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Leadership

The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce is focused on building a sustainable organization with a keen focus on our members, advocating at every level for those issues that change and protect the way we do business and lead on efforts to start new business, expanding those already here and attracting those who can contribute to our shared vision to grow smarter.

All while providing a warm welcome to those who visit the Sunshine City every day!

Know someone who should be on the Leadership team? Nominate them here.

Executive Committee

Jensen headshot (2)

Jason Jensen
Chair, 2023-2024

Chris

Chris Steinocher
Chamber President & CEO

sandra braham

Dr. Sandra Braham
Board of Governors Chair, 2021 - 2022

martha

Martha Boden
Vice Chair | St. Pete Chamber Foundation

bwallington (2)

Brooks Wallington
Vice Chair | Advocacy

owen lafave

Owen LaFave
Vice Chair | Treasurer/Secretary

Dickson_Jim_hs (3)

James Dickson
Ex-Officio Legal Council

RBinger headshot (2)

Roy Binger
Vice Chair | Business Navigation

kkircshner (3)

Kelly Kirschner
Vice Chair | Diversity & Inclusion

Paul.Carder-433x470

Paul Carder
Ex-Officio, Strategy

SAH President Scott Smith (2)

Scott Smith
Ex-Officio, Chamber Next

sarah artz

Sarah Artz
Ex-Officio, Communications

ToddGehrke

Todd Gehrke
Davidson Hospitality Group

RyanQuinty

Ryan Quinty
Cyndeo

Our History

Since the group’s origination, the Chamber and its Board of Governors has been one of the most influential organizations of St. Petersburg’s economic growth and development.

In addition to promoting the city continuously and countrywide, the Chamber has successfully advocated municipal improvements and organized local civic clubs and social groups for visiting vacationers for over a century.

1888

The city of St. Petersburg is formed. “Marketed from the start as a destination to improve health, St. Petersburg boosters took care to preserve the natural and recreational amenities of the city including the waterfront park system.”

1899

The Board of Trade is created.

1903

William Alexander Holshouser, one of the twelve original founders of the St. Petersburg Board of Trade, serves as its first president.

He was an enthusiastic advocate of promoting patent medicines and advertising the benefits of living in his beloved Tampa Bay town. The gist of his message was that the Pinellas Peninsula was indeed exactly what Dr. Van Bibber, a late nineteenth-century physician, had claimed it to be: “the healthiest place in the country.” His message was spread around the country through postcards and leaflets that his own customers mailed to friends up North. He also printed thousands of booklets and came up with clever schemes to further publicize his beloved city.

1920
The Board of Trade formally changes its name to St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce.
1920s - 1945
The Sunshine City’s population increases from 14,237 in the 1920s to more than 100,000 in 1945, partially due to the continuous nation-wide promotion of the city’s charming features.
In the 1920s, it was Holster’s board of trade that would take a leap of faith and hire John Lodwick, the ambitious Ohio sportswriter, as the first public relations person for any American city. He is credited with generating millions of dollars of free publicity for St. Petersburg in magazines, newspapers and films.
1948
"To relate the activities of the Chamber since 1920 would be like repeating the history of the city." - Karl Grismer, author of The Story of St. Petersburg (1948)
1956
"St. Petersburg was built on printer’s ink.” - Former chamber manager, William Davenport Sr.

Board of Governors

JasonSpears

Jason Spears
Peninsular Mechanical Contractors  Inc.

ChrisLopez

Chris Lopez,
Teco

KathyWright

Kathy Wright,
Valley Bank

ShaunMcClung

Shaun McClung,
CBIZ

DavidVetter

David Vetter
TD Synnex

JulietKyes

Juliet Kyes 
ActionCOACH

jeff baker - duke energy

Jeff Baker
Duke Energy

JohnMoore

John Moore
Bayfront Health

KimberlyBerfield

Kimberly Berfield
Johns Hopkins

manny bhuller

Manny Bhuller
Corporate Interiors Inc.

bill walsh rays

Bill Walsh
Rays Baseball

MarcusGreene

Marcus Greene
Truist

chris hackney

Chris Hackney
BayFirst

J.P. DuBuque
St. Petersburg EDC

DuBuque-Headshot-1-1024x684-1-Profile (3)
DrShamekaJones

Dr. Shameka Jones
Florida Blue

SteveWestphal

Steve Westphal
St. Pete Hospitality Group

AnnePollack

Anne Pollack
Fletcher Fischer Pollack P.L.

WesBryan

Wes Bryan
Moore Resources

DontrielLawson

Dontriel Lawson
Japosid

MadelineMcCarthy

Madeline McCarthy Anderson
TJM Properties

PatrickCausey

Patrick Causey
Trenam Law

ValeriePowellStafford

Valerie Powell Stafford
HCA Florida Northside Hospital

DrCynthiaJohnson

Dr. Cynthia Johnson
Pinellas County

MichaelEsposito

Michael Esposito
Merrill

TimCoop

Tim Coop
Hancock Whitney

RoyJamesJr

Roy James Jr.
James Insurance Solutions

michelleTolan

Michelle Tolan
Your CBD Store

jay miller

Jay Miller
J2 Developers

TinaGilmore

Tina Gilmore
Regions Bank

russ williams - pdi

Russ Williams
Power Design

SkylarHunt

Skylar Hunt
Trulieve

JodiPerry

Jodi Perry
Raymond James

KerryO'Reilly

Kerry O'Reilly
Tampa Bay Times

MikeThackery

Mike Thackery
Vine IT

WilmaNorton

Wilma Norton
Community Foundation of Tampa Bay

BrookeBeeler

Brooke Beeler
Thrive DTSP

LowellBeckner

Lowell Beckner
CP Communications

christian hardigree

Christian Hardigree
University of South Florida - St. Petersburg

freddy williams

Freddy Williams
Boys and Girls Clubs

kim vogel

Kim Vogel
CodeBoxx

DexFabian

Dex Fabian
I Love the Burg

eric carver

Dr. Eric Carver
St. Petersburg College

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