Gary Sain, President and CEO of Visit Orlando, passed away last week after delivering the opening remarks at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida's Celebrate the Children fundraiser. 

I will remember his leadership, boundless energy and, most of all, his friendship. From Gary's professional commitment to the tourism industry to his dedication to charitable community organizations - whenever you'd call on him, whatever you needed, Gary would step up to the plate.

Gary was a giant in every aspect of life and leaves behind a remarkable legacy as our community's brand ambassador. His passion, foresight and intellect made Gary a champion for the entire travel and tourism industry. Gary took over our tourism bureau in 2007 and renamed the organization Visit Orlando.

Under Gary's leadership, Orlando-Orange County reached a record 51.5 million visitors in 2010. This year, we are projected to draw more than 55 million tourists and business travelers - once again propelling our region as the world's top travel destination.

Not many know that Gary was introduced to work early in life delivering the Chicago Tribune for $25 a month when he was about 10-years-old. As a high-school football player, he worked at a local supermarket stocking shelves and eventually saved enough money to buy his first car, a yellow 1965 Chevy Malibu.

After graduating from Davis & Elkins College, he took a job at the Conrad Hilton in downtown Chicago. Gary would eventually follow in his father's footsteps, Frank Sain, who was president and chief executive officer of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, Inc. and the executive director of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Frank passed earlier this year.
 

Gary was extremely close to his wife Pam and his two daughters, Vanessa and Olivia. While business and promoting Orlando-Orange County and the County Convention Center was important, his emphasis and priority was always his family.

In his eulogy to his father, Gary said, "we all come into this world ordinary and it's how we live our lives, how we serve those we are responsible for and how we love others that determines if we leave this world extraordinary."

Gary Sain was extraordinary.

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I found new and exciting opportunities brewing as the result of our 3 day trade mission to Puerto Rico last summer with local business owners. I felt it was important to share their experiences and knowledge with other businesses in Central Florida.

Event partners included the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando and the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida.

I look forward to building more opportunities for economic development between Central Florida and Puerto Rico through the work of our Orange County Puerto Rico Trade and Commerce Workgroup.

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When completed in a few months, the new Christmas fire station will feature a commercial kitchen, dining area, three dorm rooms with two beds each, locker and storage facilities and an indoor gym. The building will also be strong enough to withstand hurricane strength winds.

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In March, Commissioner Jennifer Thompson, Commissioner Tiffany Moore Russell and I discussed a wide range of Women's Issues on Orange County LIVE! Our topics focused on what great leadership means to us, balancing work and family life, and staying healthy.   

Orange TV broadcasts the program in real time from its studios in front of a live studio audience. The goal is to create a dialogue with Orange County citizens through social media platforms and mobile phone applications.

In April, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), Orange County's Office for a Drug Free Community and other community agencies sat down for a serious discussion on underage drinking and illegal prescription drug use.    

Orange TV can be viewed on Bright House Channel 199, Comcast Channel 9, and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99. Orange County LIVE! airs the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. 

The 501st Legion is the worldwide Star Wars costuming organization, operated by Star Wars fans. Directed and produced by Orange TV, the PSAs will air between programs on Orange TV.

Star Wars Celebration VI in Orange County, Florida (August 23-26, 2012)

Orange County leaders and businesses are extremely excited about hosting this popular convention again at the Orange County Convention Center, our center of hospitality. In 2010, Star Wars Celebration V had an estimated economic impact of $36 million when approximately 35,000 Star Wars fans converged on our region.    

From manufacturing and plastics technologies to home building and Star Wars, the Orange County Convention Center continues to host a variety of exhibitions, solidifying its standing as the leading global destination for large scale tradeshows, attracting more than 200 domestic and international events annually. In fact, our convention center was voted No. 1 in the nation by Business Review USA in April.

As the second largest convention facility in America, roughly 1.4 million attendees contribute approximately $1.9 billion to the area's economy each year.

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