Habitat Tampa Bay Gulfside CEO Mike Sutton will join Verizon’s Chief Responsible Business Officer for Verizon Community Disaster Resilience Initiative Launch on Thursday, June 26th, in Tampa.
Clearwater, FL – Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside is honored to announce Verizon as its exclusive Resiliency Partner for the upcoming year. Verizon has committed $250,000 to Habitat Tampa Bay Gulfside to support fortifying 90 homes built this year, ensuring every Habitat homeowner benefits from safer, stronger construction. Together, Habitat and Verizon are building homes, long-term protection and peace of mind.
“This is a monumental day at Habitat Tampa Bay Gulfside as we partner with Verizon to provide critical hurricane-resilient features on our homes,” said Mike Sutton, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside. “This $250,000 from Verizon will allow us to buy and install important materials such as truss straps for roof anchoring, hurricane-rated garage doors and impact-rated windows. True resilience isn’t just surviving; it’s having the tools and confidence to move forward. That’s exactly what we aim to provide with the support of partners like Verizon.”
“As weather-related natural disasters have been on the rise, it is no longer enough to only support communities in the moment. We also recognize the importance of ensuring families feel empowered to prepare for an impending storm,” said Donna Epps, Verizon’s Chief Responsible Business Officer. “We are delighted to partner with Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside to help ensure more families can be better prepared and more communities can be more resilient to the impacts of natural disasters.”
Habitat President and CEO, Mike Sutton will sit on a panel at the Verizon Community Disaster Resilience Initiative Launch on Thursday, June 26th at the Oxford Exchange in Tampa from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. The panel discussion, Strengthening Community Resilience, will focus on how to help prepare communities ahead of a disaster and year-round collaboration between public and private partners to make communities stronger before and after a disaster.
Verizon Community Disaster Resilience Initiative Launch
Where: Oxford Exchange
420 West Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606
When: Thursday, June 26, 2025
9:30 am – 11: 30 am
Panel Participants:
● Marcus Coleman, Vice President of Community Resilience Strategy, United Way Worldwide
● Patricia McIlreavy, President & CEO, Center for Disaster Philanthropy
● Mike Sutton, President & CEO, Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside
The event will also include a moment with a family who will benefit from Verizon’s resiliency work in the Tampa Bay area. Michelle, who was displaced during the devastating flooding from Hurricane Milton, is a local educator and single mother of two who has dedicated her life to serving others. Through this partnership, Verizon and Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside will support other local families like Michelle’s, ensuring they have a home that provides the security and dignity they deserve.
“I am honored to be involved in this discussion with leaders from United Way Worldwide and the Center of Disaster Philanthropy,” said Sutton. “I believe that through collaboration between organizations, we can better prepare our community to weather any storm and be set up to come out stronger and more resilient.”
