So, What Actually Qualifies Someone To Be An ‘Influencer?’

Before this past year, the only people I had ever heard of who were referred to as “influencers” were national and worldwide celebrities. 

But, as the months went by in 2025, it seemed that half the people I met whenever Jannah, Charmaine and I would visit a new restaurant for the first time were either calling themselves or, more often, being referred to by the owners of those restaurants as “influencers.” Several were actually invited to be there to help the restaurants announce their respective openings, while yours truly had to drive by the places months before they were set to open, write about them multiple times and follow up still more times in order to attend their soft openings, “Friends & family” pre-openings or the actual openings of the places. 

When I’ve asked some of these restaurant owners why they invited some of these influencers — many of whom I’ve had really nice chats with at these events; some of whom have even told me they’re “fans” of mine, the Neighborhood News or both — at least three or four restaurant owners have told me, “We always try to invite local influencers to help get the word out for us.” O.K. 

Hey, I know I’m old school, but I can see now why so many young people are iPhone-recording every moment of their lives in an effort to become influencers. But, since I didn’t have any idea how many of them actually qualify for the title — or what criteria actually makes them able to qualify for it — I decided to do a little Google/ AI searching to try to find out what those criteria are and whether or not I and the Neighborhood News already meet those qualifications. 

Here’s what I found: 

Key Characteristics of an Influencer: 

Authority/Expertise: They are seen as knowledgeable or an expert in a specific field. √ 

Audience & Reach: They have a dedicated following on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc. (OK, not so much, at least not yet) 

Trust & Authenticity: Followers trust their recommendations & value their perspective. √ 

Niche Focus: They typically focus on a particular interest area (e.g.,New Tampa?) √ 

Content Creation: They consistently produce engaging, entertaining/informative content. √ 

Engagement: They actively interact with their community, building relationships. √ 

Impact: Their endorsements or opinions can sway followers’ behaviors and buying choices, making them valuable partners for brands. √ 

Types of Influencers by Follower Count: 

Nano Influencers – 1k-10k followers. Nano influencers have a following ranging from 1,000-10,000 followers and are considered to be mid-tier influencers. Influencers in this category can earn anywhere from $50 to $250 per sponsored post. (Ummm, no!) 

Micro Influencers – 10k-100k followers. Micro influencers are defined as having between 10k-100k followers. Despite having a larger following than nano influencers, they still manage to maintain a similar “relatability” or “authenticity” factor. Which, in turn, means they still have high engagement rates. Often, micro influencers fall into a particular niche or influencer category that can be specific to a particular location, job, or hobby. √ 

Most of the local influencers I’ve looked up fall into one of these first two categories. The difference between them and us is that they have more followers on TikTok or Instagram (IG) than we do, although our Facebook numbers (17,000+ followers) would put us in the “Micro” category — if Facebook even “counts.” We only started attempting to increase our Instagram following about four months ago, and we’ve increased our number of IG followers from about 100 at that time to more than 700 today 

At any rate, I’m proud that we had nearly 3 million views of our 350 Facebook posts in 2025, led by our top-10 posts of the year in this chart. 

And that doesn’t include the number of you who still read — and dare I say, are “influenced” by us the old-fashioned way — by holding our publications in your hands and reading them. 

You’re still the main reason so many advertisers are willing to spend money with us in a supposedly dead medium — so, thank you! 

Regarding The Passing Of Rich Reidy (1957-2025)

Hillsborough County commissioner Ken Hagan and his long-time aide Rich Reidy. Rich passed away on Nov. 11 after a short battle with cancer. He was 68. (Photos provided by Ken Hagan)

Even if you’ve been faithfully reading every issue of the Neighborhood News for years, you may not know who Rich Reidy is. But, rest assured, Rich was one of the most important people working in the Hillsborough County government, someone who played a role behind the scenes in most every decision that has affected New Tampa for more than the past two decades. 

Rich, who passed away suddenly at age 68 on Nov. 11, first became Dist. 2 County Commissioner Ken Hagan’s legislative aide when Ken was first elected back in 2002. (Note-Rich left to become the top aide for then-State Sen. John Legg in 2013, but he returned as Hagan’s top aide in 2018, after Legg was replaced by Sen. Jack Latvala, who was forced to resign at the end of 2017). “Rich did love the legislature,” Ken says. “I was so glad he came back.” 

Here’s how I found out Rich had passed: 

I wanted to get an update on the planned safety improvements to Morris Bridge Rd. south of Cross Creek Blvd. So, instead of calling Comm. Hagan directly on his cell phone, I did what I usually did — I called Ken’s office. Jannah asked me who I was calling and I said, “What I usually do when I have to ask Hagan something, I’m calling Rich Reidy at Ken’s office.” 

