by David Chapman
Staff Writer
When your job deals directly with the economy and all of its influences, one would think life would be tough at the moment.
Only half of that is true for Cornerstone Executive Director Jerry Mallot.
“The economy is challenging,” said a smiling Mallot, “but life is good.”
In his role as head of the economic development arm of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, Mallot spends his days establishing relationships with business from around the U.S. and world with the goal — through expansion or relocation — of creating jobs and capital investment in Northeast Florida that adds to its quality of life.
Even with the overall economy down from what it’s been during his 15 years in Jacksonville, Mallot believes the city is varied enough to be better equipped to come out of the recession sooner while garnering the attention of businesses in other areas.
“Jacksonville really has a broad spectrum of businesses,” he said. “While say construction and retail might be down, the financial and medical fields are up ... with that type of balance, we (Jacksonville business) don’t have all our eggs in one basket.”
Mallot estimates he spends around 60 percent of his time at his Chamber office Downtown — mostly in meetings that lead to other meetings — with another 20 percent on the road traveling to meet potential business clients.
The other 20 percent?
“After I get home and eat dinner, maybe watch a television show, it’s getting back to e-mails and voice mails around 11 p.m. or midnight,” said Mallot. “The good news is I absolutely love what I do. It’s exciting to be involved in trying to bring prosperity to Jacksonville every day.”
Fruitful economy or not, Mallot’s job doesn’t stop. In times like these he’s making inroads with existing companies looking for additional exposure but sitting on the fence waiting to see how the economy rebounds.
Even amid a recession, Mallot is as optimistic as they come with his surroundings being one of the main reasons.
“We have a great staff here (at the Chamber) and Jacksonville is in a good position,” he said. “Our strengths are so terrific.”
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