20 years, as well as research on preventative antifibrotic agents capable of slowing or even reversing liver fibrosis.

Fibrogenesis is the process by which normal tissue is replaced with scar-like fibrotic tissue, often following chronic injury or inflammation. A key hallmark of this process is the excessive deposition of Type I collagen, the primary structural protein produced by activated fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. By inhibiting the production of Type I collagen, researchers aim to interrupt the cycle that drives fibrosis. When Type I collagen synthesis is reduced, the extracellular matrix does not accumulate as rapidly, which limits tissue stiffening and disrupts the feedback signals that further activate fibroblasts. In essence, blocking collagen formation prevents the “scaffold” of scar tissue from developing, allowing normal tissue repair and regeneration to proceed instead of pathological scarring.

Stefanovic has discovered three such inhibitor molecules that could be key for developing new treatment options, with one treatment currently in preclinical trials, the first step toward getting his drug to market.

“Once we discover something that may be useful,” Stefanovic says, “then it has to be [adopted by] big pharma,” but the road is not quite that simple. Toxicology tests, according to Stefanovic, are of particular importance for maintenance therapy for chronic diseases like fibrosis. Typically, preclinical trials assess safety, efficacy, and mechanisms of action, using in vivo murine models before proceeding to phase I human trials. Getting a treatment to market can as much as 15 years.

Though the road is long, Stefanovic urges other academic researchers, “Don’t limit yourself,” and to research for the sake of research. Once intellectual property has been protected, an innovation can be discussed in terms of next-level application. “About half of [academic researchers] have this kind of spirit,” Stefanovic says cheerfully. One can’t help but imagine a world where that figure is closer to 100%.

Yaacov Petscher

When we think of inventions or innovations, physical products most likely come to mind. But patents, particularly utility patents, are much more inclusive than what can be held in hand. Yaacov Petscher is certainly familiar with this fact. Petscher, a professor, associate dean of research at Florida State’s College of Social Work, and associate director for the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR), has an “inventorship portfolio” containing less commonly considered innovations, such as algorithms, assessments, and even a graphic novel. His goal is to improve literacy in all students, with a special focus on those with disabilities or other challenges.

“My training is in developmental quantitative psychology,” Petscher clarifies. “Even going back to grad school, I’ve always been interested in how we can create better measures and better assessments for people.” While not limited to educators, Petscher’s work is highly relevant to teachers, especially those who need to be responsive to changing legislation. His tools broaden the scope for students’ classroom assessment, leading to more precise snapshots of ability.

And these tools have already made a tangible impact. “With my colleagues at FCRR,” Petscher says, “we created the state’s first large-scale computer adaptive assessment in reading for kindergarten through 12th grade.” One purpose of computer-adaptive assessments is to adjust question difficulty in real time, enabling advanced learners to demonstrate their full proficiency while presenting students who struggle with questions aligned to their current skill level, thereby reducing frustration and discouragement. These assessments provide educators with clear insights, making it simpler to target and strengthen students’ areas of need.

Petscher believes, “Kids are more than the sum total of their grades or their performance on exercises in the classroom,” claiming countless and often overlooked personal factors affect their development. “Sometimes the reason that a child is struggling … is because they came to school hungry,” Petscher says, or that neurodiversity and self-regulating behaviors might be in the picture. “Maybe there was a trauma at home that their parents experienced or the child has experienced.”

Petscher’s future innovation goals reflect this holistic thinking. “I would love it if the kinds of tools we are trying to build were inclusive of trauma and behavior, and nutrition, reading, and language,” Petscher explains, which would be possible, “if we had a bigger table that more people were sitting at to talk about the nature of what we do for a child.”

Collaborating with academic publishers, combined with Petscher’s keen eye for innovation, may well be the key to turning these aspirations into reality for schools nationwide. ▪

More than a change of address, the new offices of James Moore & Company in Tallahassee represent a strategic signpost: a firm rooted in regional heritage expanding into the next chapter of advisory services, community partnership, and workforce attractiveness. The accounting and business consulting firm opened its first office in 1980, and steady growth has bumped the number of local employees to more than 50, according to company CEO Suzanne Forbes.

“We needed the space,” Forbes says, noting the older space was considerably smaller. The new offices at 1983 Centre Pointe Boulevard cover more than 12,500 square feet with 24 private offices, two conference rooms, a training room, and 29 staff cubicles.

The redesign introduced fresh blue paint, modern furnishings, and upgraded technology. Walls display a mix of employee degrees, maps, and artwork. The personal photographs and sports memorabilia create a friendly, comfortable atmosphere. The firm opened its doors to neighbors and community partners in a ribbon-cutting ceremony in early October. Forbes emphasizes that “we are here for the community,” and the expansion gives them a chance to deepen that relationship.

Tallahassee’s economy provides fertile ground for such ambition. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the metropolitan area’s Gross Domestic Product recently surpassed $24.5 billion, underscoring its role as a stable business environment anchored by government, education, and health care, which Forbes notes that such stability will help weather the ups and downs in the economy.

