About 100 attended the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Duval Delegation appreciation reception Tuesday evening at the Hyatt. In addition to several from the Chamber, dozens of business, community and civic leaders gathered for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while taking time to share stories, trade campaign tales and enjoy a little time out of the office.
A few notes:
• The reception was moved from the Chamber’s Hadlow Boardroom to the Hyatt due to air conditioning problems at the Chamber. An Internet problem also made getting the word out tough.
• The JAA’s Michael Stewart was without his near-patented bow tie look, but that doesn’t mean he spent the day on the golf course. Stewart said he didn’t have any meeting Tuesday, wore slacks and a golf shirt to work and remembered the reception on the way home.
• What’s Jim McCollum doing these days now that he’s retired from BellSouth? A whole lot of not much, according to him, and he’s loving it.
• That wasn’t extra protection for the gathering and their wasn’t a natural disaster at the Hyatt Tuesday. The hotel is hosting a big gathering of FEMA officials, so there are hundreds staying at the hotel that just look like they are waiting for a hurricane to pass.
• Five of the Delegation’s members attended: State Sen. Jim King and State Reps. Mark Mahon, Dick Kravitz, Don Davis and Stan Jordan.