President: Jennie Sammur, CEO of Dabar & Associates/TP & JS Enterprises 

Jennie Sammur was born in Chicago, Illinois. She was raised in a multicultural household and lived in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Puerto Rico, and Seattle. She has resided for over 17 years in the Sunshine State of Florida. Jennie is married to Anthony Perez, the Fire Chief of Pasco County. They are a blended family with 4 children. She obtained a Bachelor of Science with a Major in Administration from Barry University. She also has a master’s in Urban and Regional Planning and Community Development Certification from the University of South Florida. Jennie has significant expertise in Community Engagement, Stakeholder Relations, Business Attraction, Economic Development Projects, Community Development, government affairs, and Land Use Planning. She serves the Tampa Bay Community in various capacities. She is a Florida Realtors District 6 Leadership Alumni, a Leadership Pasco Alumni, and for more than 10 years, she has been an ongoing volunteer for the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking. She has multiple certifications, including for non-profit and economic development. She is a former Central Pasco Realtor Organization director and the former Commercial Real Estate Committee chairwoman. She is responsible for inbound missions to showcase Tampa Bay Assets.

Jennie is a real estate broker who has been in the Real Estate industry for over 17 years. She owns and manages her real estate firm. Additionally, she owns and manages TP & JS Enterprises, LLC, a business partnership with her husband, who speaks and trains nationally for the fire service. TP & JS also offers corporate travel planning and trade mission logistics-related services.

She is also a Seasoned Economic Development professional focusing on international trade and foreign direct investment. Jennie is the former International program manager for the Pasco Economic Development Council. During her role, she was responsible for helping local companies expand their global footprint, planning and executing trade missions, diplomatic-related affairs, facilitating events related to international trade, and executing foreign direct investment projects.  Jennie has been with TBOWIT since 2019.

Immediate Past-President: Christyna Doege, Port Tampa Bay   

Christyna Doege (Day-gee) has spent her career in the maritime shipping industry and is currently the Client Engagement Manager for Port Tampa Bay. The width and depth of her experience is impressive honed through her time with steamship line - CP Ships, terminal operator - Ports America, and port authority - Port Tampa Bay both in the real estate and business development departments. Christyna holds a Master’s in International Logistics Management from Maine Maritime which compliments her Maritime Port Executive certification from the International Association of Maritime and Port Executives as well as her Certified Global Business Professional certification from NASBITE. Christyna started her career in the international realm after studying international business at Stetson University including a year in France and after university living in southern China. Passionate about learning, volunteering and growing others, Christyna is a Distinguished Toastmaster, past president of TBOWIT, founder of Women Move Cargo – Port Tampa Bay, and past multi-year chair of the Port Tampa Bay Anchor Ball raising money for two deserving maritime charities.

Treasurer: Allie Tschirhart, Warren Averett   

Allie Tschirhart joined Warren Averett in 2013 and is a Member in the Firm’s Tax Division. She has more than seven years of public accounting experience and is responsible for supervising and managing corporate, individual and partnership taxation, as well as business and individual tax consulting for her clients. Allie works with business owners to help their companies grow by minimizing their tax liability. She also provides tax planning and compliance services for S Corporations, Partnerships and C Corporation. Allie resides in Tampa with her husband.

Education: Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, Master of Accountancy with a Focus in Taxation, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

Professional Affiliations:  American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Community Involvement, Humane Society of Tampa Bay, Member

Secretary: Claire Baumrucker, Visit Tampa Bay  

 Claire is the Multicultural Sales Coordinator for Visit Tampa Bay, working closely with local and national multicultural organizations looking   to host events in Tampa Bay. Born and raised in Port Richey, Fl (just about an hour north of Tampa Bay), Claire has always had an interest   in tourism and its impact on the economy and community, especially in Florida. 

 Claire graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business and earned her Master of     Arts degree in Political Science and Government from the University of West Florida. In her free time, she enjoys being out on the water   whether it's at the beach or boating! She's also a huge Tampa Bay Lightning fan and enjoys cheering on Florida State University sporting   events (Go Noles!)

VP of Marketing: Devon Barnett  

 Devon is an experienced economic development and tourism professional who has dedicated her career to growing Tampa Bay’s         economy over the last decade.

  As the former Senior Manager, Business & Market Intelligence at Tampa International Airport (TPA), Devon served in both an internal   consultative role managing research driven insights across the organization as well as an external role working with customers and   community stakeholders to develop real-time actionable market intelligence pivotal in building Tampa Bay’s economy through air service   development. 

 Prior to joining TPA, Devon was the Senior Economic Development Manager at the Pasco Economic Development Council, where she   was responsible for business retention and expansion, international business development and workforce development within Pasco   County. She was also the Pasco representative for the regional alliance, Global Tampa Bay, an organization dedicated to increasing   international trade and foreign direct investment in Tampa Bay.

 Before transitioning to economic development, Devon’s career began in the hotel industry during her early college days in Tallahassee.   After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Recreation & Leisure Services Administration from Florida State University with a concentration in Travel & Tourism and double minors in Business & Communications, she continued to serve the tourism industry in both leisure and business travel sales in Tampa.

Devon served as President of the Tampa Bay Organization of Women in International Trade (2020-2022) and is also a graduate of both Leadership Pasco’s Class of 2017 and the Florida TaxWatch Citizenship Institute’s Class of 2018.

VP of Scholarship: Madison Lawson, Florida Commerce   

Madison Lawson is the director for foreign direct investment for Florida Commerce, the state-designated economic development organization. In her role, she runs the project management of foreign investment leads from initial inquiries to established Florida businesses through a statewide RFI process. In her previous position at Enterprise Florida, Madison served as the regional trade manager for the Tampa Bay area, providing export counseling to companies in 10 Florida counties. Her responsibilities included managing trade grants, promoting international trade shows and missions, and coordinating educational programs and events for Florida businesses interested in expanding internationally.

Madison’s background in international economic development began at the Tampa Bay EDC as the international business manager for the local organization as well as the manager for the regional trade and investment promotion partnership known as Global Tampa Bay.

With a master’s degree in International Development and Emerging Economies from King’s College London and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tampa, Madison has a depth of knowledge in international business and a personal connection to the Gulf Coast of Florida. While receiving her graduate degree, Madison worked at Catholic Relief Services to promote innovative technology in international development projects. At the University of Tampa, Madison researched the informal economy in Cusco, Peru, and founded a social enterprise project in northern Ghana. Madison is a Saint Petersburg, Florida resident, where she enjoys fishing, paddle boarding, and spending time at the beach.

VP of Membership: Samantha Tallyn, Janssen & Igar  

Samantha is the owner and president of Janssen & Igar, CPAs, P.A. Samantha is a native of Pensacola and has been in the St. Petersburg area for over 12 years. She has her master’s in accounting from St. Leo University and is a licensed CPA. Before joining the public accounting field, Samantha was in the banking industry. She has over 21 years of experience in the financial and accounting industry, working with various industries. Samantha is involved in her community through various organizations.

Director of Innovation & Internship: Vanessa Martinez, USF World  

Vanessa Martinez is the Founder and Executive Director of Girl Reports, Inc., a community-based education program that empowers underserved girls through journalism. A graduate of the University of South Florida (USF), she holds bachelor’s degrees in French Literature and German Language, and a master’s degree in Applied Anthropology. Vanessa has extensive experience in cross-cultural collaboration and international education — including a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship, an internship with the German-American Chamber of Commerce, and grassroots international development projects. In addition to her work with Girl Reports, Inc., Vanessa is the Assistant Director of International Community Relations at USF World.