Bob Stork, founder and CEO of Communications International, has been named Entrepreneur of the Year for 2020 by the Indian River State College Foundation.
An industry veteran with a degree in electrical sciences, Stork has spent his career creating designs and delivering essential emergency services for federal, state and local governmental agencies throughout the United States and across the globe. With his late partner Howard Culver, Stork founded Communications of Vero Beach in 1975 and grew it into a leading wireless systems integrator specializing in the design and implementation of mission critical communications systems for the federal, state and local public safety, utility and transit industries. In 1979, the company incorporated as Communications International, Inc. Culver retired in 1982 and Stork, age 32, acquired the business. Headquartered in Vero Beach, Florida, Communications International currently has nine locations throughout the southeast. It is the largest distributor of Harris public safety radio equipment for the southeastern United States.
In 2010, Bob Stork transitioned out of the role of company owner, passing the business on to the people who cared about it most—its employees. Today, Communications International is a 100% employee-owned company and its employee owners share in the success of the business and have the ability to influence its performance through their individual contributions.
Stork is active in numerous community, church, and charitable organizations, and served on the executive board of Florida TaxWatch, a private, non-profit, non-partisan research institute that promotes the productivity and accountability of Florida government. He also serves as Trustee of Florida Polytechnic University. During his career, Stork has served in many key advisory and leadership positions including appointment to the State Governmental Efficiency Task Force by the Senate President, and to the Florida Task Force Initiative on Gang Reduction by the Attorney General. In 2010, he was distinguished as Citizen of the Year by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office in recognition of his caring and compassionate actions for Brevard County’s Children by supporting many Sheriff’s Office initiatives to protect them. He also earned the honor of Special Deputy by the Sheriff of Broward County.
Stork resides in Vero Beach with his wife Carmen. They have two children, Robyn and Ryan, and eight grandchildren.
Stork was honored on Wednesday, February 26, at an award dinner at the Richardson Center, located at Indian River State College Mueller Campus in Vero Beach.