Second-term Clay County Commissioner Doug Conkey, a retired U.S. Navy commander, was named president of the Clay County Chamber of Commerce effective Jan. 2.
The chamber board unanimously voted to hire Conkey to succeed John Tabor, who has been the interim president since September 2011.
"It is an exciting opportunity to continue my service to the business community at the local, regional, state and national level," Conkey said in a news release.
"A healthy business community benefits the whole community," he said.
Chamber Chair George Egan said Conkey is a longtime resident of the county and an ex-officio director of the chamber board.
Conkey also is a member of the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization and served as its chair in 2010 and 2011.
"Doug is perfectly positioned to quickly advance the goals and mission of the chamber," Egan said in the release.
"He has significant relationships with community leaders in Northeast Florida and throughout the state and will certainly be an effective advocate for the Clay County business community and chamber members," he said.
The chamber said Conkey's appointment "is the culmination of a nearly yearlong effort which led to the complete reorganization of the governance and operating structure of the Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Division."
Conkey graduated in 1984 with merit from the U.S. Naval Academy. He served as a Navy pilot for 21 years before retiring as a commander.
He moved to Clay County in 1990 and lives in Orange Park with his wife and two daughters.