St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce establishes Foundation to serve the community

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Jan. 30, 2024 - PRLog -- The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the creation of the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the mission to serve the entire community through leadership opportunities, workforce education and economic development programs.

The Chamber established the SJCCC Foundation to expand its programming and culture of philanthropy beyond the business community. The foundation's primary focus areas will include:

• Leadership St Johns: The premier professional leadership development program in St. Johns County, Leadership St. Johns has fostered the growth of hundreds of business and government employees for more than 20 years. The foundation seeks to create a permanent scholarship fund to support Leadership St. Johns.
• Disaster relief: The foundation will create an emergency relief fund for businesses to support recovery from natural disasters or economic downturns.
• Workforce development: Through partnerships with local educational institutions, the foundation will support the development of a highly skilled workforce and the creation of an employment pipeline of local workers for St. Johns County businesses.

The foundation will be led by a board of directors comprised of business leaders in the county. The founding members include Board Chair Cecil Gibson (Ameris Bank), Vice Chair Orville Dothage (Northrop Grumman), Secretary/Treasurer Erika Alba (Woolsey/Morcom), Nancy Dering Mock (Nancy Dering Mock Consulting), and Chamber President and CEO Isabelle Renault.

"The community will benefit tremendously from the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce Foundation," Gibson said. "By offering education and leadership development, along with the relief fund, the foundation's work will create opportunities for both individuals and businesses to thrive in St. Johns County."

The chamber invites its members and the community to celebrate the newly established foundation at a fundraiser kickoff event Thursday, April 25 at 5:30 p.m. at bestbet St. Augustine,  800 Marketplace Dr., St. Augustine, FL 32084. The event will feature a poker tournament and reception; sponsorships and tickets are available by contacting the St. Johns County Chamber.

More information about the foundation is available at sjcchamber.com/foundation.

About the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce

The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce is the premier business advocacy organization in St. Johns County. With more than 1,100 member businesses across a variety of industries, the chamber is committed to delivering continuous service to members and the community through public policy, economic development and business education to cultivate an environment where businesses can grow and thrive. Learn more about the chamber at sjcchamber.com (https://www.sjcchamber.com/).