STATE OF THE RIVER
St. Johns Riverkeeper
The primary economic issue facing the state of the river in Northeast Florida is that true environmental stewardship and protective policies are woefully inadequate and routinely “value-engineered” out of the true cost of Florida’s growing economy.
Clean water is the foundation of Florida’s prosperity luring visitors and future residents for more than a century.
It is in our best interest to invest in our waterways with protective policies to offset the impacts of growth while restoring past damage.
Today, Florida’s environmental policies are of the play now, pay later mentality shifting the repercussions of environmental degradation to future generations.
At St. Johns Riverkeeper, we strive to flip this narrative by advocating for proactive river stewardship through celebration, education, investigation, collaboration and activation.
Invest in Florida’s wetlands, invest in Florida’s springs, invest in Florida’s resiliency and invest in Florida’s rivers — it will pay dividends for our children, grandchildren and Northeast Florida. Healthy rivers drive healthy economies.
CIVIL ENGINEERING
President & CEO, Russell Rowland
The primary economic issue is that rising capital, labor and material costs are slowing housing starts.
The rising costs create a significant challenge because reduced single-family production directly impacts residential project volume and overall revenue.
To stabilize performance amid fluctuating housing starts, our firm continues to diversify beyond traditional residential engineering work.
By expanding into commercial projects, alterations and multifamily developments, we’re creating a more balanced and resilient project portfolio.
This strategic mix helps protect our revenue stream, sustain operations and ensure we can support our team and clients even when residential markets tighten.
CIVIC PARTICIPATION
CEO, Leadership Jacksonville Inc.
The primary economic issue is the growing disconnect between economic growth and active community engagement.
Strong communities need strong leaders.
Leadership Jacksonville is committed to strengthening the economic and civic fabric of Northeast Florida by cultivating a pipeline of informed, connected and engaged leaders.
Our programs cover every stage of leadership development, from high school students to seasoned executives, and provide experiential learning that fosters critical thinking, collaborative decision-making and community awareness.
By investing in leadership capacity, we ensure the region remains competitive, resilient and engaged.
Together, we’re building a future where strong civic leadership fuels lasting economic growth.
COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION
Director of Business Development, Auld & White Constructors LLC
The primary economic issue is labor shortages.
Auld & White Constructors continues to pour our efforts into hiring talent with a specific focus on workforce growth.
This is supported by our historic support of apprenticeship programs that continue to feed our internal skilled workforce base with growth potential into supervision roles.
This base of labor-focused growth has allowed AWC to bridge the gap in labor supply in the construction industry.
The construction industry labor shortages can affect completion dates significantly.
With the cost of money driving investment sensitivities, completion dates have become more critical to realize related returns.
In having our own workforce, AWC can counterbalance that effect to guarantee completion while ensuring the quality expected.
INVESTMENT BANKING
Managing Director, Business Valuation Inc.; CEO and Principal, Heritage Capital Group
The primary economic issue is helping clients understand that frequent buyer solicitations do not ensure a successful transaction.
Private equity firms continue to secure new capital to deploy in the middle market. In late 2025, private capital investments started to ramp up in Northeast Florida.
This is expected to continue into 2026. Anticipated rate cuts by the Fed will fan that flame.
Business owners probably hear from interested investors every week.
First, seek out additional offers. Out of fear of missing out, an owner might provide the buyer with information without proper preparation.
We assure owners that if one buyer is interested, there are likely others. An investment banker or business broker can find them.
Second, owners need to ensure their financial records, corporate records, contracts and employee records are compliant, organized and accurate.
Lenders are increasing their diligence to mitigate risks in lending. Owners that accept that challenge will greatly increase the probability of a successful transaction.
What 30 Northeast Florida leaders are saying about the issues and challenges in the year ahead. Their insights will be published online over the next several days:
Jan. 2: John Avendano, Allison Bovee, Debbie Buckland, Harrison Conyers and Brittany Cooney. Story here
Jan 5: Michael Corrigan, Brian Coughlin, Julia Epstein, Cindy Funkhouser and Eric Green. Story here
Jan. 6: Patrick Green, Chris Hand, Jessie Spradley, Joanne Kazmierski, Pepper Lindsey. Story here
Jan. 7: Lauren Little, Steve Livingstone, Albert Loh, Tyler Mathews and Sabeen Perwaiz. Story here
Jan. 8: Lisa Rinaman, Jackie Rowland, Gracie Simendinger, Buck Smoak and Bill Sorenson
Coming up....
Jan. 9: Jim Stallings, Colin Tarbert, Aundra Wallace, Travis L. Williams Sr. and Chris Wilson