The following entry is a quote of my comment on a recent Creative Tampa Bay column, The Sunshine Factor…

As the Chairman of National Ad 2 with 25+ young professional chapters around the country I can tell from first hand experience that it is not simply sunshine that depresses local salaries.

More importantly it is the lack of involvement by individuals in community and industry groups and associations. By being active one learns more about the market they live in and are able to better capitalize by choosing better employment and business opportunities.

When the Forbes article Cloudy Skies For Tampa’s Young Professionals screamed through town last year I was amazed by the names I saw on a list of email forwards. At least half the people forwarding the email in agreement were people I have spoken with who claim to be too busy to get involved with local organizations.

We cannot blame outside forces like the weather for our income levels. Where would Miami be if it counted the sunshine factor?