Managing Editor
Downtown revitalization draws large response
Area business leaders serving on the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce board of governors spent Tuesday afternoon forging a work plan for five initiatives.
The most popular was downtown revitalization, said Board of Governors Chairman Scott P. Keith, city president of BB&T.
Keith said about 90 of the 109 governors attended the retreat at the University of North Florida University Center and they divided among five breakout groups, depending on their interests.
“Four had a fairly good mix, but downtown revitalization had a lot of folks and a lot of energy in the room,” said Keith.
Keith said about 30 members signed onto the downtown initiative. “That was the largest group,“ he said.
He said that group, as well as the others, will focus on action.
The chamber asked the governors, who serve two-year terms, to choose one of the five initiatives identified as vital to the business community.
Those initiatives and the chamber directors leading them are:
• Retaining the Jacksonville Jaguars, Rick Catlett, president, Konica Minolta Gator Bowl.
• Revitalizing Downtown, Ed Burr, president and CEO, GreenPointe Holdings LLC.
• Addressing current affairs, Michael Munz, executive vice president and partner, The Dalton Agency.
• Developing small businesses, Cleve Warren, president, Essential Capital.
• Enhancing Chamber member value, Marty Lanahan, area president, Regions Bank.
The initiative leaders are members of the chamber’s policy-making board of directors. The governors, who serve two-year terms, do not mandate policy.
“Our goal is to do the heavy lifting,” said Keith.
The governors will make recommendations about their initiatives as well as report progress at quarterly board luncheons.
Keith said the five groups will meet again within two weeks to continue their work.
“There was a lot of energy, a lot of encouragement,” said Keith. “They felt their value as chamber members was elevated today. They got to work alongside other community leaders and they got to roll up their sleeves and move things forward.”
He said the members are prepared. “They are fully engaged and are given the responsibility to work to help solve these issues.”
Keith said the 90 participants hold varying perspectives, consisting of “individuals that were heads of very large corporations and a lot of small-size businesses and everything in between.”
The chamber has about 3,500 members, down from 3,800 last year.
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