On Thursday, February 9th, the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce hosted its 99th Annual Meeting at the UF Hilton Conference Center. The event is held every year to celebrate the accomplishments of the year past, to cast a vision for the year to come, hand out awards, and witness the ceremonial passing of the gavel from the outgoing Board of Directors Chair to the incoming.
Outgoing Board Chair Clay Martin remarked, “On an ongoing basis, the Greater Gainesville Chamber continues to be THE advocate for commerce in our region, for the development of our economy, for the creation of job opportunities, for training opportunities for those jobs, and for expansion of investment in both people and place.” Clay Martin invited Domenic Scorpio to the stage and handed over the gavel.
During his speech, Domenic Scorpio shared these thoughts, “Our desires are to live, work, and play in a thriving community. For business leaders, this means creating opportunities, doing the work we love, and generating resources to live the lives we desire. We also have a shared responsibility to our community to ensure opportunities are available and accessible for all people to learn, acquire new skills, and put those skills to use in achieving their life’s desires.”
Though the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce now moves into its 99th year, with the big 100 right around the corner, the mission to be a global hub of talent, innovation, and opportunity in the region is timeless. While celebrating 2022’s accomplishments and getting excited for the vision of Domenic Scorpio, outgoing Chair Martin stated, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”