A BRIEF HISTORY
The Seminole Vision process was initiated in 1996 as a public-private collaborative and inclusive effort of over 100 volunteer community leaders. This effort committed to the creation of an intentional future for Seminole County, a future that led to the realization of The Seminole Vision, an innovative and diverse community dedicated to excellence, prosperity, and quality of life for all. In 2003, The Seminole Vision merged with Leadership Seminole to further its mission to engage community stakeholders as equal voices in dialogue, consensus, and action.

VISION CONFERENCES
The first Vision Conference was in 1996. This innovative and idea-generating experience was so inspiring, community leaders gathered again in 1997, 2004, 2010, 2014 and 2023. At all six Vision Conferences leadership representation from various stakeholder groups included:

Arts and Culture · Business · Community Stewards · Economic Development · Education · Environment · Faith Based · Family and Youth · Government · Healthcare · Human Services · Lifestyle · Public Safety · Recreation · Seniors · Tourism · Transportation

Leadership Seminole’s Vision V Conference led to action strategies to reduce homelessness in Seminole County. With a grant from the Board of County Commissioners, Leadership Seminole convened a Task Force of Seminole County business leaders in Fall 2015 headed by former Orlando Health CEO John Hillenmeyer and advised by Philip Mangano, former national housing czar in the Bush and Obama administrations. In 2016, the 28 member Task Force produced a plan of action strategies to reduce family and individual homelessness. The Task Force transitioned into the Seminole Action Board for Homelessness to help the County implement the strategies and continues today to work with County and Regional stakeholders to reduce homelessness in Seminole County.

Growing out of the first Seminole Vision Conference in 1996, the mayors of the seven cities along with then Commission Chairman at the time, Dick Van Der Weide, recognized a need to establish a forum for informal discussion of common interests and concerns. Additionally, these elected officials recognized the need to include the senior manager from each city and the county. This group, called Mayors/Managers, meets almost monthly to discuss issues of common concern, identify areas of collaboration, head-off areas of potential disagreement and generally to reinforce a county-wide perspective in decision-making. The first meeting was officially arranged in January 1997 and continues today. Members include Seminole County’s seven mayors, seven city managers, county manager, county chairman, school superintendent and school board chair.

The Vision IV conference resulted in a generous grant to produce Seminole County’s Economic Development Strategic Plan. A task force of 26 business leaders in Seminole County met in five work sessions and produced a plan designed to increase prosperity through job and business growth by assisting established businesses to remain and expand in the county, supporting startup businesses, attracting, new businesses and focusing on entrepreneurship.

Other accomplishments include:
Education Summit · Water: Protect & Grow Resources · Small Business Development · Intergovernmental Coordination & Cooperation · Workforce Development · Economic Incentives Report · Regional Transportation Needs Assessment · Terrorism Conference · Seminole County Youth Conference · Domestic Violence Prevention · Healthy Kids Initiative · Community Survey relative to County and City-specific challenges · Sales Tax Study · Education Video · Community Justice Coalition · Shepherds Hope Clinic in Seminole County