The global governor: Gov. Jeb Bush is a lot of things to a lot of people. That's the nature of his job. But he has never forgotten the international lessons of his home in South Florida, and the vision of what it means to be a global nexus

South Florida CEO, July, 2002 by J.P. Faber

Despite the presence of headquarters far just about every state-wide organization, and the considerable buzz of activity when the state legislature is in session, Tallahassee is not exactly an international crossroads. It remains, essentially, a genteel Southern town, and its oak-lined streets, with hanging Spanish moss, are about as far as you can get from the traffic-mad intergalactic trading post known as Miami.

It's fortunate, then, that Florida Gov. Jeb Bush hails from South Florida, where he has maintained a home in Coral Gables since moving to the area in 1980. Of course, the governor's mansion in Tallahassee has been Bush's primary residence since 1998.

"I think people kind of scratch their heads in wonderment about Miami," says Bush. "I spend my time trying to educate them. It's an amazing place. [South Florida] is the most resilient, dynamic community, in my opinion, in the country."

It is also home to a kaleidoscope of foreign nationals and global businesses, with an economy directly linked to its role as an international hub for trade, investment and information. Jeb Bush personally learned this through his years working in the real estate business in South Florida, where he partnered with leading developers such as Armando Codina and Hank Klein.

Bush carried this insight with him to the state Capitol, hoping that what works for South Florida would work for the entire state -- from high-tech international investments in the Orlando area to Mexican trade flowing through the Port of Tampa. And that vision has been well received. Florida's international trade community considers Bush the most "international" governor the state has yet had, for which he received Florida's International Achievement Award for 2002, presented by the World Trade Center Miami in June.

"He is the first governor to really prioritize the importance of international business to the future growth and development of Florida," says Charlotte Gallogly, chairman of the WTC Miami. "He has personally led missions to strategic markets, which have resulted in over $350 million to Florida companies, and over $1.3 billion in capital investment for the state. Plus, he is a real friend of international companies. That's why we have chosen to honor him."

"It's absolutely critical for a city like Miami to have a governor with a knowledge of international business, and who works toward the goal of encouraging that business," says Ed Easton, Sr., the largest owner of industrial warehouse property in Miami's Airport/West area, the vitality of which depends on international trade moving through Miami International Airport. "I think Jeb has done an exceptional job in that regard, the best of any governor that the state has had."

So far, Bush has led trade missions to Mexico, Brazil, Israel, Chile and Argentina, with another mission to the United Kingdom set for this July. A mission he was scheduled to lead to Spain left without him while he stayed behind to deal with a hurricane headed for Florida; he later made amends by hosting the president of the province of Madrid in Miami and Tallahassee.

"Although he wasn't able to go to Spain because of the hurricane, he extended an invitation to President Alberto Ruiz Gallardon of the Madrid Community [equivalent to a US state]," says Manny Mencia, vice president of international trade for Enterprise Florida, the state's public-private economic development agency. "That visit took place in February of 2002, and it focused on developing high-tech linkages between Madrid and Florida. The agenda for Gallardon included a tour of the NAP of the Americas [in Miami]."

That visit led to a major IT deal announced in May -- a $10 million Network Access Point (NAP) to be built in Madrid by Miami-based Terremark. The Madrid NAP wilt not only create a potent data link between Florida and Europe, but will also complete an IT triangle between Europe, Florida and Latin America, where Terremark is building another NAP in Brazil's business capitol of Sao Paulo.

"This is a huge result of the governor's personal engagement," says Mencia. "It's a deal that goes way beyond a large contract for a Florida company. What it will do for Florida's image as a high tech state is priceless. Here is a Florida company chosen by a European country to supply high technology. The image for Florida is something we couldn't pay for."

It is also the fruit of long-range planning that preceded Bush's Spain initiative. Nicknamed the "eGovernor," Bush has pushed from the start of his administration to improve Florida's prowess as a home to information technology industries.

"Without a doubt Jeb is the 'e' governor," says Terremark Chairman Manny Medina. "He saw very early on the need to make Florida the IT center for Latin America." Medina attributes the creation of the NAP of the Americas in Miami directly to the governor's influence. "He was the founder of IT Florida," says Medina, referring to the public-private initiative launched by Bush to focus the state's high-tech efforts. "He was basically the one who promoted technology development in the state,"