LEAD Brevard Rodney S. Ketcham Leadership Icon Award to Honor EDC’s Lynda L. Weatherman

Weatherman has served as the President and CEO of the EDC since 1994

Award will be presented at 2023 Leadership Awards to be held Friday, February 10, 2023

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – LEAD Brevard announced the recognition of Lynda L. Weatherman, President and CEO of the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast, as the recipient of the 2023 Rodney S. Ketcham Leadership Icon Award.

This award is named in memory of the late Rodney S. Ketcham and presented by LEAD Brevard.

This award will be presented at LEAD Brevard’s 2023 Leadership Awards and the 19th Anniversary of the 4 Under 40 recognition on Friday, February 10, 2023, at the Hilton Rialto Melbourne.

The Ketcham Award is presented to an individual that demonstrates a history of vision, service, and leadership for the betterment of Brevard, advancing and encouraging the next generation of leaders.

This individual has established a reputation of character, trust, and leadership for others to emulate.

“Throughout my career, I have had the pleasure of working with true icons and leaders in the Space Coast community, including many past recipients of the Rodney S. Ketcham Leadership Icon Award,” said Weatherman.

“It is a tremendous honor to join this prestigious list, and receive recognition from such a paramount organization as LEAD Brevard.”

Previous Ketcham Leadership Icon Award recipients include Dr. Max King, 2009; Roger Dobson, 2010; Bunny Finney, 2011; Barbara Moore, 2012; Bernie Simpkins, 2013; Robin Fisher, 2014; Joseph A. Duda, 2015; Dr. Anthony Catanese, 2016; Dr. George Mikitarian, 2017; David Brock, 2018; Keith Winsten, 2019; Duane De Freese, Ph.D., 2020; local Healthcare Heroes in 2021 and Kendall T. Moore, Esquire in 2022.

“We are delighted to honor Lynda and recognize her achievements as a visionary and collaborative leader for Brevard County,” said Beth Gitlin, Ph.D., Chairman of the LEAD Brevard Board of Directors.

“Her passion, dedication, tenacity, and her ability to bring people together to address complex problems continue to model the way for others to be inspired to lead. It is a privilege to present her with the 2023 Rodney S. Ketcham Leadership Icon Award.”

Weatherman has served as the President and CEO of the EDC since 1994 and is responsible for the attraction of new business and investment and retention of existing industry throughout the Space Coast.

Under Weatherman’s leadership, the EDC’s recent accomplishments include:

■ $1.8 billion in capital investment resulting from the announcement of over 50 business development projects,

■ The attainment of the assembly and checkout of NASA’s Crew Exploration Vehicle,

■ Facilitation of the first-ever Space Act agreement between Kennedy Space Center and an economic development organization, and the

■ Attraction of Boeing Space and Launch Headquarters, Lockheed Martin Fleet Ballistic Missile Headquarters, Blue Origin’s manufacturing and processing facility for its Orbital Launch Vehicle, RUAG Space USA, Inc., and the expansions of Embraer, Thales, and Northrop Grumman.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for this prestigious event, contact LEAD Brevard to reserve your company’s position as a sponsor.

Registration to attend and ticket donations will be available soon on the LEAD Brevard website www.LEADBrevard.org.

The Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast is dedicated to attracting new business and investment and expanding existing industry throughout the Space Coast, influencing change on government laws and regulations affecting economic development, promoting the Space Coast to encourage new investment, supporting efforts of Space Coast military installations, and relaying new programs and procedures to assist manufacturing and high-tech companies.

The EDC is a private, not-for-profit coalition whose stakeholders are business leaders committed to the economic growth and stability of Florida’s Space Coast. Visit www.SpaceCoastEDC.org.

LEAD Brevard was founded in 1985. It manages several leadership programs and oversees community initiatives that help to achieve its mission of ‘working together to strengthen our community by inspiring people to lead’.

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