Dr. Byron Clayton
Executive Director
813.872.2808 • bclayton@tampabay.org
Dr. Byron C. Clayton joined the Tampa Bay Partnership in February 2020 as the Executive Director of Tampa Bay Works, bringing well over twenty years of C-suite leadership experience.
Previously, Dr. Clayton served as the CEO of Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM). ARM is a national manufacturing innovation partnership funded by $80 million from the Dept. of Defense and a $173 million commitment from over 200 of the top innovation companies and institutions in the United States. Clayton’s focus was to strengthen U.S. manufacturing through collaboration, technology innovation and workforce development.
In prior years, Dr. Clayton served as CEO of Research Park Corporation (RPC) to help Louisiana technology companies create the jobs of the future. In his last year, RPC’s annual economic impact on Baton Rouge alone exceeded $196 million. He also led the organization and growth of Ohio-based industry clusters in printed electronics, advanced energy, and water technologies. His award-winning Cluster Acceleration Model resulted in over 1,000 new jobs, $59 million in new payroll, and $144 million in new capital in its first four years of operation for Northeast Ohio’s printed electronics sector. In addition, he has over 25 years of experience developing, commercializing and implementing advanced manufacturing systems and software for various industries. During that time, he facilitated the market entry of over 40 high-tech products and systems, receiving patents for manufacturing optimization software used by numerous production plants across North America.
Dr. Clayton and his wife Yvette relocated to the Tampa Bay area in October 2019. They are parents of four, grandparents of six, and great-grandparents of two.
Courtney McDonnell
Program Coordinator
813.872.2813 • cmcdonnell@tampabay.org
Courtney McDonnell joined the Tampa Bay Partnership in April 2018. As the Program Coordinator, she handles meeting and event coordination for the Partnership as well as support for the Partnership’s advocacy and workforce efforts.
McDonnell brings experience in community and political outreach to the role, most recently serving as Political & Finance Director for Castor for Congress, where she worked to re-elect Congresswoman Kathy Castor in Florida’s 14th Congressional District during the 2016 election cycle.
She previously served as Legislative Correspondent and Staff Assistant in the Washington, D.C. office of Congresswoman Castor, handling a legislative portfolio including the issues of Education, Trade, and Science and Technology, as well as overseeing the office legislative correspondence program. Her previous experience includes positions with the Office of U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and Florida Representative Loranne Ausley.
McDonnell has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University. She has lived in Tampa with her husband, Tommy, since 2015.
Joe Quick
Senior Consultant, Maher & Maher
517.290.8610 • jquick@mahernet.com
Joe Quick is a consultant with a background in workforce development, economic development, and government and non-profit association leadership. With clients at the state and federal level, Joe provides expertise in demand-driven workforce strategies, talent pipeline approaches, business solutions design and delivery, interagency and multi-partner collaboration, work-based learning strategies, talent systems design, occupational licensing, and training design and delivery. Joe serves as a faculty member and practitioner of the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Talent Pipeline Management™ approach, and consults with teams in both Michigan and Tampa Bay, Florida to launch and maintain TPM host collaboratives.
Prior to national consulting work, Joe served in leadership roles at the Michigan Works! Association, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and Michigan Talent Investment Agency, where he led business-focused, demand-driven solutions to talent development and acquisition; training design and delivery for workforce boards and entities; several talent attraction and retention programs and campaigns; and built the Pure Michigan Talent Connect website and system. He is also an instructor of Michigan’s Business Solutions Professional Training and Certification Program, which is soon to be rolled out in additional states.