I had my phone on speaker because I wanted Jannah to hear just how helpful the guy has always been to me — from when I first started trying to find out when Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. was going to be widened (what now seems like an eternity ago) through questions of county parks in New Tampa and the extension of Cross Creek Blvd., to the New Tampa Performing Arts Center, to Morris Bridge Rd. and many more. 

Instead of Rich’s usual happy-to-help attitude, Comm. Hagan’s other aide, Glorivee “Glory” Burgos, answered the phone. I had spoken with Glory a few times over the past few years, but I didn’t “know” her like I do Rich, so I asked her, “Can I speak with Rich, please?” 

“What is this regarding?,” she asked politely. “Is there something I can help you with?” 

I said, “I’m just calling for an update on the Morris Bridge Rd. safety improvements and Rich is always who I ask things like this.” 

The silent few-second pause that followed was deafening, but Glory finally said, “I guess you didn’t hear, but…Rich…passed away last week.” 

Jannah and I both let out an audible gasp at the same time. “What happened,” I asked, holding back tears. “Was it a heart attack?” 

“No,” Glory responded. “He had a short battle with cancer.” 

And, even though I think Glory mentioned that some of the safety improvements planned for Morris Bridge, the ones we reported back in our Apr. 1 issue, had either already begun or were getting ready to begin, I honestly believe I wasn’t really listening anymore. All I could think of was talking to Ken about Rich. 

“He was having trouble catching his breath and keeping his balance, but like most guys, he just tried to ignore it,” Ken told me. “He went to his doctor, who sent him to Moffitt (Cancer Center). Apparently, the cancer had started in his brain and it spread quickly throughout his body. He never got to go home.” 

He added, “The whole thing took maybe six or seven weeks, In hindsight, I guess it was a blessing that he didn’t suffer long, at least, but his only thoughts, right up until the end, were for his wife Donna.” 

Ken admitted that when he first took office, his friends would call to ask him for his help with something, but over time, the answer always seemed to be, “Just call Rich, which is what I said at his Celebration of Life.” Ken says. “After a while, my friends would just call him directly and I wouldn’t even know. He’d resolve the issue and then, when I’d see them again they’d say, ‘Thanks for taking care of that for me,’ and I’d be like, ‘Sure. Anything for you, buddy.’” 

He also said Rich championed a county statute that became a statewide internet safety bill to protect kids from sexual predators. “I got the credit for it, but Rich actually did all of the work,” Ken says. He also noted that Rich also was, “a ‘scab’ umpire during the strike-shortened 1995 Major League Baseball season, a former small business owner, an animal lover…and a true friend.” 

And, the government staffer I trusted the most. R.I.P., Rich. 

Once Again Wondering Where The Heck The Boundaries Of Wesley Chapel Really Should Be

This Neighborhood News-created map from Oct. 2023 shows the Wesley Chapel CDP boundaries.

It’s amazing how many times I hear someone talk about something that happened in “Wesley Chapel” and it turns out to actually have happened in Lutz, Land O’Lakes, Zephyrhills or New Tampa. 

For example, a recent shooting at the Total Wine on S.R. 56 was described in multiple news reports as having taken place in Wesley Chapel, even though Total Wine has a Lutz zip code. Many of the other businesses located along Sierra Center Blvd. — including Ford’s Garage, Bonefish Grill, Mellow Mushroom, BJ’s Brewhouse, Five Guys and many others located on either side of S.R. 56 west of I-75, in the Cypress Creek Town Center development — all of which have Lutz’s 33559 zip code, also are marketed as being in “The Chap.” 

Other businesses in the same area have gotten a little more creative — such as Chicken Guy (Cypress Creek), Longhorn Steakhouse (Lutz-Wesley Chapel), the Hyatt Place hotel (Tampa-Wesley Chapel) and the new Cheesecake Factory (marketed as “Tampa Premium Outlets,” see pg. 40) — but the bottom line is that most people who live in Wesley Chapel, and even those who visit from other areas, also see all of these places as located in Wesley Chapel. 

The massive Two Rivers development — all of which is located east of Morris Bridge Rd. — is being marketed as a Wesley Chapel community, even though the addresses of all of the homes in Two Rivers have a 33541 zip code, which has always been a Zephyrhills location to me. 

The new Fresh Monkee protein shake shop located south of County Line Rd. (see page 52) is being marketed as Wesley Chapel, even though it is located south of County Line Rd., in New Tampa’s 33647 zip code. Fresh Monkee has opened in the former location of Island Fin PokĂ© Co., which also was marketed as Wesley Chapel. 

So, my question is this: Should all of these places be considered Wesley Chapel, despite where their U.S. Postal Service geography says they are located? 

One person who says “yes” is my friend Hope Kennedy, the president and CEO of the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC). Two years ago, in October 2023, Hope discussed her fight with the former Central Pasco (now “Greater Pasco”) Chamber, when the Chamber Hope led was called the “Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber,” regarding the boundaries of Lutz vs. New Tampa. 

