AUNDRA WALLACE

PRESIDENT, JAXUSA PARTNERSHIP, JACKSONVILLE

JAXUSA Partnership is the private, nonprofit regional economic development arm of the JAX Chamber of Commerce, overseeing the seven counties of northeast Florida. The organization is a catalyst for economic growth and recruits jobs, capital investment and talent. Since 1990, JAXUSA has helped create more than 130,000 jobs and $9.8 billion in capital investment for the region. Wallace has served as president since 2018.

EDUCATION: Georgia Southern University (BS), Clark Atlanta University (MPA)

IF I WERE GOVERNOR: Make Florida the national leader in manufacturing semiconductor chips. Advanced manufacturing is booming in Florida and the opportunity is there for us to invest in this space. The UF Semiconductor Institute can be a major catalyst for this growth.

READING: The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York, by Robert A. Caro

INSPIRING FLORIDIAN: Abraham Lincoln Lewis (also known as A.L. Lewis) of Jacksonville. He founded the Afro-American Life Insurance Company in 1901 and became Florida’s first African American millionaire. He also played a significant role in advancing both land ownership and recreational opportunities for African Americans in the region.

MOTIVATIONAL MANTRA
“Never let fear get in the way of opportunity. One of the biggest reasons people fail is because they are afraid of the unknown.”