Basinger to lead eight counties

Eric Basinger, executive director of the Manatee Economic Development Council, will chair the Tampa Bay Partnership's Economic Development Council, which represents eight counties.

Through his new role, Basinger will help direct the Partnership's overall marketing strategy, a release said.

Basinger had already been making news before taking on his latest appointment, as the Manatee EDC is considering breaking off from the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.

“There are a lot of options on the table,” Basinger recently told the Business Review, including a separation.

The Tampa Bay Partnership is composed of leaders from Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota counties, and has been in operation since 1994.