Sanibel/Captiva Chamber of Commerce CEO John Lai recently took the seat of chair for the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals. The statewide chamber agency installed its 2021-2022 board of directors from throughout the state at its annual conference held in Jupiter.
Lai said he was honored and humbled to be taking this position with an organization of such import to our state and the chamber of commerce movement. “I look forward to strengthening the islands’ standing with this front-row connection.”
The board of directors is the governing body responsible for overseeing the operations of FACP, whose mission is to advance excellence in chamber management in the state of Florida. Lai took the position of chair-elect last year. He succeeds Corydon “Cory” Skeates, president and CEO of the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce. As chair, Lai will lead the board in the coming year and oversee its direction in providing development skills for professionals within the chamber of commerce industry.
Lai has served at the Sanibel & Captiva Chamber’s helm since his appointment in 2017. He has led members through toxic water quality issues and pandemic upheaval during that time by rallying local businesses at the state and federal government levels. Lai was instrumental in bringing together the Southwest Florida Alliance of Chambers and in seeing the chamber’s visitor center modernized and named by Visit Florida as one of 13 official Florida Certified Tourism Information Centers.