In the wake of a lawsuit, declining membership, budgetary woes and internal strife at the existing Navarre Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, a brand new chamber is in the works.
The Greater Navarre Area Chamber of Commerce was registered August 1 with the Florida Division of Corporations. Organizers also created a related non-profit foundation.
Although dozens of area business leaders are uniting in the effort to start the new chamber, only a few are presently listed as officers of the corporation.
Tony Alexander, a former CEO of the existing Navarre Chamber, is listed as president of the organization.
“These are exciting times for the greater Navarre area,” he said.
According to Alexander, more details regarding how businesses and individuals can get involved will be released in the coming weeks.
“As our area continues to grow, businesses and individuals should have options when it comes to investing in organization working on their behalf. To that end, there is a movement afoot to establish The Greater Navarre Area Chamber of Commerce – an organization that will, at its core, be driven by the decisions of its investors,” said Alexander.
Attorney Yancey Langston, a Navarre resident who practices in Pensacola, is listed as vice president and Sylvia Tarnuzzer, who has served on the existing chamber’s Military Affairs Council, is treasurer of the newly formed corporation.
Beloved longtime Navarre resident Shirley Brown is praising and supporting the effort to form a new chamber.
“I remember what the chamber used to be, and that started going away some years ago and just hasn’t been back. Hopefully this one will put us in the category in which we used to be. We were such a close-knit group,” she said.
Alexander said individuals who want to participate in the effort can email info@navarrechamber.org.
