The JAX Chamber board Thursday named lawyer G. Ray Driver Jr. as its 2021 chair.
Driver is a founding partner of the Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow firm. He is a member of JAX Chamber’s board of directors and chair of JAXUSA Partnership, the group’s economic development arm.
“Ray has served in nearly every volunteer role we have – he knows the chamber inside and out,” JAX Chamber President and CEO Daniel Davis said in a news release. “Ray is a small business owner who has helped countless businesses grow and thrive in our community. He’s well-prepared to serve as our chair and will be an outstanding leader for our 3,000 members.”
As chair-elect, Driver will lead the chamber’s 2020 Leadership Trip. A chamber spokesperson said the organization selects its chair “more than a year in advance.”
Henry Brown, CEO of Miller Electric, is chair-elect this year and will chair the board of directors in 2020.
“We are fortunate to have a strong, dedicated business community with leaders who invest their time to better our city – that’s what makes the chamber successful,” Driver said in the release. “I am honored by the opportunity to help lead this organization and look forward to working closely with Henry (Brown) and Daniel (Davis) over the next year.”
Driver focuses on corporate law, representing clients in business acquisitions and mergers, as well as counseling clients on securing capital. In his role as JAXUSA Partnership chair, Driver recruits companies to invest and expand their operations in Northeast Florida.
He also serves on the Jacksonville University board of trustees and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority board of directors.
Driver has a bachelor’s of business administration degree in accounting from the University of Montevallo in Alabama and a master’s of accounting and Juris Doctor from the University of Florida.
Chamber officials said the rest of the 2020 JAX Chamber board will be finalized this year.