Florida Chamber Continues Ramping-Up Pro-Business Efforts with Expanded Team

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Edie Ousley, 850-521-1231 or 850-251-6261
eousley@flchamber.com

New Team Members to Focus on
Voter Education and Employer Mobilization

TALLAHASSEE, FL. (August 14 , 2015) – Florida is the most economically and politically significant state in America. We’ve focused on making Florida more competitive and we’re winning. However, special interest groups with agendas that threaten Florida’s future are well established and ramping up their efforts, and so is the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

Florida job creators are increasingly on the front lines, standing up against groups who stand in the way of American competitiveness, free enterprise and opportunity. The Florida Chamber has played the leading role in both advancing prosperity and pushing back against special interest groups that seek to diminish free enterprise and tear apart our freedoms, and today announces that it is expanding its team to further help secure Florida’s future.

“When it comes to securing Florida’s future, we have a board of directors and a veteran team that’s second to none and the stakes couldn’t be higher,” said Mark Wilson, President and CEO of the Florida Chamber. “Winning the war for free enterprise means growing the private sector and creating jobs that will help make Florida a global leader and provide greater prosperity for Florida families. Adding the expertise of these four professionals to the Florida Chamber team will further strengthen our focus on making Florida more competitive.”

According to Rob Engstrom, Senior Vice President, Political Affairs and Federation Relations National Political Director, “The Florida Chamber is squarely at the tip of the spear on the critical issues that help improve the state and national economies. We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with them to advance American free enterprise, especially in these challenging economic times”

“As Governor Jeb Bush’s former political director, I learned that success is never final. The significant growth of our team is a strategic move to recruit, support and elect candidates who believe in private sector job creation and who will defend attacks on free enterprise,” said David Hart, Executive Vice President.

The Florida Chamber has added four new team members – ramping up its voter education and employer mobilization efforts.

Andrew Wiggins

The Florida Chamber raises and invests millions in pro-jobs candidates and causes and it’s time to ramp up even further. Andrew recently resigned his position at the Republican Party of Florida where he served as Deputy Director of Senate Campaigns to join the Florida Chamber. Wiggins, a University of Florida graduate, brings more than 15 years of campaign, legislative and executive branch experiences with him.

Andy Gonzalez

Andy will serve as the Florida Chamber’s Director of Political Development. Gonzalez recently resigned his position as the Political Affairs Manager for the League of Southeastern Credit Unions to join the Florida Chamber. A graduate of the Florida State University and an Eagle Scout, Andy has served in the political and legislative fields for seven years.

Wiggins and Gonzalez join Marian Johnson, Senior Vice President of Political Strategy, in leading the Florida Chamber’s efforts to elect pro-jobs, pro-business candidates.

Carolyn Gosselin

Seasoned management and communications professional Carolyn Gosselin will serve as the Florida Chamber’s Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer. Gosselin formerly served in senior level positions with the Petrizzo Strategic Group, Inc., in Washington, D.C. and Orlando, CNL Financial Group, Inc. in Orlando, SunTrust Banks, Inc., in Atlanta and Orlando, and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. Carolyn is a graduate of the University of Florida.

Drew Preston

With 10 years of experience in Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Drew was formerly the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Director of Congressional and Public Affairs. Drew Preston joins the Florida Chamber serving the Florida Chamber President with priority projects as well as in a strategic employer engagement and mobilization role. Drew, a graduate of the Florida State University, has returned to Tallahassee after serving in multiple director positions for the U.S. Chamber in Washington, D.C. – the world’s largest business advocate – for the last 10 years.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce is Florida’s voice of business and Florida’s largest federation of employers, chambers of commerce and associations aggressively representing businesses from every industry and every region. In addition to its headquarters located two blocks from the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee, the Florida Chamber also has an Office of International Trade, Logistics and Manufacturing located in Miami.

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The Florida Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business and the state’s largest federation of employers, chambers of commerce and associations, aggressively representing small and large businesses from every industry and every region. The Florida Chamber works within all branches of government to affect those changes set forth in the annual Florida Business Agenda, and which are seen as critical to secure Florida’s future. The Florida Chamber works closely with its Political Operations and the Florida Chamber Foundation. Visit www.FloridaChamber.com for more information.