The Central Pasco Chamber wanted nothing with a Lutz zip code to be part of Wesley Chapel, while Hope wanted to use the U.S. Census Designated Place (CDP) known as Wesley Chapel (see map) to be the boundary. 

However, the Wesley Chapel CDP does not include communities that we direct-mail to, including Avalon Park/New River Township, Chapel Crossings, Watergrass and half of Epperson — all of which have one of the three WC zip codes — 33543, 33544 or 33545. 

In the 2020 U.S. Census, the communities located within the Wesley Chapel CDP boundary only had a combined population of 64,866 people, with 20,251 households and 15,315 families — a nearly 50% increase from the 2010 Census, when the Wesley Chapel CDP had only 44,092 people. The problem is that, as of 2020, we were already mailing to roughly 28,000 homes, apartments and businesses and an estimated 80,000+ people (according to the Post Office’s estimates of the number of people per household) in all of our postal carrier routes in zip codes 33543, 33544 & 33545. 

Those direct-mail Wesley Chapel numbers ballooned to more than 33,000 residences and businesses and 90,000+ people by Oct. 2023 and now, our count in Wesley Chapel just surpassed 42,000 residences and businesses and 112,000+ people in just the last two years — or roughly 25% total growth. Is it any wonder why there are so many more traffic accidents and fatalities on our roads now than there were even two years ago (see this issue’s cover story)? 

Hope says that her Chamber is still trying to raise enough money ($75,000) to fund an independent economic impact study and another $75,000 for a separate feasibility study to see if incorporating Wesley Chapel as its own city in Pasco County is feasible, even though many local residents oppose it because they believe it will increase their taxes. The feasibility study also could help better determine the boundaries of the “City of Wesley Chapel” — and Hope and her Board of the NTBC believe it will be feasible. 

She says, however, that it will be fine, both with her and her Board, if incorporation is shown to not be feasible, or if it’s only feasible with a huge increase in taxes, which they would not support. 

In the meantime, I’ll keep using zip codes to determine what is and isn’t located in WC. 

New CEO Rob Higgins Fumbles First Major USF Decision

Photo below by Gary Nager. Above photo source: Facebook/USF Athletics

When former USF football coach Jim Leavitt was arrested for assaulting his former girlfriend, stealing her belongings and putting his hands on another man back in August, USF alumni Kathy and her daughter Jamie Miller were hopeful that their alma mater’s Athletic Hall of Fame committee would change its collective mind about inducting Leavitt into the USF Hall. 

After all, Leavitt had previously assaulted Kathy’s son, Jamie’s brother and former USF football player Joel Miller at halftime of a game the Bulls were winning back in 2009, lied about it, convinced Joel to go along with his lie because he was, “the most powerful man in the building,” but got fired for it anyway, had the remainder of his contract bought out by the school to the tune of $2.75 million, was told to never come back but went on to receive multiple subsequent coaching jobs despite this less-than-impressive resume. 

But, things didn’t go nearly as well for Joel or his family after that. Joel was blamed for being the “kid” who got Leavitt fired, couldn’t show his face on campus, got hit in the head with a thrown brick and saw his once promising future go down the drain before passing away at age 29 in 2017. 

How Leavitt’s name was even on USF’s Hall of Fame ballot this year is beyond the imagining of this editor. Yes, he started the school’s football program but it never won anything of consequence under his leadership. Yet, there he was — one of five inductees in the Class of 2025. Just using Leavitt’s name and “Class” in the same sentence makes me throw up in my mouth a little. 

On Sept. 10, the eighth anniversary of Joel’s passing, it was announced that the new charges against Leavitt had been dropped — interesting timing considering the fact he had only recently been announced as a USF Hall inductee. 

Then, on Sept. 17, I brought Kathy and Jamie into the Emorys Rock Realty Podcast Studio at the North Tampa Bay Chamber office in The Shops at Wiregrass to try to help sway USF into changing its collective mind about inducting this lowlife. Kathy and Jamie started a Change.org petition that has now been signed by 641 people and they did everything they could —made phone calls, sent emails and even stopped in at the USF Athletics office to try to get someone to talk to them and update them about this sad situation. Instead, they were told that if they didn’t leave the premises, they would be escorted out by the campus police. That podcast episode was viewed more than 2,300 times on Facebook. 

“We remained calm, didn’t raise our voices, didn’t threaten anyone,” Kathy said, “we just wanted someone to talk to us.” “Sad,” Jamie added. 

Into this unenviable situation stepped Rob Higgins, another USF grad who has spent the last two decades as the super-successful Tampa Bay Sports Commission executive director. Higgins was officially named the first-ever chief executive officer of a major college athletic department on Sept. 18 (although he didn’t officially assume the job until Oct. 1) and, on Sept. 19, committed his first fumble in his new position. 

