Ep. 039: Peter Betzer talks the evolution of the College of Marine Science, St. Pete Progress and its role in St. Pete's development

St. Pete X

On this episode of SPx, Joe flies solo with St. Pete's very own Peter Betzer, President of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, and Dean Emeritus of the University of South Florida College of Marine Science. When Betzer arrived in St. Petersburg in 1971, the College of Marine Science had five faculty and a dozen graduate students and the city was known as a haven for the elderly and retired - where the downtown streets rolled up after 5pm. Thanks to Betzer and the business leaders of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership (formerly St. Pete Progress), the College of Marine Science now ranks as one of the top ten institutions in the country, and St. Pete's downtown is a bustling center for tech and innovation.