Collins Center for Public Policy

150 SE 2nd Avenue
Suite 709
Miami FL 33131

phone: 305-377-4484
fax: 305-377-4485
email: info@collinscenter.org

Contact:  Rod Petrey  --  305-377-4484  --  rpetrey@collinscenter.org

Web site:   www.collinscenter.org

Mission:

The Rochester Conversation on Mid-Sized Cities project, as part of the City of Rochester, explores the unique roles that mid-sized cities play in the United States.

Description:

From the Collins Center website:

"Former Florida Governor LeRoy Collins' legacy of uncompromising integrity in government and business continues at the Collins Center for Public Policy. Established in 1988 by distinguished Floridians who envisioned the need for an independent entity to find impartial solutions to controversial problems, the Collins Center exceeds the bounds of a traditional think tank—seeking opportunity and taking action on projects that impact the citizens of Florida and the nation.

"For more than a decade, the Collins Center has addressed major problems including conflict resolution for consumers and businesses, effective governance and civic participation, education reform for the next generation of Floridians and catastrophic insurance coverage for Florida's homeowners.

"Now in its second decade, the Collins Center has expanded its focus to include emerging public policy issues that will shape Florida in the 21st Century. The Center is also committed to incubating and supporting emerging public interest initiatives."

Collins Center Initiatives, with links to websites:

Education

Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship Program
A new scholarship program entitled the “The Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship Program” (F.S. 220.187) was passed during the 2001 legislative session with implementation commencing January 1, 2002. This scholarship program is designed to assist Florida's low-income families who want to send their children to a private school or to another public school through a scholarship program funded by corporations.

Education Commission of Palm Beach
The Education Commission of Palm Beach was established to serve as a springboard for educational reform in Palm Beach County. Their mission includes carefully reviewing and evaluating the existing Palm Beach County education system, advocating for the establishment of research-based solutions, and recommending county-wide comprehensive plans to promote the successful education of their youth.

Florida Civic Education
In 1999, the Collins Center for Public Policy, Inc. developed The Collins Legislative Classroom, a pilot model program designed to increase high school student knowledge about the democratic process and how government works.

Elections

Florida Voluntary Code of Fair Campaign Practices
One of the Collins Center's early projects was a 1991 convening of citizens that devised the Florida Voluntary Code of Fair Campaign Practices for candidates, news media and the public.

Elections Reform
Following the Election 2000 controversy in Florida, Governor Jeb Bush asked the Collins Center to organize and staff the Governor's Select Task Force on Elections Procedures, Standards and Technology. Its purpose was to research the best practices for elections procedures and standards and to find the best available technology, to take public testimony and input, and to recommend solutions to the Governor and the Legislature.

Hosted Initiatives

Overtown Civic Partnership and Design Center
The Overtown Civic Partnership and Design Center assists neighborhood residents and institutions to visualize, plan and execute a comprehensive community and economic development program to create a vibrant mixed-income, and mixed-used neighborhood.

Council for Sustainable Florida
The Council for Sustainable Florida is a new subsidiary of the Collins Center, joining our organization in July 2004. The Council is a unique collaboration of business, government and citizen leaders who are committed to conserving Florida's vast natural and economic resources.

Community Voices Miami
In June 2003, Community Voices Miami, an organization that helps fund neighborhood-based healthcare projects, joined the Collins Center as an integral part of our efforts to analyze tough issues and find creative solutions for the people of Florida and the nation.

Inter-American Forum
The Inter-American Forum is a new leadership and public policy project dedicated to promoting a dynamic pro-community, pro-equity economic and trade policy agenda at the local, hemispheric and international level. It is a forum for creative and innovative people dedicated to transcending and transforming the increasingly polarized public and policy discourse about communities, globalization, regional economic integration, etc. This work will require a completely different vision of what modern communities and regions can be, new models of leadership and a critical mass of action-oriented "visioneers" who understand both the art of community building and the science of policy formulation and development.

The Funders Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities
The Funders' Network is an active resource and focal point for foundations, nonprofit organizations and other partners working to solve the environmental, social and economic problems created by suburban sprawl and urban disinvestment. It informs funders of critical policy and grassroots developments; enables program staff to share effective strategies and tools; builds the capacity of key constituencies to promote smart growth and livable communities; and raises awareness about the interdisciplinary nature of these issues and the need for sustained engagement by a diverse coalition of funders.

The Growth Partnership

The Growth Partnership is a program that unites businesses, policymakers, and communities dedicated to revitalizing and developing Florida's urban areas.