In 1964, James Moore & Company opened their first Florida office in Gainesville when the founder left a teaching position at the University of Florida. Diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of 14, Moore spent his life in a wheelchair. The Tallahassee office opened 16 years later, and now the company has additional offices in Deland, Daytona, and Ocala. Moore passed away in 1985.

The company now has employees in 20 states and a national client base with many employees working remotely. “We love our offices and our hometown where we can have our people and be part of the community, but we also have a very broad national reach.”

Increasingly, James Moore & Company’s role has shifted from traditional accounting into an advisory role, connecting operations with finance. Forbes says, “Now what we’re really trying to do is work with clients that want us to help them look into the future.”

The advisory role is especially important in the Tallahassee market, Forbes notes. With Tallahassee being the state capital, they have a lot of association and nonprofit clients. “With what’s going on at the federal level with funding cuts, we look at how you have to change your business operations.” As advisors, Forbes says, they try to work with clients to maximize what they currently have and plan ahead for the cuts.

Forbes is really passionate about economic development and how their firm plays a role in that. “We do a lot of work with governments and help them look at their budget and what their finances are, making sure they’re able to maximize their operations to utilize taxpayers’ money in the [wisest] way possible.”

While much of the state centers economic growth around real estate and tourism, Forbes indicates that Tallahassee has the stability of state government and two universities to help weather the ups and downs in the economy. For example, this stability helped Tallahassee weather the Florida real estate crash in 2008.

Due to low interest rates and speculative demand in the housing market, a bubble in the early 2000s caused home prices to surge. The median price of homes nearly doubled, rising from $120,000 in 2000 to $235,000 by 2005. Prices began a rapid decline in 2006 in Florida before bottoming out in 2011, effectively bursting the housing bubble.

Even through those years of contraction and recovery, Tallahassee’s steadiness remained a defining strength, anchored by state government, universities, and a diverse professional base. That same resilience is mirrored in the businesses that continue to grow here, including James Moore & Company, whose latest expansion was recently marked by a ribbon-cutting celebration.

Michael Dalby, president and CEO of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, says his office was honored to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the James Moore & Company expansion into their new offices, saying, “This milestone reflects not only their continued success but also their steadfast commitment to our region’s economic growth.

Their role in the community is important to Forbes. “We work with our chambers and our organizations in the community to help them grow,” she says. But it doesn’t stop with just being a member, she noted. “We have people that are involved in learning about what is going on in the community and giving our advice on what we see.”

Forbes says the new offices are important for their employees. “You need to have a good community for those folks to live in. They want to live and work in a place where there is culture and recreation, a good wage base, and have jobs for their spouses or their partners.” Forbes also emphasizes that good schools for employees’ children are also important.

“We just had one of our directors move from Gainesville to Tallahassee because of the need in Tallahassee,” Forbes says. He has young kids and is loving the new life in Tallahassee, adding, “That’s a big thing to say from a Gator.” ▪

Research and development in the Motor, Drive Systems & Magnetics (MDSM) affects all aspects of technology, from automation, robotics, and manufacturing to renewable energy, medical devices, and aerospace engineering, as well as electric vehicles and industrial equipment. Using statistics from Statista, Thunderbit, and ABI Research, a conservative estimate places the combined worth of these technologies at approximately $2.6 trillion.

In 2025, experts across MDSM fields converged in Tallahassee for the first time for a conference and exhibition. Speakers included researchers and innovators with participants from industry and government.

“The MDSM Conference is the world’s leading forum,” explains Robert Schaudt, program director for TWST Events, the vendor responsible for organizing the conference, “bringing together the full value chain—OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), and suppliers, material developers, engineers, academia, and technology leaders—to address the most pressing issues and advancements in design, efficiency, and applications. Attendees gain direct insight into new motor design innovations, magnet technologies, efficiency improvements, rare earth material strategies, and evolving supply chain realities.”

Bringing the conference to Tallahassee took a coordinated effort from local officials and the OEV (Office of Economic Vitality). In 2024, the conference took place in Orlando, where Keith Bowers, director of the OEV, first attracted the attention of the MDSM organizers.

“We were sponsors,” Bowers recalls, discussing the MagLab (National High Magnetic Field Laboratory) with attendees and vendors at the reception. Bowers was surprised to learn that the organizers did not know the MagLab was located in Tallahassee. To increase awareness, Bowers says, “We had some really cool magnetic toys and SWAG we were giving out.”

In addition to the benefit of connecting the world’s greatest experts on MDSM with industry leaders, the conference presiding in the capital benefits Tallahassee with an increased impact in an essential business sector.

On display at MDSM 2025 were high quality exhibits, where many of the leaders showcased exciting innovative ideas for problems in manufacturing and supply, as well as scientific solutions across industries.

