Regina Duncan, President, Nassau County Chamber of Commerce

In an interview with Invest:, Regina Duncan, President of the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the creation of a Community Land Trust to ensure access to workforce housing, the importance of collaboration with local organizations and businesses, and supporting startups and existing members with real-time data and resources.

What have been the main contributions or impact of the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce in Jacksonville or in the region over the past 12 months?

Quite a few things have happened. We are obviously the voice of business in our community, but we also have some high-level projects and initiatives. One of our top priorities for Nassau County is the availability of housing, especially workforce housing, sustained affordable housing for various industries. Two years ago, the chamber created a Community Land Trust, which is similar to a Conservation Land Trust. This takes land and ensures that whatever is built on it stays affordable in perpetuity. The chamber initiated this along with our partners in the county, and we were recently awarded funding at the state level to help start this program. 

Another major initiative is public. Road infrastructure is important for moving people in a timely manner and providing different options for transit to get to and from work. We are also monitoring the availability of childcare, including affordable childcare that accommodates various work shifts, such as those in our mills and hospitality industry, which do not adhere to traditional 8-to-5 hours. We are working with franchises and interested parties willing to bring such services to the county.

We also initiated a program called SizeUpNassau last year. It provides marketing data, demographics, and real-time data capabilities for businesses to aid in decision-making and benchmarking. This has been invaluable for business startups and existing members.

What attributes make Nassau County a great place to live and do business? 

Quality of life is often cited, but Nassau County is unique because it offers a bit of everything. We have a beach community, tourism, resort communities, industry and agriculture. There are businesses here that are involved in state-of-the-art programs and growth plans. The diversity in business opportunities and family life makes it an attractive place to live and work.

What new initiatives or programs has the chamber put in place to support new businesses looking to establish themselves in the region?

SizeUpNassau is a major initiative, providing data and benchmarking resources. We have also revamped our website to accommodate on-demand training and resources for business startups. This includes guiding new businesses through the permitting process and providing checklists tailored to specific municipalities and industries.

What are some examples of recent successful collaborations the chamber has carried out with other local organizations or businesses?

Collaboration is at the core of what we do. We have a strong partnership with the Amelia Island Tourism Development Council, local trade associations and of course, businesses across all industries. We also collaborate with our local nonprofits.  Our relationship with local government and elected officials is strong, enabling us to advance various initiatives.

How is the chamber involved in workforce development programs to address employment needs in the region?

Workforce development is crucial. The chamber serves as a navigator for employees, providing access to various resources, including health insurance, transit, housing and childcare. Our website has an employment hub with resources for both the employer and employee. We offer educational programming on various topics, delivered in-person, online, or in hybrid formats. These programs address current trends, such as artificial intelligence, and new sales techniques. 

What are some specific challenges that Nassau County has been facing in recent years, and what solutions or programs are you establishing to address these challenges?

The first would be workforce housing or the availability and affordability of housing. We are addressing that and leading the effort in collaboration with our partners. The transit issue is another significant challenge. In 2015, we were at the forefront of pushing for a countywide or regional transportation program. We have not stopped because, ultimately, it is the business community that has made it a top priority since the first transit study. We are now on our second transit study and are hopeful that we will see progress this time through partnerships with JTA and our county government.

How does the chamber measure its success and impact on the local business community? 

Benchmarking is key. We publish a monthly report, the Nassau County Economic Indicators Dashboard. It monitors the chamber’s contributions as well as the efforts of our partner agencies, tracking job creation, small business support, and more. We also benchmark against other chambers nationally to see how we are doing in terms of membership growth, services and retention. This ongoing analysis ensures we know the impact we are making. Additionally, the community’s feedback and engagement with our initiatives and contributions are important, even if they are harder to quantify.

What does a business stand to gain by joining or participating with the chamber?

The return on investment for a chamber membership is right around $11,500. You would benefit from extensive networking opportunities, on-demand training, resources, advocacy, credibility and the ability to work in our office with co-working and meeting space. There is also an intangible credibility associated with being a member of the chamber, which is increasingly valued by our community and beyond. People pay close attention to who they do business with, ensuring these companies contribute positively to the local community, invest back into the county, build positive relationships and uphold good business practices.

Looking ahead, what are the long-term goals for the chamber at the moment, and how do you plan to achieve these in the next two to three years?

We aim to play a more significant role in funding mechanisms for major initiatives. Additionally, we plan to continue working with our partners to recruit good-paying jobs while also supporting the businesses already in our community. This includes being a voice for business at the state and local levels to address any unintended consequences of policy changes. Collaboration and continued partnerships are always key components of our strategy.

Would you describe the aging workforce as one of the challenges for the region?

Yes. We engage in conversations about this regularly, including with the school board to involve retirees in the classroom and in hospitality businesses a few days a week. Retirement does not mean just sitting at the beach all day. After all, retirees can contribute to their community and enjoy doing it. 

Another significant point is that 66% of our workforce is employed outside of Nassau County. We monitor the labor force by ZIP code and have noticed a significant increase in commuting, which is a growing concern. We want our community to live and work locally. This is something that we are actively addressing.