The Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce has new leadership and a new vision. At the group's annual breakfast the morning of Thursday, Jan. 15 at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, new Chamber President and CEO Michael Dalby greeted several hundred local business and government leaders.
"2026 is a big year for Tallahassee. We've got some big elections. That always impacts business. An evolving economy with global innovation that impact us locally, and I believe we have boundless opportunity."
Part of that opportunity, Dalby said, is the creative and innovative force of the community's two universities and state college. Also new to the organization's leadership team is this year's Chamber Chair Eddie Gonzalez-Loumiet.
Now that the Tallahassee City Commission has voted to clear the way for a Tallahassee Memorial Hospital merger with Florida State University, he applauded this major development in the region's health care environment.
"A strong, unified healthcare ecosystem brings extraordinary value to the Capital Region, including: high quality jobs at scale, talent retention and attraction, research, innovation, commercialization. And most importantly - most importantly - community health and quality of life."
Gonzalez-Loumiet also urged the Chamber membership to adopt a more collaborative economic development mindset. That includes considering Leon's neighboring counties, Wakulla, Gadsden and Jefferson, as partners in the effort.
