As Director of Corporate Development, Jerry’s primary focus is on developing new clients who will benefit from Heritage’s value-enhancing services that include consulting, capital raises, acquisitions, exit planning and execution, and the sale of companies.

Jerry recently announced his retirement as president of JAXUSA Partnership and executive vice president of the JAX Chamber. While at JAXUSA and the Chamber, he oversaw the strategy for economic development in northeast Florida.  He directed a staff of 14 in the JAXUSA Partnership in areas of business development, international business, workforce development, research and marketing for 25 years. He and his team produced tens of thousands of new jobs and hundreds of new companies for northeast Florida. He led the formation of a seven-county economic development program to expand high wage jobs in northeast Florida. Previously, he led economic development in the Tampa Bay area, and as president of the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce.

He serves on the board of OneJax and is chair of the New Leadership Summit of Leadership Jacksonville. He is a past president of Leadership Jacksonville, the Florida Economic Development Council, and the World Trade Center Association of Florida. Jerry also served on the Board of Directors of Enterprise Florida, the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities, Visit Jacksonville, the World Affairs Council and the executive advisory board of Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business. He has been named the economic development professional of the year in both Florida and Kansas.

Jerry has received numerous awards and recognition including being inducted into the northeast Florida Business Hall of Fame, Ultimate CEO by the Jacksonville Business Journal, and he received the Jeffrey Finkel organizational leadership award from the International Economic Development Council.

Jerry holds a Master’s Degree in Economics and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Wichita State University. He is a certified economic developer and a certified chamber executive, the top professional certifications in these fields.