February 16, 2024

By Lane Kimble

CHARLOTTE HARBOR, Fla. — Along a rooftop pool, 127 feet above the waterfront, the 2024 WTBA Annual Convention kicked off with a bang (great food, drinks, and dueling pianos) Thursday night.

President JR Ramthun welcomed more than 260 guests to the sparkling new Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte Harbor, Florida.  The crowd marked a 25% increase in attendance over the fantastic 2023 Convention in The Bahamas.

“This convention has been on my mind a lot since the day Jeff Peterson shook my hand and handed over the gavel,” Ramthun told the crowd.  “It’s important to me and I know it’s important to you, which is exactly why you’re here and I’m thankful for each and every one of you.”

The four-day convention will feature a diverse array of speakers, beginning Friday morning with Florida DOT and construction industry professionals explaining how they coordinated to rebuild infrastructure after Hurricane Ian devastated the local waterfront in 2022.

Other speakers include Packers Hall of Fame tackle Mark Tauscher, a motivational speaker who mixes in comedy, and an all-star panel of WTBA members led by Axley Attorney’s Buck Sweeney.  The premiere event is Saturday night with the WTBA Scholarship Auction, which raises money for the annual scholarship program.

Ramthun set a lofty goal of raising $200,000.  WTBA will update readers on the auction results and the rest of Convention in next Friday’s newsletter.