“Events like the Motor, Drive Systems & Magnetics Conference spotlight Leon County’s role as a global innovation hub, bringing industry leaders and decision-makers to our community and supporting local tourism,” says Leon County District 2 Commissioner Christian Caban. “With last year’s event drawing more than 260 industry leaders and over 30 exhibitors, we’re thrilled to welcome the conference back in 2026. It’s a chance to showcase our community as a premier destination, strengthen our standing in advanced manufacturing and applied sciences, and reaffirm Leon County as the ‘Magnetic Capital of the World.’”

After making the connection at the 2024 conference, Bowers and his team pitched Tallahassee as a location for MDSM 2025 an ideal junction for experts to discuss any work related to magnets or advanced materials. The world’s strongest magnet is located at the MagLab, and as Bowers said to the organizers, “They’re engaged with over 1,500 researchers from across the globe on an annual basis.”

MagLab facilities house research across the health sciences, materials research, environmental studies, energy, and other STEM-related projects. The MagLab is also a leading education partner with FSU, training the next generation of innovators in cutting-edge technology. Both MagLab and FSU were gold sponsors of the event, as was Danfoss, which also has a presence in Tallahassee, where their turbo compressor facility is located.

Keynote speaker, Delvis Gonzalez, a senior motor and magnetic specialist at Danfoss, discussed integrating magnetic technology into high-speed centrifugal compressors. The project focuses on leveraging permanent magnet motors and magnetic bearings to allow for optimal efficiency without degradation of the compressor over its lifespan.

Other exhibits at the conference came from international companies with a significant market presence. For example, Ningbo Yunsheng Co., Ltd. from China is a major player with a market capitalization of approximately $1.5 billion. Integrated Engineering Software, a specialized competitor from Canada, operates in the larger engineering software market, which was valued at over $43 billion in 2024. The Rare Earth Industry Association from Belgium also had a presence, representing its members who are significant participants in the global rare earth market, valued at more than $12 billion in 2024.

Another event of note was the unveiling of “Maggie,” the world’s largest levitating sculpture, created in collaboration between FSU, the City of Tallahassee, and the MagLab out of FSU’s Master Craftsman Studio. ▪

Standouts at MDSM 2025

→ Non-heavy/non-rare-earth permanent-magnet motors (ORNL)

Parans Paranthaman and Vandana Rallabandi (Oak Ridge National Lab) presented an approach to electric motors that avoids heavy/rare-earth elements—big implications for cost, resilience, and sustainability. 

→ Circular-economy pathways for permanent-magnet motors

The Panel with Cyclic Materials, Automotive Recyclers Association, LBNL, and U.S. DOE discussed magnet recovery/recycling and closed-loop supply chains—arguably the most system-level innovation theme. 

→ DFARS-compliant permanent magnet supply chain standards

Lockheed Martin, Dexter, Bunting, and Magnetics Corporation tackled standards for defense-compliant magnets—an innovation in policy/standards enabling domestic sourcing. 

→ High-throughput pulsed-field magnetometers

Hirst Magnetic Instruments outlined pulsed-field magnetometry for rapid materials testing, process innovation that can accelerate R&D and QA. 

→ Heavy, rare-earth-free hot-deformed Nd-Fe-B magnets

Daido Steel detailed advances reducing dependence on heavy rare earths while preserving performance—materials innovation with near-term industrial relevance. 

→ Ultrasound-assisted leaching for sustainable rare-earth production

Hydrova presented an ultrasound plus organic-acid route to extract rare earths, potentially lower energy/chemicals vs. conventional hydrometallurgy. 

→ AI/ML for motor load-profile recognition (predictive maintenance)

Microchip showed how ML models infer operating states from signals to improve uptime and maintenance scheduling, software/analytics innovation for drives.

→ “Maggie” magnetic-levitation public sculpture (FSU/MagLab)

The conference’s headline demonstration fused art and magnetics: a levitating TLH/FSU sculpture, a feat of creative, innovative magnetic engineering.

In January 2026, Tallahassee, Florida will step into the global spotlight as it hosts the prestigious World Athletics Cross Country Championships, an elite international event that will bring together top distance runners from across the globe for a race unlike any other.

An economic impact study by The Sports Consultancy of the World Cross Country Championship, which took place in Denmark, 2019, showed a total economic impact of €4.3 million (~$4.99 million). International tourism and amateur participants visiting Tallahassee will increase revenue for businesses, providing an opportunity for a major boon over the short duration of the events.

The championships will take place at the acclaimed Apalachee Regional Park (ARP), owned and operated by Leon County Government, and widely recognized as one of the best cross-country venues in the world. With a track record that includes more than 75 major meets, including NCAA National Championships and USA Track & Field events, ARP is no stranger to
high-stakes competition.

“Tallahassee and Leon County were chosen because Apalachee Regional Park is a venue loved by athletes and coaches worldwide,” explains Taylor Wheaton, senior sports director at Visit Tallahassee, the department leading the charge in organizing the event. “Our team is ready to deliver cross-country’s biggest stage.”

