Bert Bertagna reflects on accomplishments, legacy as SIM Tampa Bay President
While a president’s duties depend to some extent on the organization over which they preside, there are some constants in the top leadership position across organizations. Formulating a mission and vision, delegating responsibilities and driving innovations come to mind.
Bert Bertagna has done all of the above and more as the president of SIM Tampa Bay. In his two years as chapter president, the departing Bertagna has helmed its explosive growth into a formidable presence in the competitive Tampa Bay tech scene.
He has done so in part through strategic partnerships with key organizations and people, including those on the chapter’s board of directors.
“We have established a well-qualified, inclusive and very diverse board of director team to 22 highly skilled professionals to support chapter initiatives and to lead our Special Interest Groups [(SIGs)],” he said.
In the process, the chapter has almost doubled in size, ballooning to over 130 members. On the national level, Bertagna has strengthened the chapter’s rapport with SIM National CEO Mark Taylor to the extent that Taylor has visited the chapter several times and participated in its annual golf tournament the last two years.
He collaborated with SIM National to develop a comprehensive, SIM Tampa Bay-branded chapter brochure extolling its various virtues. He along with several of the chapter leaders also played a role in the chapter’s participation in national events like the SIM Executive Retreat, SIM TechExec and the SIM National Chapter Leader Summits.
Outside of SIM, Bertagna and the chapter leadership partnered with HMG Strategy to help organize the Florida CIO Executive Summits in Orlando the past two years.
Within SIM Tampa Bay, the outgoing president has overseen new members-only programming.
Bertagna, along with Bill Waas, Marcus Session, and Allen Starr, led the planning and launch of the SIM Enclave® program in Tampa Bay with four successful dinner-events in 2023, and secured sponsorship and firm dates for all Enclave® events planned in 2024 Bertagna and his team also implemented the concept of the member-focused ‘Inside’ events, starting off with a very successful ‘Inside St. Petersburg College’ this past October and more events are planned in 2024.
Bertagna moves on from SIM after continuing to move it ahead in a social media-centric, brand-oriented era. He undertook a complete rebranding of the chapter’s website and social media, overseeing the skyrocketing growth of its LinkedIn page to over 1,300 followers. That is a 400% increase in followers from January 2022.
Bertagna will still serve the chapter as Past President and co-chair of the SIM Enclave® program as well as by potentially forming a new government-focused SIG, tailored toward IT challenges and work in the public sector.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to have served the chapter in many roles, including the most recent two years as president. SIM has helped me stay connected with the top IT leaders in the region as well as at the national level. Additionally, I want to extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all of our board members as well as our members in general for their trust, support and confidence in me to lead SIM Tampa Bay. I wish our in-coming president, Jennifer Wesson Greenman, and the new chapter board the best as they get back to work in 2024.”