SPEAKERS

September 13, 2021

As Florida’s Secretary of Commerce and the President & CEO of Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI), Jamal Allen Sowell leads EFI, the principal economic development organization for the state of Florida. He assumed his role at the outset of Governor Ron DeSantis’s administration. With his team, Sowell works closely with economic development partners and private sector businesses across the state to strengthen and diversify Florida’s economy. Sowell sets the course for an organization that spans the entire state and commands a strong international presence, as EFI strategically negotiates Florida’s partnerships in international commerce. Prior to joining EFI, Sowell served as Chief of Staff for Port Tampa Bay, Florida’s largest port by acreage and a key economic engine in the Tampa Bay region, generating $17.2B of total economic value. During his time in Tampa Bay, Sowell was appointed to the Pinellas County Economic Development Council which helps develop programs for economic development and trade opportunities for the Pinellas community. Sowell also served as Special Assistant to then-University of Florida (UF) President Dr. Bernie Machen and as Assistant Corporate Secretary for the UF Board of Trustees. Sowell is a sixth-generation Floridian and veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan. Sowell served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and active duty, enlisting as a Private First Class and combat engineer, and was eventually commissioned, completing his time as a Captain. His roles included stinger missile platoon commander, company executive officer, anti-terrorism force protection officer, electronic warfare officer, martial arts instructor and officer-in-charge of a Reserve Tank Unit. Sowell obtained a Masters of Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He also earned a law degree and graduate certificate in constitutional design from Indiana University Bloomington Maurer School of Law, where he was a Pat Tillman Scholar. Sowell has worked for Congressman Todd Young and Shurat HaDin, a Non-Governmental Organization in Israel. The Federalist Society selected him as editor for the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy Symposium. Then-Indiana Governor Mike Pence appointed Sowell to a state board regulating health facility administrators. Sowell holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from the University of Florida, where he was UF Student Body President, Vice Chairman of the Florida Students Association and member of the UF Board of Trustees. He was awarded the UF Outstanding Male Leader Award, inducted into the UF Hall of Fame, received the UF Outstanding Young Alumni Award and currently sits on the UF Alumni Association Board of Directors.