This marks the first time the United States has hosted the World Athletics Cross Country Championships since 1992, making it a momentous opportunity not just for Tallahassee but for the entire nation. The event is expected to bring in athletes from over 60 countries and thousands of spectators, transforming Florida’s capital city into an international hub of sport and culture.

A Florida-Themed Challenge

What sets this championship apart is the creativity and storytelling embedded in the racecourse design. Far from a typical cross-country layout, the course will showcase a vibrant, playful tribute to Florida’s identity—from its theme parks to its wildlife and beaches.

“We designed the course to be both fun and challenging,” says Wheaton. “Athletes will tackle a rollercoaster ramp, run under a 14-foot pedestrian bridge inspired by Florida’s theme parks, and race through a beach zone complete with surfboards, lifeguard chairs, and palm trees. It’s a beach party for fans and a challenging obstacle for the competitors.”

The spectacle continues with a water pit that evokes Florida’s coastal character, and an “Alligator Alley” segment where runners will leap over tree logs carved into alligator shapes. The course culminates in a mud zone inspired by the Everglades, demanding the kind of grit and endurance that defines champions.

“No cross-country course is complete without mud,” Wheaton adds. “This section will really show what it takes to be a world champion.”

A Festival Atmosphere

More than just a race, the event is designed to be a fan festival, complete with food trucks, live music, interactive exhibits, and immersive experiences celebrating Florida’s culture and natural beauty.

“We are building a world championship community,” says Wheaton. “We’ve enlisted over 500 volunteers, and we’re partnering with local schools, businesses, and organizations. It’s a full community effort.”

The impact is expected to be substantial. With an influx of athletes, teams, media, and spectators, local hotels, restaurants, and businesses will enjoy a boost that will ripple through the regional economy.

“Visitors will fill our hotels, dine at our restaurants, and shop around town,” Wheaton says. “This surge in tourism strengthens our businesses and ensures our community benefits directly.”

A Lasting Legacy

Sustainability is also central to the planning. Organizers are prioritizing waste reduction and responsible event management, while investing in long-term enhancements to Apalachee Regional Park that will continue to benefit the local community well beyond the event.

“At the heart of our planning is sustainability,” notes Wheaton. “We’re dedicated to reducing waste, having responsible event management, and creating timeless upgrades for the Apalachee Regional Park that will live on for generations to enjoy.”

Backed by World Athletics, USA Track & Field, and an array of community sponsors, including Astro Travel, Publix, and Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic, the 2026 championships will serve as a defining moment for the region.

“The legacy of these championships will live on for generations,” says Leon County Administrator Vince Long. “This event will elevate the county’s profile, strengthen community pride, and position us as a future destination for world-class sporting events.”

On January 10, 2026, the world will race into Tallahassee, and the community will be more than ready to welcome it. ▪

Every story needs a hook, an opening line so brilliant, the reader is compelled to reach the next line, so at first, the following words may feel like a lackadaisical start, “Another gas station may be coming to the Florida Panhandle.”

In most cases, such news would be buried and hardly worth mentioning, but when the gas station bears the name Buc-ee’s? Well, then people start to get excited.

Buc-ee’s is the mega gas station and convenience store chain that is spreading across the South after their start in Texas. You may have seen the big beaver character smiling from a sign as you pass by one on a freeway? Billboards will alert you a Buc-ee’s up ahead, even if it is 200 miles away.

So, what’s the big deal?

When a service station takes up 73 acres of land and has 120 fueling stations, people start to understand the importance and euphoria. That excitement has officials in both Leon and Gadsden counties rolling out the red carpet.

Leon County Commissioner Christian Caban is one of the early fans, saying he is “super excited” about the possibility the mega service station could pick Tallahassee as its location.

In early February, Buc-ee’s LTD from Lake Jackson, Texas filed a permitted use verification certificate with Leon County to build on the northwest side of Tallahassee.

“I try to explain to people it’s a one-stop travel destination,” Caban says about how he explains the impact a Buc-ee’s would have on the area. “It has everything from a grocery store to almost like a menu restaurant with sandwiches and high-quality food. They have a car wash, merchandise. I mean, it’s a 75,000-square-foot project, which is significant.”

Caban has visited a Buc-ee’s location near Daytona Beach and remembers it being “massive.” He also feels the impact on the Tallahassee community will be massive. “We’re anticipating around 200 hot dang jobs with competitive wages, full benefits, and retirement matching” he says, excitedly. He noted that approximately six jobs will have wages over $100,000 with full benefits.

Beyond that, Caban believes the station would contribute to local and state sales tax revenue while driving additional economic growth. “When this Buc-ee’s goes up, I really think it is going to create a kind of vacuum around that area, and you’ll see a lot of other economic development follow it.”

If the company does end up building in Leon County, officials in nearby Gadsden County also feel they can benefit.

