by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
John Haymon may still be settling into his new office at the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission but he’s already a familiar face to many there.
The JEDC’s new chief of small business development, Haymon was hired as a project manager with the commission nearly a year ago. His promotion is among the first since Mayor John Peyton announced plans to downsize and restructure the commission in early 2004.
“It’s really been an honor for me to come into an organization like this with people I consider to be very professional and capable,” Haymon said. “Coming into a new situation you never know how you’re going to fit in, but I’ve always tried to approach things by figuring out how I can help.”
Haymon’s pleasant disposition and a commitment to excellence didn’t go unnoticed. Today his admirers in high places include JEDC interim director Jeanne Miller and Susan Hartley, chair of the commission’s small business advisory board.
“John Haymon possesses the knowledge and the leadership that we need as we move towards implementing our new strategies and reaching our economic goals,” Miller said. “He’s not a one-trick pony. He can look at a small business and put himself in the position of the owner and also recognize the functions and responsibilities of a manager.”
Hartley, who has enjoyed a close working relationship with Haymon since his arrival last year in the commission’s City Hall Annex offices, said she too is looking forward to seeing him in action.
“He’s going to be extremely effective in terms of community outreach,” Hartley said. “I’m confident his efforts will allow the city to develop more and better small businesses, particularly in the minority community.”
The pleasant and personable Haymon takes that kind of recognition in stride.
“I’m just doing what I’ve always been driven to do,” he said. “You only get one life, one shot, and I believe you have to live it to the max and make the most of it.”
A Florida native, Haymon, 40, was born in Penney Farms south of Jacksonville. After several moves around the globe, which included stints in Washington D.C. and the Middle East while serving in the U.S. Marines, Haymon permanently settled in Jacksonville in 2001.
“I still can clearly remember going over the Hart Bridge one day,” said Haymon, who for much of the 1990s worked for various business consulting firms. “At that time the city was just moving into a major transition and I thought to myself, ‘This is where tomorrow is.’”
In Jacksonville, Haymon said he saw endless opportunities and immeasurable potential for growth.
“There are already so many opportunities here and everyday more continue to emerge,” he said. “A lot of my friends have tried to lure me to bigger cities like Chicago and Atlanta, but I recognized Jacksonville as a place that was determined to grow and improve.”
Haymon said he’s committed helping lead those development efforts, most notably by helping small businesses plant local seeds and, later, helping them grow.
“That’s the beauty of my role with JEDC,” he said. “This a new department that is completely devoted to small business development. Small business has its own flair and it should have the proper advocacy.
“With that in mind, we’re going to be able to create and implement the policies and processes that have been needed for a long time.”
Among the innovations Haymon will soon bring to the table is specially designed software that will allow the JEDC to better track the progress of any potential business partner headed their way.
That system, Center IC, is expected to launch sometime next month.
“It will allow us to track how we’ve been able to help,” Haymon said. “It creates accountability.”
Back in Penney Farms — he’s a pastor and a former vice mayor there — Haymon is married and a father of three. The drive into work is long, the hours on clock even longer, but Haymon makes little complaint.
“I love what I do,” he said, “and I’m lucky to have led a live with a good mix of public and private endeavors. Now I’m going to be able to use those skills to push our economic needs forward. That means more jobs and more capital in Jacksonville.”