DANIEL DAVIS

PRESIDENT, JAX CHAMBER, JACKSONVILLE

JAX Chamber is the business membership organization for Northeast Florida. It has 50 employees and 3,000 members, and Davis has been president and CEO since 2013. The chamber focuses on small businesses. He was elected to the Jacksonville City Council, served as its president, and then was elected to the state House of Representatives for two terms between 2010 and 2014.

EDUCATION: Maranatha Baptist University (BA)

IF I WERE GOVERNOR: Continue to develop the next generation of talent, focusing on innovation to make Florida the innovation capital of the U.S.

MENTOR: Ed Burr, president and CEO of GreenPointe Holdings. From the Builder’s Association to the Chamber, he’s taught me how to lead with a steady hand through ups and downs.

READING: Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight

INSPIRING FLORIDIAN: John Thrasher. He’s an incredible leader and I admire his ability to just get important things done wherever he’s been.

MOTIVATIONAL MANTRA: Be a warrior.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED
“How you respond to a failure is more important than the failure itself.”