BETH CICCHETTI

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FLORIDA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, TALLAHASSEE

For 60 years, the FEDC has been a professional association of public and private economic, workforce and community development professionals. Cicchetti has run it since 2015, prioritizing member growth and diversification.

EDUCATION: University of Louisiana at Monroe (BS), University of Central Florida (MS)

FIRST JOB: My first job, thanks to my dad, was at 14 years old — wrapping gifts at the new mall in south Shreveport, La. After that, I found my own jobs. I spent my high school years working at a local family business in our neighborhood that included a pharmacy, gift shop and Hallmark cards. The owners kept index cards on customer’s birthdates and wedding anniversaries, which kept the men in the community in good graces with their wives.

SOMETHING SURPRISING: Early in my career, I worked for a large defense contractor. During those years I held a Top Secret DoD clearance as manager of a classified SCIF, or Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, supporting a small group of analysts who chronicled the first Gulf War. These are some of my favorite people to this day!

NONPROFIT PASSION: My favorite nonprofit in Tallahassee is the Tallahassee Ballet. My son, Reid, and I have been involved in the ballet since my years as a Junior League leader in the early 90s. … I served as Board Chair in the early 2000s and find joy in every performance.

PASSION PROJECT
“I have a dream to turn our family farm in eastern North Carolina into a bed and breakfast and event venue.”