Dr. Chloe E. Coney

Dr. Chloe Coney, Public Involvement Specialist at HNTB Corporation, received the 2019 Parke Wright III Award from Leadership Tampa Alumni at the group’s 2019 Annual Meeting on January 29th. Established in 2002, the award is presented annually to a member of Leadership Tampa Alumni who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and made a significant difference in the Tampa Bay community. Dr. Chloe Coney was in the 2002 Class of Leadership Tampa.

Chloe’s passion for justice and building strong communities was evident since she was very young, but took hold when she began her professional career as the first black female probation and parole officer in Hillsborough County in 1972. Chloe’s passion inspired her to found and become the first President/CEO of the Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa (CDC of Tampa, Inc.). The CDC of Tampa Nehemiah Project Community Building “Brick by Brick” has since enjoyed 25 years of community building through strategic initiatives such as providing job training, promoting entrepreneurship, developing youth leadership programs, revitalizing commercial areas, and building affordable housing. In 2006, Chloe retired as the Founder/President of the CDC of Tampa to become a candidate in a very close race for Hillsborough County Commission District 3. She found a new way to serve the community as District Director for U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, who represents the 14th Congressional District of Florida and includes most of Hillsborough County. In this capacity she served for 10 years and she assisted U.S. Rep. Castor by addressing an array of constituent concerns, soliciting citizen input, and performing community outreach activities, such as foreclosure prevention workshops during the economic downturn to help families stay in their homes and job fairs during the economic recovery to connect neighbors with local jobs.  Chloe is currently with HNTB Corporation, an infrastructure and transportation company, as a public involvement specialist focused on developing transportation and workforce projects in Tampa Bay.

With nearly 40 years of advocating for community building and revitalizing neighborhoods, she conducts workshops across the country. Chloe and her husband, Pastor Ernest Coney Sr., founded the Spirit of Truth Ministries. She often speaks at women’s retreats and churches about Christian community economic development.