T.J. Lewis, economic development director for Gadsden County, says officials there did reach out to Buc-ee’s and showed them a 20-acre location before news broke that they were pulling permits for Leon County. Their site in Gadsden County was just four miles from the proposed site in Leon County which is on the west side of Capital Circle Northwest, just north of Interstate 10.

Lewis is confident if Leon County does well, the positive impact will spread to his county like a wave.

“A rising tide lifts all ships, so to speak,” he says, “so we’re counting on that benefit.” He also adds that they are predicting enhancements to the transportation system that might come with the new business.

When Lewis first learned of the Buc-ee’s interest in the area, he thought that another gas station was redundant, at best. “That was my attitude,” he admits, not really understanding the impact of the chain until he saw it for himself.

On his first visit to Buc-ee’s, Lewis was impressed by how clean the store was and the amount of staff throughout, “… even people sweeping up rocks in the parking lot.” He also was amazed by the amount of gas pumps, which number more than 100, but for him the EV charging stations were a big draw because he is an EV driver.

The Buc-ee’s chain is known for its beaver mascot, seen throughout the store and stamped on the hundreds of different products and clothing merchandise. According to Southern Living magazine, the rodent mascot’s name came from founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin, who opened the first store in Texas in 1982. He combined his childhood nickname, Beaver, with the name of his Labrador retriever, Buck. So, Buc-ee’s was born.

The stores are all open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Buc-ee’s says their barbecue is made in-house daily, and travelers can watch their employees slice up Texas brisket and package sandwiches from a large station in the store. The same goes with fudge, which they make in-house and serve behind a showcase counter (pro tip, they give out samples on request.) And the most popular snack food is Beaver Nuggets, which are corn puffs coated with caramel, sugar, and butter. 

From that first store, Buc-ee’s has since spread east throughout the South and now has more than 50 locations. They opened their first non-Texas store in Alabama in 2019. On their website, they tout a couple of world records and awards. In 2012, they were recognized by Cintas, a cleaning supply company, in a nationwide restroom contest as having the cleanest restrooms in America.

For any seasoned traveler, no value can be placed on the sight of a clean restroom in the midst of a long journey. Even better that despite having constant high volumes of visitors, there is always a free toilet.

And for world records, they claim to have the longest car wash at 255 feet of conveyor. Their Luling, Texas store is the largest convenience store in the world at 75,593 square feet. For a size reference, the size of Buc-ee’s stores are noted as being larger than a football field.

According to the permit filed in Leon County, the proposed location for the new Buc-ee’s would encompass 75,000 square feet on a 73.29-acre parcel. It says, “The travel center building will include predominantly retail use with accessory fast-food service (no drive-through). The site plan includes 120 fueling stations, 8 DEF positions, 795 standard parking spaces, 24 EV parking spaces, and 11 bus/RV parking spaces.

Kerri Post, executive director of Leon County Division of Tourism (Visit Tallahassee), expects an influx of tourists stopping at the attraction.

“Buc-ee’s will raise Tallahassee-Leon County’s profile along the I-10 corridor, helping transform a quick pit stop into an invitation for travelers to linger and explore
the culture, charm, and character that make our community unique,” she says.

Commissioner Caban agrees with that idea, speaking about the customers. “A Buc-ee’s brings in people from out of town—thousands of them every day,” he says. Caban feels the money generated from gas, sales, and property taxes, mostly from nonresident, is money that can be reinvested back into the community.

As of the deadline for this article, local officials have met with Buc-ee’s officials multiple times and are working through an issue with the height of the sign and now are waiting on Buc-ee’s to submit a full site plan and environmental permitting, Caban says.

Caban says he can’t speak on behalf of Buc-ee’s as to when the store could be open. “But I do know they mean business, and they like to move quick.”

The work to bring a Buc-ee’s to the area is an investment Caban feels is worth the effort and will benefit the community. “One thing that’s unique about Buc-ee’s, they really do invest back into the community, and they have a good reputation of being a good neighbor and supporting local initiatives and nonprofits.”

Caban adds, “They could have chosen a lot of places along the Panhandle. We are just happy and excited that they chose Leon County.”

There are still a few legal dams that must be built before the beaver settles, such as two public hearings, more permitting, and reviews. If all goes smoothly, the store could be open as early as the fall of this year. ▪

850 Business Magazine provides a Q&A with the owners of three Tallahassee treasures—businesses that have been serving their community for at least 20 years. They have seen the rise and fall of competitors over the years. The pandemic shuttered many businesses across the U.S., but these local favorites are still standing. Here, we look at what has motivated their years of success. 

KEVIN STOUT OWNER, CHEF of FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD

850 Business Magazine: You’re known for fresh cuisine and an ever-changing menu. What got you into cooking and inspired you to operate your own restaurant?

Stout: I started cooking when I was 13, when I lied about my age to get a job at McDonald’s. I just loved it. I was the kid making grilled cheeses for everyone in the neighborhood. I got my degree in criminology and was a search and rescue swimmer in the U.S. Navy, but I always maintained my passion for cooking and have been doing it for about 40 years now. I’ve owned Food Glorious Food for about 22 years with my wife, who does our desserts. And the original owner, Susan Turner, is still a partner. It’s something I’m very proud of.

