Marie Suarez, President & CEO, Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce

In an interview with Invest:, Marie Suarez, CEO of the Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, discussed the chamber’s priorities of workforce development and affordable housing. “With every challenge comes opportunity, and we are striving to focus on these opportunities while supporting our members,” she said.

What have been the significant milestones for the chamber over the last year? 

The chamber continues to support and help businesses as best as we can. There are still many changes trickling down from the pivot during the pandemic. The big challenges we are addressing include workforce development and housing. Housing, in particular, is very expensive here, making it a significant issue.

We have established a partnership with a government entity, CareerSource, to help our members secure employees and scale up their workforce. This partnership includes workshops focused on key issues such as finance and tourism. We plan to continue this collaboration into 2025 because it is crucial for businesses. CareerSource offers numerous benefits to small, medium, and large businesses, including internship programs. Workforce development has been a primary focus for us this year due to its importance.

The second challenge is housing, especially affordable housing. There is no simple solution, but everyone is working together to address it. Hollywood has taken the lead with public-private partnerships to develop affordable or workforce housing. Many of these developments are located downtown, encouraging walkability and creating a vibrant community. For instance, there are projects near the Broward Commuter Rail on Dixie Highway, making it easy for residents to travel to work in Fort Lauderdale and return home to enjoy downtown amenities.

Another notable development is the University Station project, affiliated with Barry University, which is a public-private partnership. Similarly, the Tropic development downtown focuses on affordable housing. On State Road 7, rebranded as “The Seven,” the city has been promoting transit-oriented workforce housing. These efforts are transforming our downtown and surrounding areas. Additionally, the streetscape downtown has been redone, and there is great excitement as the city celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2025. With every challenge comes opportunity, and we are striving to focus on these opportunities while supporting our members.

How does downtown Hollywood contribute to the economic landscape of Hollywood?

Hollywood has a true downtown, unlike many communities that only have outdoor malls. Ours includes a large park called ArtsPark, situated between Harrison Street and Hollywood Boulevard. Downtown also features unique, small businesses and restaurants, many of which started at the Yellow Green Farmers Market, which further enriches the environment. These businesses build their clientele there before opening brick-and-mortar locations downtown.

Our downtown dining options are truly diverse, with Indonesian, Japanese, Italian, French, Greek, and other cuisines. These are not chain restaurants but owner-operated establishments where chefs create authentic dishes. It is a fantastic collection of dining options. 

What have been some of the chamber’s specific initiatives and strategies beyond workforce development and housing that aim to amplify the city’s economic impact?

Our role at the chamber is to support the city while providing our members with opportunities to better understand the community. One of our most successful initiatives has been our leadership program. Each year, we bring together a cohort of like-minded business leaders for a nine-month program. Each session focuses on a specific theme, such as health and human services, public safety, history, arts, education, economic development, city and county government, and more. We also host a legislative update luncheon with our legislators.

This program helps participants gain a comprehensive understanding of the city’s opportunities and challenges, as well as the surrounding community. By educating participants, we encourage them to take an active role in addressing issues and contributing to solutions. The program has been very successful and is something we take great pride in. 

What sets apart Hollywood’s leadership program from other programs in the region, and what role has the chamber played in supporting this?

The chamber’s leadership program stands out for its history and impact as our leadership program is one of the oldest in the state of Florida. We are on Leadership Hollywood Class 48, with 35 to 40 participants in each cohort.

To put this into perspective, Leadership Florida is on Class 42, Leadership Broward is on Class 43, and Leadership Fort Lauderdale is on Class 30. Our Board of Directors initiated this program 50 years ago with the vision of helping future leaders better understand the community and prepare for public office. Even during the pandemic, we adapted to ensure the program continued, as it is an in-person experience that requires participants to visit and engage with different sites as this training fosters a deeper understanding of the community, benefiting future political leaders and decision-makers.

Given the economic landscape, how has Hollywood adapted, and what role has the chamber played in supporting businesses?

The economic landscape presents several challenges, including the lingering economic impacts of COVID-19 and high interest rates. These factors have affected business development, loans, and overall confidence.

Businesses in Hollywood have shown resilience, but they are proceeding with caution. Many are carefully evaluating their operations and making deliberate decisions to navigate these uncertain times. The chamber has been actively supporting businesses by providing resources, information, and opportunities to connect and collaborate. We aim to help businesses adapt to these challenges and continue to thrive.

What are some industries or sectors where you see the most growth opportunities?

Industries that were previously thriving, like tourism and hospitality, are not doing as well now. However, the cruise industry is booming, which is excellent for South Florida. Port Everglades is performing exceptionally well. The cruise industry benefits Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport as well since people fly in, get on a bus, and board a ship. So, the challenge is getting these cruise passengers in between and encouraging them to stay and explore the area before or after their cruises in order to contribute to the local economy. 

Beyond cruises, the aviation sector is also experiencing growth. Companies like HEICO are doing innovative work. While traditional areas of growth are not as robust, these emerging opportunities are worth noting as they represent bright spots amid slower progress in other industries.

What are your top priorities for the chamber over the next few years?

Our top priority is to grow our membership base, which is our foundation. We are also focused on listening to our members. To achieve this, we have hired a company called Executive Corps to develop a strategic plan. It is a three-year plan with a 10-year outlook.

We are conducting surveys and interviews with members, stakeholders, and our board of directors to better understand their needs. The feedback is being collected independently to ensure candor. Once we have the results, we will use them to strategize and move forward.

We will continue offering educational programs, networking opportunities, and celebrating our members. These initiatives are essential for fostering connections and supporting the business community. We aim to launch this strategic plan in May 2025. It will help us determine where to focus our efforts to best serve our members. Still, education, networking opportunities, and member recognition will remain our key areas of focus, as all are aimed at strengthening connections and providing meaningful value.