Chamber announces leadership class

SAINT AUGUSTINE – The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership St. Johns (LSJ) Class of 2018 will kick off their year-long program with the annual retreat, Nov, 3 – 4.  The leadership development program which was started in 2001, has more than 300 alumni including the former superintendent of schools and current Flagler College President Joseph Joyner, the current Superintendent of Schools Tim Forson, Flagler Hospital President Jason Barrett, local entrepreneur and St. Augustine Distillery founding partner Phillip McDaniel, District 1 School Board Representative Beverly Slough and St. Augustine City Manager John Regan.

It was established to educate, connect and encourage elite and emerging professionals as they strive to make a positive impact on the local economy and community. This year’s class is the largest in the program’s history with 27 members from all sectors of industry, commerce and public service.

According to Bob Porter, the Chamber’s LSJ program director, members of the class of 2018 will be mentored by program alumni who maintain and promote a positive difference in the region. “The program provides a way to recognize talented individuals who will benefit from the experience and who can utilize the opportunity to advance their organizational and personal goals,” said Porter. “Additionally, strong connections established among class members can be invaluable throughout one’s career and beyond.”

Each year in July, the Chamber begins to accept applications for the program year, which runs from October through the following June.  Class members are committed to meeting one day each month to experience a full-day of policy briefings and onsite tours providing an in-depth overview of the challenges and opportunities faced by St. Johns County’s many industries, government agencies and non-profits. Class members who successfully graduate from the program are accepted into the prestigious ranks of leadership alumni in St. Johns County and across Florida, and many LSJ graduates have been accepted into the state-wide Leadership Florida program.

Isabelle Rodriquez, the Chamber’s President/CEO and a graduate of Leadership St. Johns and Leadership Florida, advocates involvement in LSJ as a stepping stone to participating in non-profit and volunteer government advisory boards as well as potential involvement in future elected office. “We also want our class members to consider using the skills honed through the LSJ experience to engage actively in the governing of St. Johns County.”

SJ 2017-18 Participants:

Name	Company Position
Michelle Adams	St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum Director of Development
Janette Allen	Flagler College Director of Development
Myrna Allen	St. Johns River State College Dean of Teacher Education
Carlos Aviles	City of St. Augustine Chief, SAFD
Jeremiah Blocker	North Florida Lawyers, PLLC Partner/Attorney
Christopher Buttermore	Matthews Design Group, Inc. Project Manager
Michael Dresback	St. Johns County School District Associate Superintendent for Student Support Services
Debra East	Launchpad Consultants LLC/ Blue Sky Life Coaching LLC Founder/CEO
Alexius Ferguson	Children’s Home Society Community Partnership School Director
Donna Guzzo	Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach Director of Development
Matthew Hartley	Gwanda, LLC Business Account Manager
Stephen Hudson	Digital Mark Company, LLC Owner
Bruce Jones	Vicar’s Landing CEO
Steven Ladrido	Coldwell Banker Premier Properties Sales Manager, Broker Associate, Realtor
Patricia Larkin	Early Learning Coalition of North Florida Finance Manager
Regina Mangus	Flagler Hospital VP Marketing and Strategic Communications
Lisa McGowan	VyStar Credit Union Vice President
Amy Miller	Carr, Riggs and Ingram, LLC Audit Manager
Samuel Morgart	Ameris Bank VP-Commercial Relationship Manager
Matthew Nelson	Advanced Disposal Services VP Finance and investor Relations
Maria Sit	Northrop Grumman Manager, Industrial Engineering
Leslie Snyder	St. Augustine Youth Services Program Director
Matthew Stevens	St. Augustine Distillery Co. General Manager
Jackson Taylor	St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Executive Director St. Johns County Police Athletic League
Thomas Torretta	St. Johns County Council on Aging Resource Development and Communications Manager
Janette Wagner	Capital City Bank Community President
Melissa Wissel	City of St. Augustine Public Information Coordinator
Robert Porter	St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce LSJ Program Director