About/Vision
We share a simple but clear vision of a Florida High Speed Rail system that connects us to each other and the places we want to go without being stuck in traffic. Without waiting in long lines at airports. And without paying huge gas bills to get around our state.
We see a future where HIgh Speed Rail lays the foundation for sustainable growth and a new era of economic prosperity.
We see the need to creating thousands of new jobs at a time and in places where we need work.
And we know we are prepared to start building America's first true high speed rail system in one of the most visited and economically important corridors in our nation.
If you think it is past time to build high speed rail and modern transit systems in Florida and want to do something about it, here is your chance.
Take the lead. Go ahead and Connect Us with your friends, your family, your business associates, your clubs or your organizations.
We would like your endorsement and would list you on our endorsement page. Just send us an email and tell us about yourself, why you think High Speed Rail and modern transit is important, and what you want to do to help make all this happen. EmailLink
Connect Us Founding
Connect Us, Inc. was founded by its President, Ed Turanchik, as a grassroots organization in collaboration with the leadership of the Central Florida Partnership, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Tampa Downtown Partnership, and Tampa Bay Partnership in June, 2009. We are excited about the national high speed rail initiative and the opportunity Florida has to build America's first true high speed system between Tampa, Orlando and Miami. It will create jobs. It will stimulate growth in places where growth should go. Most of it, it will connect us to each other and create a new foundation for economic prosperity and personal mobility for the 21st Century.
Board of Directors
We have gathered together a talented Board of Directors that bring great experience and strong regional connections to our effort. We are Democrats, Republicans and Independents. We are lawyers, engineers, planners, biologists, business owners, and union leaders. We love our state and care deeply about its future. We believe that Florida must get on track and invest in sustainable and efficient transportation systems in order to attract 21st century jobs and talent while reducing our impacts on our state and planet.
Mike Bedke - Partner, DLA Piper, Tampa.
Christine Burdick - President, Tampa Downtown Partnership, Tampa.
Jim Cummings - Ownerr of Cummings General Contractors, Ft. Lauderdale.
Jospeh Debs, Transportation Director, Reynold, Smith and Hills, Jacksonville
Sonny Holtzman - Principal, Holtzman Group and Transportation Co-Chair, Greater
Miami Chamber of Commerce, Miami.
Bryan Glazer - Co-Chairman, Tampa Bay Bucanneers, Tampa.
Fred Leonhardt - Partner, Grey Robinson law firm, Orlando.
Laurie MacDonald - Regional Director, Florida Defenders of Wildlife, St. Petersburg.
Ed Turanchik - Owner, InTown Homes, former Hillsborough County Commissioner and former member of
Florida High Speed Rail Citizens Advisory Committee.
John Wakefield - Manager of Business Development, Lykes Brothers, Inc.,Tampa.
Mike Weinberg - Central Florida Partnership Transportation Task Force and
Director of Marketing, Orlando.
Mike Williams - President, Florida Building and Construction Trades Council,
AFL- CIO, Tallahassee.
Connect Us Executive Staff
Ed Turanchik is the President of ConnectUs Inc. He served on the Hillsborough County Commission from 1990-1998 and on Governor Chiles high speed rail committee in the 1990’s. He now builds affordable, energy efficient urban homes in Tampa. Turanchik is widely recognized as an authority and leader on transportation and growth management issues and received the National Metropolitan Planning Organization’s National Leadership Award. He also has received the 1000 Friends of Florida Public Servant of the Year and Florida Audubon’s Local Public Servant of the Year awards. Turanchik led Florida’s Olympic bid committee in the late 1990’s, which focused its efforts in the I-4 corridor. .