How did you first become involved with the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce? I was very involved with the Chamber when I served on
Jacksonville City Council. Trough the years I’ve met many of the staff members and the [Chamber] members, and really understood how the organization worked. So, when the opportunity arose for me to possibly be a part of the Chamber in a larger role, I jumped at it because I knew how great the organization was and what it means to the community.
What changes have you implemented so far? I think the Chamber has shown years and years of success, so
not necessarily was it important for me to come in and change everything. I think that what I wanted to do was look at where we were doing things really well and focus on those areas, and continue to bring jobs to our community. Where you see strengths, make them stronger.
What changes can we anticipate on the First Coast in the near future? I think you’ll see much more emphasis placed on logistics in
our community. Tat’s definitely a strength we have. I think you’ll see, over the next five years, a transformation of Downtown Jacksonville. I think that you’ll see a continuation of job growth. We have a very bright future in Jacksonville.
How is the Chamber integrating family life into these changes? Clearly family is very important to me. I think that we need
to make sure that whether you work at the Chamber, or you’re a citizen of our community, we need to have a quality of life that promotes family and the strengthening of family. We are doing everything we can to help promote that and bring high quality jobs to the community so folks can support families and put food on the table.
Why did you decide to raise your family on the First Coast? I grew up here and I understand how much this community
has to offer. I absolutely love living in Jacksonville. I’m hoping that my work, and the people I work with, will cause my children to come back here and work as well, and not move away because they can’t find adequate employment.
Is your family excited about your position? Yeah, it’s funny, I was at the Northeast Florida Builders
Association when I came here, and I tried to explain to my daughters what the Chamber was, and they got a hold of the idea and the impact that it makes to our community. In fact, thousands of members of our community are impacted by the Chamber every day. So, they are very excited about it.
My boys, I don’t know if they have the entire concept yet, but
they love running around the Chamber when I’m up here on a Saturday. Te girls really understand what it means to have a good job, and a high-quality job, and they think it’s neat that I get to help with that.
Do you think having a family influences your decisions as a leader on the First Coast? Of course—each person is influenced by factors. Just because
I have a big family, doesn’t mean I would make decisions different from someone who has a small family. But, it does absolutely
HERITAGE PUBLISHING, INC. © 2014 Daniel and his wife, Rebekah Family! | 35
“I think over the next five years, you’ll see a transformation of Downtown Jacksonville.”
affect me and the decisions I make. [My] goal is to try to make a place where my children will look to start their careers when they have that opportunity.
What do you hope Jacksonville will be like when your children enter the workforce? I think we’re heading in the right direction. I think we should
be a community that is entrepreneurial, creative—a business climate where anyone can seek to succeed. We’re obviously heading in that direction. We need to create a business environment where everyone is growing and can continue to grow, because that way people are moving here and not away.
Quick Questions Favorite phone app: Find A Friend
Biggest influence: My mom and dad
Best First Coast event: Jaguar games or TPC
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