737 Millennium - Seventeenth Edition SOCIAL SERVICES AND NONPROFIT For more than 35 years, Carroll “Carrie” West has been a business and cultural champion for the Florida LGBTQ community. As president of Tampa Pride Inc. since 2013, he helped relaunch the organization after a 10-year period of dormancy. Under his leadership, the annual Tampa Pride Diversity Parade and Pride on the River Festival have grown to expect more than 100,000 attendees, significant business and corporate partnerships, and national media coverage. Before stepping into his role with Tampa Pride Inc., Mr. West was already a keystone of the LGBTQ business community. To wit, he operated as a partner and vice president of MC Film Media, a chain of six retail stores positioned in prime business districts and main street regions responsible for increasing visibility and creating economic opportunities for LGBTQ entrepreneurs since the 1980s. Mr. West is honored to be a founding volunteer for Walt Disney World’s Gay Days event, whose adoption in Disney parks around the globe has been a symbol of cross-cultural LGBTQ visibility and pride. He is also a co-founder of numerous community organizations, including the MC Arts Foundation, the Gaybor District Coalition, and the Tampa Gay and Lesbian Community Center. As a community figurehead, Mr. West served as part of a 2009 cultural delegation to China, led Tampa Pride in organization and support efforts following the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, and has driven efforts in developing housing support programs for the elderly. Mr. West considers his positive outlook and relentless commitment to authenticity to be the keys to his success. Likewise, he strives to meet at least one new person every day as a method of challenging his worldview, staying active in his community and remaining open to change. Early in his career, Mr. West proudly served in the United States Air Force as a squadron leader and K9 unit member, and he found more than 35 years of success in the marine marketing industry. A graduate of the University of South Florida, he holds two bachelor’s degrees and a Master of Public Administration. CARROLL “CARRIE” WEST PRESIDENT Tampa Pride Inc. Tampa, FL
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