Students with disabilities embrace work opportunities at The Florida Aquarium
Excerpt from Spectrum News: October is Disability Employment Awareness Month. It is a time to recognize the positive impact people with disabilities have on the American workforce. At The Florida Aquarium in downtown Tampa, there are all kinds of jobs, from scuba-diving…
Pepin Academies Named 2025 Yass Prize Contender for Innovation in Learning for Students with Disabilities
The Tampa Bay schools are among just 23 organizations nationwide competing for $1 million award Pepin Academies, a network of public charter schools dedicated to serving students with learning disabilities, has been named a 2025 Yass Prize Contender—one of only…
Protecting Those Who Protect Us: St. Pete Police Officers Receive Mental Health Challenge Coins
As Officer Suicides Climb, Graduates Take Steps to Save Lives and Change the Future of Policing On World Mental Health Day, a new kind of badge of honor was handed out to St. Petersburg Police officers at this morning’s briefing—custom…
Hundreds Celebrate the Community and First Responders at the 3rd Annual Family Fun Day
Hillsborough County’s firefighters and deputies spent Saturday giving back to the community they serve at the 3rd Annual Family Fun Day at Raymond James Stadium. Children climbed aboard fire trucks, explored sheriff’s vehicles, and watched the bomb squad robot in…
Tampa’s Next Generation of Leaders
Excerpt from Tampa Magazine: As a child, Tina Pepin wanted to be part of her family’s legacy and business. Her grandfather founded Pepin Distributing, and her father purchased the business in 1981 — but they did far more than distribute beer.…
Former Senate President Tom Lee Inducted into the Florida Housing Hall of Fame
The Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA) proudly announces the induction of Tom Lee into the prestigious Florida Housing Hall of Fame, honoring his decades of leadership, vision, and service to the home building industry and the people of Florida. The…
Tina Pepin Awarded the Champion of Opportunity Award by The Able Trust
The Able Trust awarded the Champion of Opportunity Award to Tina Pepin, Executive Director of the Pepin Family Foundation. The award, presented during a celebration luncheon at Saddlebrook Resort, recognizes an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, compassion, and commitment to expanding…
Students with Disabilities Build Life Skills in an Unexpected Place: The Public Defender’s Office
Young Adults with Learning Disabilities Are Back to School at this Unique Training Ground in Downtown Tampa Among the legal files, busy attorneys, and bustling court preparations at the Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office, there’s something else happening—something you wouldn’t…
Protecting Those Who Protect Us: Officers Graduate from Groundbreaking Mental Health Program
As Officer Suicides Climb, Graduates Take Steps to Save Lives and Change the Future of Policing More police officers die by suicide than in the line of duty. Behind the badge, many carry invisible wounds—and far too often, they suffer…