THOMAS MANTZ

PRESIDENT & CEO, FEEDING TAMPA BAY, TAMPA

Feeding Tampa Bay provides food and other relief services to more than 1 million citizens in a 10-county region in West Central Florida. Feeding Tampa Bay has grown its revenue to over $27 million a year, completed a capital campaign for a new facility of more than $60 million, and increased meals provided to more than 85 million per year. Mantz has been at the organization for 12 years.

EDUCATION: University of North Florida (BA)

FIRST JOB: I delivered newspapers and cut lawns as a kid. My first paid job was at a grocery store.

SOMETHING SURPRISING: During my banking career, I spent several years in Moscow, Russia starting up a new enterprise for the bank. It was in the mid-90s when Russia was emerging from communism and trying to define its future. As a kid coming of age in the 1970s, I recall the cold war vividly — and to stand in Red Square was a surreal experience.

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER
“In all of the personality testing I’ve ever done, I’ve shown up as a teacher or a coach. Either of those would have been a good choice for me.”