PRELIMINARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT “Next to some of the best climates and beaches in the world, St. Petersburg had long been branded as simply a place to visit or retire. Eckerd College has contributed significantly to changing this perception.” Eckerd College Economic Impact Study Washington Economics Group

Eckerd College commissioned an economic impact study in March 2016 to find the fiscal effects of the institution’s more than 50-year commitment to St. Petersburg and its greater metropolitan area. The study found that Eckerd generates $557 million in annual economic impact and 4,797 jobs in the Tampa Bay area—with $371 million and 3,332 jobs in St. Petersburg alone. THE STUDY ALSO FOUND THE FOLLOWING: • Of the impact on St. Petersburg, $122 million is household income, and 72 percent of the jobs created are in the knowledge-based services sector, which pays higher than average salaries. That accounts for $92 million in salaries. In the region, Eckerd generates household income totaling $180 million. • The College attracts thousands of visitors each year, including nearly 3,000 prospective students and their families, for an annual $11 million contribution to the Tampa Bay– area tourism industry.

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• Thus far in Fiscal Year 2016, which will conclude on June 30, Eckerd has spent $13.6 million on capital projects, including construction. Since 2012, the College’s capital spending has totaled nearly $60 million. • Eckerd also makes significant contributions to the state and local governments via $26.8 million in taxes annually as a result of increased economic activity in the Tampa–St. Petersburg region.

Beyond the Dollars St. Petersburg has targeted five sectors for economic development and business growth. Eckerd College provides degrees, expertise and specialties in three of the five fields: Marine and Life Sciences, Financial Services, and Creative Arts and Design. Sixty-five percent of Eckerd students major in those three related fields. Eckerd also helps lessen the burden on local government agencies by requiring and encouraging students to perform community service, which totals more than 83,000 hours annually in the surrounding community and abroad. The College draws international business executives for on-campus leadership and executive training programs, and in turn brands “St. Petersburg and the region as a global business destination, which is vital to economic development.”

Research Partner ON AVERAGE, OUR STUDENTS TRAVEL MORE THAN 1,000 MILES FROM HOME TO ATTEND ECKERD COLLEGE

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MILLION DOLLARS IN STUDENT LIVING EXPENDITURES GENERATED ANNUALLY

The research was conducted by Washington Economics Group (WEG), headed by former U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs Dr. J. Antonio Villamil. WEG has worked with other colleges, including the University of Miami, and multinational corporations such as IBM and Lockheed Martin. All statistics were derived using the widely accepted IMPLAN methodology.

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RESPONSES TO MARITIME DISTRESS CALLS ARE MADE ANNUALLY BY OUR STUDENT-RUN ECKERD COLLEGE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM