Phillips Named President of Palm Coast/Flagler Regional Chamber

John Phillips has been named president of the Palm Coast/Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce, following a career at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. Phillips replaces interim President and CEO Howard Holley, who served as the Chamber’s head for five months after the departure of former president Greg Blose.

In an interview with EVOLVE News, Phillips said his first priority is to learn as much as possible about the organization.

“The Chamber is a membership-driven organization, so my first priority is to learn about our members and how we can help them,” he said. “Secondarily, I am focusing on our business practices to make sure the organization is running as efficiently as possible.”

Phillips said he will draw on his experience at ERAU to help move the Chamber forward.

“I spent 27 years at Embry-Riddle working in athletics,” he said. “A big portion of my job at ERAU was interacting with the local business community. I was involved in marketing and promoting our athletic programs, selling tickets, partnering with sponsors and securing philanthropic gifts.”

For his part, Holley, publisher of EVOLVE News, said he was honored to be of service to the Chamber and believes the transition to a permanent leader is in good hands.

“I am excited about John’s potential to contribute to our community’s economic growth,” Holley said. “His experience in aviation, tourism and recreation will be of tremendous value to our members, government partners and the overall business community.  We all feel confident that his leadership skills will be a major contributor to achieving our collective quality-of-life goals, which is the reason we love this place.”

According to a media release from the Chamber, during his tenure, Holley implemented strategic initiatives, organized key committees – including Small Business, Governance and Communications –  and provided a strong foundation for Phillips to build upon. His leadership has ensured a seamless transition and created a clear path for the Chamber’s continued growth and prosperity.

Chamber Chair Michael Chiumento said he is confident in Phillips’ ability to lead the Chamber.

“John Phillips is the right leader at the right time for the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber,” Chiumento said. “His expertise, vision and passion for economic development will drive the Chamber to new heights. With the strong foundation set by Howard Holley, we are confident that John will successfully lead initiatives that support our business community and foster economic prosperity in Flagler County.”

Phillips said he became interested in becoming the Chamber president after reading about the position.

“When I first came across the “Success Profile” that the board created, I was very intrigued,” he said. “Many of the qualities that the board was looking for matched up with things that I have done before (including) leadership, team building, membership development, building relationships, etc. In addition, they are things that I enjoy and, without being overconfident, things that I think I’m good at. The more I learned about the Chamber and the growth opportunities, the more excited I got about the position.”

Phillips said the Chamber can be an important part of the community’s growth and development.

“The Chamber can play a huge role in the overall success of our business community,” he said. “We can –  and should –  serve as the connector between business, government and our residents. The Chamber provides a central source of communication for local businesses and helps to advocate on their behalf.”

Looking to the future, Phillips said success for the Chamber can be defined in many ways.

“There are both tangible and intangible goals that we need to strive for,” he said. “The tangible goals for a Chamber are fairly easy to measure, as they mostly revolve around membership. However, to me personally, the intangible goals are the more important goals. How can we help businesses to connect and grow; how can we improve the quality of life for our residents; how can we help attract new businesses to Flagler County, and maybe most importantly, how can we grow and improve the ‘brand’ of the Chamber.”