850: As your restaurant has evolved, has your mission and vision for the experience you
aim to create changed?

Stout: We started with about 40 seats and now have around 250. It’s a busy restaurant with two bars and two kitchens, and we still cater and do other things. My thing has always been to just do a good job and see people leave happy; the money will come later. We have an open kitchen, so it’s nice to see a plate go down in front of someone and watch them take a bite, nodding their head. That’s the universal sign of approval. 

850: what has been the key to your establishment’s longevity?

Stout: It’s hard work and perseverance. You’ve got to stick with it, and you’ve got to keep evolving. Right now, I’m customizing a lunch menu. I’m considering doing more renovations, possibly opening our upstairs space with a deck and open-air bar. Again, it’s just making sure you’re doing all you can. I’ve cooked for almost every governor going back to Lawton Chiles. You get the mayor in here and just everyday people that make it worth it. It’s nice to think we’re a part of Tallahassee.

MELVIN GILLIAM OWNER of GILLIAM BROTHERS BARBER SHOP

850 Business Magazine: Your father opened this business in 1966. What inspired him to start his own barbershop?

Gilliam: My father started this with the intention of never working for anybody again. He was formerly a foreman in a tobacco field, and he was tired of his boss wanting him to work on days nobody should be working. He asked him to work the Fourth of July and said he’d be taking his kids to the beach. My father said, “That’s nice. I’ll be taking my kids to the beach, too!” He never worked another day in that field and went on to make his own thing.

850: Did you always plan on taking over ownership?

Gilliam: I was teaching school at the time when my father called me and said he was getting tired and wanted me to take over. Well, I had been cutting hair since I was 12, I just wasn’t licensed. I left my teaching job down south and came back home to Tallahassee, got another teaching job, and began attending night school to get my barber’s license. I’ve been doing this ever since.

850: What experience do you aim to create at your barbershop, and how has that contributed to your prolonged success?

Gilliam: It’s a family-type business, you know? I keep the same thing going my father started a long time ago. I worked with my brother here until his passing, and I’m at the point now where I’ve got a good group of people working for me who can basically run the place without me. Now, I’m almost 70 and intend on passing along the business to my nephew and his wife, who are also barbers. For us, we’re all about putting the customer first. Treat people right, treat people like they’re at home, and they’ll come back.

GREG COHEN OWNER of LOFTY PURSUITS

850 Business Magazine: From dozens of flavors of ice cream, soda, and handmade candies to toys and board games, Lofty Pursuits offers a variety of commodities. What inspired the concept of your store?

Cohen: I originally opened my retail store which primarily sold skill toys: juggling equipment, darts, and yo-yos. I consider 1993 to be my founding date, and part of transforming my business was to deal with the internet and the movement of online shopping. I had an epiphany that I could be competitive with brick and mortar if I gave people a compelling reason to shop retail. I thought back to my childhood when I grew up in New York City near a soda pop and candy store. So, I have a 1940s-soda fountain in the middle of my store now that gives people a reason to come back. I spent two years apprenticing to an employee of mine to master hard candy making. We began growing a popular YouTube channel and now have 35 employees working here.

850: what has been the secret to your success?

Cohen: Acknowledging that I don’t own the business, the customers do, and that you’re just the caretaker who serves them. You have to keep them engaged. One publication described Lofty Pursuits as a performance art project that happens to turn a profit. You can find everything from funny acrylic paintings I’ve done on the walls to a haiku vending machine I built. There are interactive devices everywhere that make you think or laugh. We have poetry for a quarter and a Lactaid vending machine for those who come for the ice cream. I like to think of a new theme every year, and right now, it’s “Wonder.”

850: Personally, what has been most rewarding about operating Lofty Pursuits?

Cohen: Today was a good example. We get people who come off the interstate all the time, and we had a guy who remembered we were here and came to visit. He said he’s been watching my videos since he was 15, and he’s now in his mid-20s. Every day, I see carloads of people come in from different cities, and the beautiful thing here is bringing in money from out of town actually helps increase the local economy. What makes me proud is the people who come in and tell me I was an important part of their childhood—seeing the three generations of visitors brought here by their grandmother and have now grown up and are bringing their own kids in. It goes back to the wonder, the joy. People can always experience something new whether it be a flavor or a device.

The city of Tallahassee continues making progress on transformative infrastructure projects, many of which begin construction this year. Among the numerous projects coming to fruition is Tallahassee’s second senior center facility. When complete, this additional facility will offer expanded programs for the rapidly growing population of active seniors aged 50 and older.

“Breaking ground on our second senior center marks a significant milestone that we’ve all been eagerly looking forward to and is a testament to the city’s commitment to construction projects that enhance the well-being of our community,” mayor John Dailey said. “This new facility will provide much-needed space for activities and programming and supports a vibrant community where seniors can thrive, enriching the quality of life for all residents in Tallahassee.”

