by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Twelve years ago, Jerry Mallot moved here from Tampa to become president of Cornerstone, a fledgling arm of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce devoted almost solely to economic growth.
At the time, Jacksonville was an unknown commodity. Its beaches and golf courses hadn’t been entirely discovered and the Jacksonville Jaguars were still in the blueprint stage. Cornerstone was formed to bring attention — and businesses — to the area and Mallot was hired away from the Tampa chamber to lead the charge.
One of the first things Mallot did was institute a quarterly Cornerstone luncheon, an event designed to inform and educate while at the same time bring the area’s business and political leaders together in a fairly casual atmosphere. The first luncheon in 1994 was attended by about 200 people, all from Jacksonville. Times have certainly changed for Cornerstone, which is now a seven-county entity with luncheons that have seen upwards of 1,100 attendees.
“I’m amazed at the popularity and attendance of these luncheons,” said Mallot, who openly admits he never thought Cornerstone would grow to its present size and influence. “I never dreamed we would get 500-600 people at every luncheon.”
At first glance, the luncheons appear to be lunchtime meet-and-greets. Vice presidents, executive directors, CEOs and members of boards of directors from seven counties (Duval, Nassau, Clay, Baker, St. Johns, Putnam and most recently Flagler) mingle with lobbyists, elected officials and friends. Mallot says the networking aspect of the luncheons is certainly important, but it’s not why he created them.
“You can’t ignore the networking opportunities. It’s truly one of the best places to get together with people who are otherwise very busy. That’s why we open the doors at 11:30 (for the 12:10 event,)” explained Mallot, whose title now is executive vice president of economic development (Cornerstone). “But, the real intent is to report to our investors in Cornerstone the things we are doing on their behalf. It’s a chance to share our successes with our partners in the region.”
Wednesday’s luncheon featured Florida Senate President Tom Lee and Speaker of the state’s House of Representatives, Allan Bense, both of whom addressed the crowd about issues that will arise in the next legislative session that will affect the Cornerstone region. Mallot said he’s fairly certain this is the first time the State Senate President and State Speaker of the House have both appeared on the same dais in Jacksonville.
Past speakers include National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue at a luncheon that drew so many it had to be moved to the Osborn Center, former CBS News anchor Dan Rather and Gov. Jeb Bush.
Mallot said he invites speakers that will generate interest locally, be it political or economic. In the case of Rather, it was an opportunity to bring in an icon from the broadcast journalism world while Tagliague’s appearance coincided with a Monday night football game.
Mallot said drawing a big crowd to the quarterly luncheons is terrific and indicative of Cornerstone’s growth, but the intent is to inform.
“It’s what I hope our investors take from the luncheons that’s important,” said Mallot. “It’s a chance to see how their investments are being spent. It’s a wonderful opportunity to hear energizing local and national speakers. There is always a connection between the speakers and what they are doing in this region. Our speakers today are talking about issues that will affect everyone in this room.”