Studer Community Institute

Ingram eager to lead Pensacola chamber

December 19, 2014
/ Carlton Proctor
/ economy

Pensacola native Clay Ingram, hired earlier this week as president and CEO of the Greater Pensacola Chamber, will assume his new duties on Jan. 5. Ingram, 36, succeeds Jerry Maygarden who stepped in as the chamber's top executive in August of 2013 during a time of unprecedented turmoil within the 125-year-old organization. Under Maygarden's leadership, the chamber shed its role as lead economic developer for the City of Pensacola and Escambia County, and also turned over tourism promotion to Visit Pensacola Inc. In doing so, it ended its reliance on tax dollars from the city and county. Maygarden has spent the past 18 months reshaping the chamber's mission to one of community building, currently under the direction of a privately funded board of directors led by Chairperson Carol Carlan, a Sacred Heart Health System executive. Earlier this fall Maygarden, a former Florida legislator and Pensacola mayor, reached out to Ingram, a Florida House member since 2010, to determine if he was interested in the chamber's top job. After discussing the offer with Maygarden, and reviewing the chamber's new structure and role in the community, Ingram accepted the job. Ingram, married and the father of two, has close ties to the Pensacola community. He previously served as chairman of the Escambia County Republican Party from 2005 to 2008 and also served on the Executive Board of the Republican Party of Florida. He has taught and previously coached football at J.M. Tate High School in Pensacola. Ingram attended Florida State University where he received his degree, and also played football under legendary coach Bobby Bowden. He was a member of FSU's 1999 undefeated national championship team. Just hours after accepting the job offer from the chamber, Ingram spoke by phone with Pensacola Today. Question: What led you to throw your hat in the ring for this job? Answer: Jerry Maygarden, having served in the Legislature, knew what it was like for me, and had been in the president and CEO's role in the chamber, and kind of put two-and-two together and reached out and asked if I had any interest. He first went through the whole litany of what had happened at the chamber over the past couple of years. And what they had done to reorganize, and clean up, and that sort of thing. After he explained that, about how economic development and tourism had been spun off, and ending their reliance on public money, then it was something I was interested in. Q: So, it was the reorganization and ending the chamber's reliance on public money that sealed the deal for you? A: Yes. Now that the reorganization has been accomplished, what appealed to me is the team approach to community building the chamber is focused on now. What are we doing to make this area a product that people will want to buy into? That's the chamber's job now. And I feel it's a job that is suited perfectly for me. Q: You start as your new job as president and CEO of the Greater Pensacola Chamber on Jan. 5. Have you come to terms on salary and a contract yet? A: As far as that's concerned, we're not that far along. I just got the call (Thursday) from Carol Carlan that the board had officially voted to make me an offer. Now I guess we'll get into the details of it. Q: How are you going to balance this job with your duties in the Florida Legislature? A: I have a couple of colleagues in the Legislature that are in similar roles now, including Rep. Jason Brodeur who heads the Greater Seminole County Chamber of Commerce. My first call with him, he said, "Clay, you can do this. Not only can you do this, but your organization will thrive." Also, technology makes it easier when you're in Tallahassee, with things like video conferencing, etc. I've met with Jerry Maygarden and K.C. Etheredge, the chamber's chief operating officer, quite a bit over the past few weeks, and we will have a plan going in as to how we will communicate while I'm in Tallahassee. We still have some things to work out, but I feel confident we can make it work. If you are wise about your time and energy you can do it. Q: What do you see as challenges going forward, and what are some of your anticipated goals going into this job? A: I want to be realistic about goals, but obviously increasing membership is at the top of the list. Some members have walked away, and some have never joined who traditionally would have because of the way things had gone prior to the reorganization. So, the first order of business is to increase membership. I think there's been a mindset change at the chamber, and I want to project that. I intend to be open and bring the focus back on membership and helping small businesses thrive and create new jobs. Q: Do you anticipate bringing on any new staff members? A: We've had some very high level conversations about that subject. That's my hope, and I think there's a possibility that will happen. I don't want to over-staff or get back in the position we've been before with a whole lot of people on staff with not a lot to do. I want to be judicious about. There may be the need for a key person or two, but I don't know exactly what kind of shape that would take. Q: What other aspects of the job do you believe need your attention? A: One thing we've been talking about is talent retention, which goes back to a point, which is: We as a community have been focused on going out and bringing new jobs here. There's nothing wrong with that. But most of the economic growth will come from existing small businesses. Keeping the focus on them and making sure they have an environment they can thrive in, is an important role for the chamber. Q: Are you comfortable with the finances of the chamber now that it's shed its economic development and tourism promotion roles? A: I think the cash position is pretty good. We have transitioned from public dollars to membership dollars to operate the chamber. I think that will bring a little uncertainty, and it will require work and to go out in the community and be active. But the current cash position is good and that gives me a comfort level to be able to get to work. Q: Now that the chamber is no longer accepting public tax dollars, it is a private organization and not subject to the Sunshine Law governing open public meetings. Despite that are you going to allow the public to attend chamber meetings and participate in the discussions? A: The difference between being in the Sunshine and being forced to be open, versus being a private organization that ought to be transparent. Not having started the job yet, and having the exact details worked out and what that will mean. I think that financial transparency is important to make sure that people are able to know where the chamber stands. That was Jerry's vision, as I understood it, and I think that seems to meld with the way I will probably do things. That's a discussion I hope we'll have between now and when I actually start.

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Ingram eager to lead Pensacola chamber

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