Since 1978, Tallahassee Senior Services has primarily operated from the historic armory building on North Monroe Street. Today, the building is nearly bursting at the seams as Senior Services staff and volunteers coordinate almost 200 activities a month and host programs that serve approximately 500 people daily.

This new, additional facility will be built on six acres of land in the Canopy Development. The 40,000-square-foot building will house a double-size multipurpose gym with six indoor pickleball courts and two basketball and volleyball courts. The space will also accommodate table tennis and fitness classes. The Lifelong Learning wing will offer educational classes, art programs, cards and other games, and health and wellness opportunities. Senior Services participants provided feedback that was incorporated into the design of the facility.

“As we celebrate the start of construction on Tallahassee’s second senior center, we appreciate the profound impact that investing in projects like this has on our community’s quality of life,” said city manager Reese Goad. “One of numerous projects that will come alive over the next two years, this facility will enrich the lives of our residents by fostering a more connected and resilient Tallahassee for generations to come.”

To celebrate the start of construction for the new center, the community was invited to attend a groundbreaking event on Wednesday, May 1. It was held at 10:30 a.m. on Welaunee Boulevard at the site of the future building.

Tallahassee Senior Services is part of the City of Tallahassee’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs Department. For more information on its programs and events, please contact the Tallahassee Senior Center at 850-891-4000 or visit Talgov.com/Seniors. You can also remain up to date by liking the Tallahassee Senior Center on Facebook.

Florida State University President Richard McCullough had arrived in DeFuniak Springs with time to spare and set about looking for coffee.

He wandered into the historic Hotel DeFuniak but left after not seeing anyone right away. He got the attention of a man in a pickup truck.

“Know anywhere I can get a cup of coffee?”

The man advised the stranger that if he were to walk to the back of the hotel, there was a pot brewing there.

“How about a coffee shop? I’d like to sit down someplace.”

The man suggested that the stranger try the Perla Baking Company, located across Baldwin Avenue from the curiously round Lake DeFuniak. Perla is short for “perfect lake.”

“It was a really cool coffee shop,” McCullough would recall a month later. “Nice people.”

The coffee was good and his day was off to a pleasant start, but McCullough had not departed Tallahassee last November intending to rediscover mainstreet America. (DeFuniak Springs’ population is 14% of FSU’s student population.) Rather, he was among 15 representatives of FSU who were about to attend one of the most pivotal and progressive meetings in the school’s 173-year history.

McCullough proceeded to the Walton County Commission chambers, where Triumph Gulf Coast board chairman David Bear gaveled the gathering to order.

Since arriving in the big little city of Tallahassee in August 2021, McCullough and his wife, Dr. Jai Vartikar, had become accustomed to a small-town vibe.

“We’ve lived in a number of places — Pittsburgh, Cambridge (Massachusetts), Baltimore, New York, Dallas, and one of the things that sets Tallahassee apart is that the people are incredibly friendly and welcoming,” McCullough said. “I’m not sure that I’ve ever lived in a place where the people are as nice, engaging and genuine.”

Vartikar, known affectionately as Dr. Jai (pronounced Jay), agreed and added, “The family atmosphere at Florida State is genuine. It’s more than just collegial. People have your back, and we have felt like members of a very large family from Day 1. We had never felt that before, and we’ve been to some wonderful places.”

Members of the FSU family, McCullough said, have a remarkably strong attachment to the school.

“People love FSU like no other university we have been associated with,” he said. “That’s infectious, and it goes beyond athletics. When you talk to trustees and alumni, their dedication and fondness for FSU is like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

McCullough recognizes that he landed at FSU at a great time.

“The foundation for student success had been built,” he said. “A lot of work had gone into taking FSU from the 44th-ranked university in the country to 18th. And we’ve continued to improve in every category of student success since I arrived. Our retention rate is at a record 96%. Our six-year graduation rate is 85%. Our four-year graduation rate is 75%.

“And even as we are improving in those areas, we are focused on building our research funding in ways that will benefit all of Northwest Florida.”

From Pensacola to Tallahassee. From DeFuniak Springs to Wakulla Springs.

One agenda item on the Triumph board’s Walton County meeting agenda had everything to do with that regional ambition. The board was set to act on an application from FSU seeking $100 million for an Institute for Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Research and Education (InSPIRE) to be located in Bay County.

FSU dadgum near got what it asked for.

The board supported the proposal with the largest grant award in its history, $98.4 million. InSPIRE will focus on aerospace, advanced materials for aerospace and hypersonic research, areas of concentration that McCullough finds highly consistent with assets and expertise already present in the region.

“The support of Chairman Bear and the board was phenomenal,” McCullough said. “We will build a couple of large facilities near the (Northwest Florida Beaches) airport and hire faculty who will live in the area. We will be involved in everything from basic research to classified research. We expect the workforce development, which is an important aspect of InSPIRE, will attract the attention of major employers. 

