Outgoing Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce’s Board John Milton reflected on his year and introduced incoming chairman, Mickey Gilmore at the chamber’s First Friday Breakfast.
The chamber tried to reach out to more Jackson County towns through its power lunches, Milton said.
“I hadn’t been to Bascom – and stopped – in 10 years,” Milton joked.
With 21 ribbon cuttings, many businesses opened in Jackson County during a difficult economic climate. Milton feels that trend will continue this year.
Overall, Milton said he enjoyed his year and plans to continue working with the chamber. He congratulated the chamber on a good transition between the boards by keeping some of the original members while bringing in some new ones.
“You’ve got some great people stepping up to the plate,” Milton said.
With that, Milton introduced Mickey Gilmore, Wal-Mart general manager and the new chairman of the board.
Gilmore said he wants to eliminate financial instability within the chamber by cleaning up some aspects and eliminating others. He also wants to increase membership by 10-15 percent.
“My main goal is to bring back respectability and make you proud of your chamber,” Gilmore said.
The chamber doesn’t just encompass Marianna, it needs to strive to work with all the towns in the county, said Gilmore. A pride in the county needs to be fostered by the board. Gilmore encouraged members and residents to bring him reasons why they don’t like Jackson County and possible solutions.
“When I have people who don’t like it here and they gripe and they groan, they need to move,” Gilmore said.
For his part, Gilmore said he fought to live in the county. He moved here at the age of 10, graduating from Marianna High School and then Chipola Junior College. Eventually he began working at Wal-Mart who moved him out to manage a store in Quincy. Through some hard work, Gilmore was able to begin managing Jackson County’s Wal-Mart.
“And my life changed from that point on,” Gilmore said.
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