Board Members

Vance Arnett - President

Vance Arnett currently serves as the President for Governmental Relations for the CDCA. Vance retired with 35 years in Florida State Government as a program and planning administrator before he opened his own Executive and Career Coaching Practice. He has lived in the Channel District since 2012. He and his wife Jane live in Grand Central at Kennedy where Vance serves on both the Residents Association Board and the Master Board for Grand Central at Kennedy. Vance is a graduate of the 2015 Mayor’s Neighborhood University class and in February 2015 was appointed by the City Council to serve on the Community Advisory Board for the Channel District Community Redevelopment Authority. Vance is active on several Downtown Partnership Committees and in March 2016 was appointed by County Commissioner Kevin Beckner to the Citizens’ Advisory Committee for the Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Ed Suyak – Vice President

Ed has been creating and publishing custom and niche media since the days of re-producing his High School yearbook into something cool. His 15 plus years in media publishing and sales has provided him experience in a wide variety of publication genres. Ed’s attention to detail, creative thinking and excellent communication skills are demonstrated and proven with his involvement in successful titles like Inside Sundance Institute, Service and Protection- 125 Years of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Impact, Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club, One Heart Magazine, Doctor’s Life Magazine, Remodel and many more. Currently, Edd serves as the Managing Director for Mashed Media Group, Publisher for several magazine titles, Board Member and Chair of Business Enhancement for the CDCA (Channel District Community Alliance). When he’s not working, volunteering or exploring new ideas, you’ll find him in the District running, biking or enjoying great food and a glass wine with friends.

Sarah McKinley – Secretary

Sarah McKinley is a transportation planner and all around transportation junkie. She enjoys traveling the world, visiting different transit systems and wandering through cities. She has lived in London, Panama, and Atlanta, and returned to Tampa in 2013. As a Channel District resident, she enjoys the urban life style and can often be found walking with her dog around the neighborhood. Through her job and as a CDCA board member, she works to promote safe and walkable communities.

Terry Council – Treasurer

Terry currently serves as Treasurer of the Channel District Community Alliance. His career in banking spans 19 years and he is currently Vice President and Branch Manager of IberiaBank’s South Tampa office. Terry works within the South Tampa market developing relationships with small business clients to bring financial recommendations and/or solutions to help grow their business. He strives to bring needs based sales solutions that make sense and are specific to each client. Terry has lived in Tampa for 18 years and moved to the Channel District 16 months ago. “I am extremely happy to be involved with the CDCA and am passionate about what is happening here in the neighborhood!” He is a homeowner in the district at the Meridian Condominium.

Joseph Valdalez - Board Member At Large

Joseph is a Tampa native, with his family tithes dating back to the early twentieth century in the cigar factories of the historic Ybor City. He moved to the Channel District in 2014, and is currently a Manager of Corporate Compliance at HealthPlan Services. Joseph is an alumnus from the City of Tampa Mayor’s Neighborhood University, is currently a member for the Human Relations Board (HRB) for Hillsborough County, and sits on the Downtown Tampa YMCA Advisory Board. As a member of the CDCA Board Joseph feels it is important to give your time and knowledge to the neighborhood in which you live. Specifically, he would like to effectuate positive change in the neighborhood, and believes that his professional and philanthropic experience will help this neighborhood continue in the successful growth track it is currently on.

Sam Chandler – Board Member at Large

Sam Chandler moved to the Channel District in 2012 after graduating Cum Laude with a B.A. in Economics from USF. He was drawn to the urban/walkable location after spending so many years in the sprawl around the college’s main campus. Sam has been a real estate agent with Smith and Associates since 2010, specializing in the Downtown Tampa market. He has been the on-site sales agent for Grand Central at Kennedy since 2012. Sam is also a proud homeowner in the building and serves on the board for the Resident’s Association at Grand Central at Kennedy. As a board member for the CDCA he feels it is important to continue to build strong community ties through engaging activities, community events, and public art as well as provide a unified voice to speak to City and local officials as we move into a new phase of development.

Constance Walker – Board Member at Large

After starting out as a community organizer with the NYC Housing Department with an MA in Sociology, Connie went on to a career as an Emergency Medicine, primary care and occupational medicine physician. Along the way she got a Masters of Public Health focusing on environmental justice. She now combines her interests by advocating for wellness through community building, placemaking, walk and bikability. She consults in Occupational and Environmental Medicine and volunteers in Appalachia and Guatemala. Connie welcomes the opportunity to participate in the transition of the Channel District helping to make it a vibrant, inclusive, walkable neighborhood and an exciting place to live, work and visit.

Henry Lewis - Member in Emeritus

Henry Lewis, a pioneer in the Reprographics Industry, has been running City Blue since 1967. After working part time, Henry worked his way up the ladder until eventually becoming the owner and majority shareholder. Henry is also a major figure head in the Channel District and was one of it’s first residential residents that helped shape the neighborhood to be a great place to live, work and play. Henry currently serves as President and Chief Financial Officer responsible for all day-to-day activities including reprographic work flow, customer relations and customer acquisition.