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2026 Horizon Council Strategic Planning Survey

Purpose:
To support the Horizon Council’s strategic planning retreat by gathering insights from members, investors, and stakeholders on strengthening confidence in our systems, leadership, committees, and community partnerships as Lee County approaches significant growth.

Context:
Lee County is projected to reach a population of 1 million by 2031. In 2025, we continued recovery efforts from recent hurricanes and began adapting to rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. The Horizon Council seeks to understand how these developments impact our business community and how we can best prepare for the future.

Thank you for your time and feedback on this survey. Your insight will help shape the future direction of the Horizon Council and Lee County’s business community.
Section 1: Demographics & Affiliation
1.Please select all that apply to you.
Section 2: Leadership Initiatives & Impact

  • The Horizon Council leadership has focused on strengthening workforce development, fostering a positive business culture, and advancing technology adoption across Lee County’s business community. To continue this development, three new task forces will be added in these areas. Leadership has also participated in a newly formed joint committee with the Horizon Foundation to better support The Edison Awards program, and is adding a Revenue Committee to develop funding strategies for various initiatives.
  • The Business Issues Committee developed educational content and hosted a Business Continuity Workshop focused on hurricane resiliency and business disruptions, a Cyber Security Workshop, and absorbed insurance affordability initiatives to help local businesses prepare for emerging threats and coverage challenges.
  • The By-Laws/Governance Committee restructured the Council’s by-laws to allow for membership growth in line with Lee County’s population projections, and updated language for greater clarity and inclusiveness.
  • The Sports Committee has continued Tip-Off Classic connections to community and businesses, displaying the impact of investment in Sports Development to the broader community.
  • The Business Resources Committee focuses on strengthening support for entrepreneurship efforts in Lee County, continued support for Edison Award’s Lewis Latimer program and Innovation Walk.
  • The STEM to Career Committee focused on AI Challenge, STEM career database and STEM accomplishments database.
2.Were you aware of these leadership initiatives and committee accomplishments?
3.Did these initiatives add value to your organization or business community?
4.How confident are you in the effectiveness of the Horizon Council’s leadership and committees based on these recent initiatives? With 1 being least confident and 5 being most confident.
1
2
3
4
5
Horizon Council Leadership
Business Issues Committee
By-Laws/Governance Committee
Sports Committee
Business Resources Committee
STEM to Career
5.What additional improvements or initiatives would you suggest for the Horizon Council’s leadership and/or committees?
Section 3: Horizon Council Performance & Benchmarking
6.How confident are you in the Horizon Council’s ability to represent and advocate for Lee County’s diverse business community?
Very Confident
Somewhat Confident
Neutral
Somewhat Unconfident
Not Confident
7.Compared to last year, how has your confidence in the Council’s leadership changed?
Section 4: Strategic Planning & Community Growth
8.What are your thoughts on the projected population growth to 1 million by 2031 and its impact on the business community?
9.In the next 1–2 years, what do you believe will be the primary economic drivers for Lee County?
10.What is the biggest obstacle Lee County faces in achieving sustainable economic growth?
11.What is the Horizon Council’s biggest challenge in advocating for growth and economic sustainability?
12.How can the Horizon Council better engage and build confidence among its 34,000 businesses and industry sectors?
13.What should be the Horizon Council’s number one strategic goal for fiscal year 2026?