Higgins announced on X (formerly Twitter) that, “Jim Leavitt and I have had candid and productive conversations…We have mutually agreed that he will not attend and/or be recognized at [the Oct. 2] USF Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony.” 

Did that mean Leavitt was no longer being inducted? No, it did not. On Oct. 2, Higgins (right) oversaw the Class of 2025 induction, which didn’t mention Leavitt, nor was his photo shown with those of the other inductees — former USF men’s basketball coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, who passed away on Oct. 24, 2024, baseball legend Scott Hemond, women’s basketball star Kitija Laksa and football great Kawika Mitchell. There were several comments on Facebook that Leavitt should have been included, which begs the question: If a “Hall of Fame” is an honor bestowed only on the best of the best, why would someone elected to a Hall not be invited to or included in their induction ceremony? 

Higgins said in his post on X that, “Coach Leavitt understands the importance of USF Athletics being able to honor this year’s inductees without distraction.” Really? 

Will Leavitt’s mug shot be added to the Hall anyway? Shouldn’t the school be so proud of every inductee to not care what some people think? 

I attended the news conference on Sept. 22 when Higgins was introduced to the public and I was impressed with everything he had to say. I believe he will be a great leader of USF Athletics. 

But, I also say this was one he muffed and that he should have at least talked to the Miller family before finalizing this truly bad decision.

Presenting: The ‘Neighborhood Newsmakers’ Podcast!

My B.S. degree in Broadcast News from the University of Florida never did much for me in terms of jobs in the broadcast field. 

Oh, I had my own radio and TV advertising agency before I purchased this publication, and I had my own “The Leisure Man” radio show on two stations in Westchester County, NY, right before I moved to Florida. I even attempted to sell a “Ring Magazine TV Show” with myself and my former editor at Ring Randy Gordon as co-hosts to NBC-TV in the mid-1980s. My ultimate goal after college was always to provide programming for radio and TV, but when those opportunities didn’t come for me, I did the next best thing I could to support my family — I bought the Neighborhood News — and the rest, as they say, is history. 

But, that itch to do something in the realm of broadcasting never waned for me. Back in 2018, we were one of only 23 U.S. and 86 worldwide news media outlets to receive an investment of capital from Google to expand our online news and we did just that — churning out two videos per week for most of 2019. But, when Google didn’t renew that grant, I never reached my goal at that time of having an ongoing news “channel” on Google-owned YouTube. 

So since then, my itch to provide broadcast programming, in addition to what we do every two weeks in print and provide every day online, has continued to go mostly unscratched. 

Until now, that is. When North Tampa Bay Chamber president Hope Kennedy invited me to be the first-ever guest on her new “Chamber Chatter” podcast (as we reported a few months ago), I got so broadcast-itchy that I felt like I needed “an ocean of Calamine lotion.” I asked Hope if the amazing Emorys Rock Realty podcast studio at the NTBC’s new office in The Shops at Wiregrass was available for others to produce their own podcasts and when she said it was, the idea for my new “Neighborhood Newsmakers” podcast was born. 

My intent with the podcast is to supplement what we do in these pages and online with longer-form interview opportunities with the people making news in and around New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. I hope to feature elected officials, governmental staffers, developers and anyone else making news in our community. And yes, we may also include some dining segments on the podcast. So, you can expect more than just one-on-one interviews on many episodes. And, you can see all of the released episodes on our “Neighborhood News” Facebook page. 

Episode 1 featured Live Oak Preserve residents Jason and his son Karson Centeno, who were two of the nine locals I selected from around 50 applicants to judge our “Neighborhood News Chicken Tenders Contest,” where PDQ won for Favorite Mild and Chick-fil-A won for Favorite Spicy Tenders. 

Jason, Karson and I had a few laughs about the format of the tenders contest and about what future tasting contests the Neighborhood News could sponsor — from tacos to pizza, Cuban sandwiches and more. The episode has had over 1,200 views. I’ll keep you posted about future podcast episodes. 

Jim Leavitt Hall Of Fame Episode 

The second episode we recorded is with Michael Pultorak (left photo), the local RealtorÂź and organizer of the Pasco Connected City Residents Group on Facebook and who has become a strong voice on behalf of those residents at Pasco government meetings.

But, I held off on releasing Episode 2 until after Episode 3, because it was an interview with New Tampa residents Kathy and Jamie Miller, the mom and sister of the late former USF football player Joel Miller, the young man assaulted by coach Jim Leavitt who passed away after becoming known for getting Leavitt fired. 

Leavitt is somehow still scheduled to be inducted into the USF Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 2, so I released Episode 3 out of order (top photo), in an effort to get USF to change its decision about inducting the fired former coach. I hope you’ll watch the episode, too, and sign Kathy and Jamie’s petition on Change.org.Â