Jason Mathis serves as the CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to thoughtful growth and urban redevelopment. 

The Partnership focuses on big-picture, long-rage issues and works to form a shared vision for St. Pete’s future, inspired by global thought leadership, national best practices, and local sensibilities. Key efforts include support for green space, higher education, art, transit, data-based decisions, and a balanced approach to equitable and economically sustainable development. 

Jason has a long history of success in nonprofit management and urban development. His professional experience spans three decades in coalition building, public policy, and business advocacy. Jason has a strong record of advancing high-profile issues in complex public settings and he excels as uniting diverse stakeholders around a common vision.

In addition to his work with the Partnership, Jason also serves in board leadership positions at the St. Petersburg Innovation District and St. Petersburg Arts Alliance. Jason was part of the St. Petersburg cohort for the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative focused on redevelopment of Tropicana Field and Jason currently serves as a member of the Community Benefits Advisory Committee for the City of St. Petersburg. Jason helped to launch the St. Petersburg Leadership Alliance and was a member of the original Emerging Leaders Fellowship program with the International Downtown Association. In 2013, Jason was named a White House Champion of Change for helping to author the Utah Compact, a family-focused, business-friendly approach to immigration reform. Jason received the Haynes Hero Award from the Pinellas County Urban League in 2023 and The University of South Florida’s Distinguished Citizen Award in 2024.  

From 2008 until August 2018, Jason served as the Executive Director of the Salt Lake City’s Downtown Alliance and Executive Vice President of the Salt Lake Chamber. In addition, he has also worked in media relations, branding, and marketing efforts for nonprofit health care organizations and in the travel and convention industries.

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Since 1995, Eric has been the Transportation Director for the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership. He is the administrator for the Looper downtown trolley, overseeing their fixed route service, shuttles to major events, and private charters for special occasions. He’s helped grow Trolley use 99% from last year.

He began his transportation career in 1993 as the Director of Marketing for Bay Area Commuter Services in Tampa. This newly formed non-profit was designed to assist commuters with alternatives to driving to work alone.

As a member of the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) since 1993, Eric has served as the co-chair of several regional and national conferences,  served two terms as the ACT SouthEast Chapter Treasurer, and one term as the ACT National Treasurer.

While attending the University of South Florida St. Petersburg to receive their Bachelor of Science in Marketing with a minor in Psychology, Nicole Roberts fell in love with Downtown St. Petersburg. After graduating, they joined the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership to help our downtown grow while maintaining the same vibe that made them fall in love with this place to begin with.

Their main focus is on the Car-Free St. Pete initiative, a movement to encourage locals to use all the amazing alternative transportation options available in Downtown St. Pete. Nicole served as the lead organizer in 2021 of the first Halloween on Central, a now annual event where Central Avenue is closed to cars to allow the community to enjoy the heart of our city from a different perspective. They are a member of the Leadership St. Pete® Class of 2021, completing one of the oldest leadership programs in America, designed to develop community leaders through an intensive six-month experience. In 2022, they joined the APA Sun Coast Board as the Communications Officer.