“Northwest Florida is our backyard, and we are very excited about the project.”

So, too, is Randy Hanna, the dean of Florida State’s Panama City campus, which hosted a February meeting where the term sheet for the InSPIRE grant was approved by the Triumph board.

“InSPIRE will be transformational and have generational impacts,” Hanna told that meeting. “At FSU PC, we look forward to partnering with the project.”

The man in the truck didn’t recognize McCullough the day that he and his team came visiting, but the region will experience their influence soon enough.   

In Tallahassee and beyond, McCullough said, FSU’s Vice President for Research Stacey Patterson and its Associate Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Innovation Valerie McDevitt are building an innovation ecosystem.

“Their efforts,” he said, “will help us increase the number of startup companies and licenses and patents that we are generating at the university.”

McCullough is an entrepreneur himself, having started two companies in Pittsburgh, one that produced materials for OLED televisions and another that is in business today and specializes in inks for printable electronics.

When McCullough starts to rattle off initiatives underway at FSU, it seems that he may not stop: expanded biomedical and life science research capabilities; quantum science and engineering initiatives; new discoveries in physics that promise to transform data storage; new magnetic materials; and government/civic initiatives. The list goes on.

Potentially the biggest of these initiatives centers on the Florida Panhandle. McCullough aims to address the region’s most pressing health needs and challenges by launching a new health care ecosystem stretching from Tallahassee to Pensacola. FSU Health will serve millions by leveraging the expertise and resources of Florida State’s programs in medicine, nursing, social work and public health, as well as its many research centers and community partners.

The first two new FSU Health facilities are under construction. Thanks to a $125 million appropriation from the Florida Legislature, a state-of-the-art research and medical facility being built at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) in Tallahassee will attract world-class physician-scientists doing “bench to bedside” research to discover new diagnostics and therapeutics for clinical use. To the west, Florida State and TMH are partnering with The St. Joe Company to build a new FSU Health TMH medical campus in Panama City Beach.

“It’s a great time to be at FSU,” McCullough said in summary. “There is so much opportunity here.”

Prior to becoming an FSU Seminole, McCullough had served as vice provost for research and a professor of materials science and engineering at Harvard University for nine years. He led the Office of Foundation and Corporate Engagement and assisted in the oversight of more than 25 interdisciplinary institutes, centers and initiatives.

He developed the Harvard Data Science Initiative, a collaboration among 12 of the university’s schools and more than 120 faculty, which led to the creation of three master’s programs and many undergraduate courses.

Previously, McCullough spent 22 years at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh as a professor of chemistry, department head, dean of the Mellon College of Science and finally, vice president for research.

McCullough grew up in Mesquite, Texas, and attended Eastfield Community College before earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1982 and a doctorate in organic chemistry from Johns Hopkins University in 1988. He spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University in New York.

Vartikar, too, earned a doctorate in chemistry from Johns Hopkins, where she met her husband when both were graduate students there.

Born in India, she moved to Pennsylvania as a child and graduated as valedictorian of her class at Waynesburg Central High School. She received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania.

Prior to coming to FSU, Vartikar served as the associate director of the Harvard Medical School Initiative for RNA Medicine. During her tenure, the number of faculty members involved in the project nearly doubled.

Vartikar and McCullough enjoy spending time with their son Jason; daughter-in-law, Sarah Christian; son Dylan; and two granddaughters, Gladys and Archer.

As FSU’s First Lady, Dr. Jai has emerged as an ambassador for the arts and is jazzed about a legislative appropriation that will pay for planning for an arts district, a concept that has been talked about, she said, for about 15 years.

“I meet a lot of people who are interested in the arts but don’t know everything that is going on here,” Vartikar said. “At FSU, we need to identify ways to better let the world know how great we are. I’m doing that with the arts, specifically.”

She has met with arts faculty and students and familiarized herself with programs and facilities. She has found that the arts intersect with many aspects of the university.

“We have a music therapy program that is one of the top programs in the nation,” Vartikar said. “We have an art therapy program. Our film school rivals the big names like NYU and USC — New York City and Hollywood, basically — in placing our students in the motion picture industry.”

Vartikar also has grown close to FSU’s Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE), which focuses on first-generation students. 

“One of the first things I did in my role was to visit the CARE program,” she said. “I had a roundtable discussion with several of the students and left incredibly impressed and proud. I fell in love with everyone and everything there. We’re the leader in programs like it. I have heard students say that there is nowhere else they could have gone and been as successful.”

FSU was recognized with the nation’s top student success award from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities.  

“A college education is so important to social mobility,” Vartikar said. “I am not a first-generation student, but my husband is.”

CARE supplies its students with coaches who help them navigate classes, the campus environment and practical matters like personal finances. Some CARE students are homeless. Nonetheless, CARE students graduate at the same high rate as FSU’s general population, McCullough pointed out.

“At FSU, it doesn’t matter where you come from,” Vartikar said. “What matters is that you’re here.”