The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce celebrated its newly launched foundation on April 25 with its inaugural fundraising event, hosted by bestbet St. Augustine.

More than 100 members of the community participated in a charity poker tournament that raised more than $11,000 – exceeding the event’s fundraising goal – to fund scholarships for Leadership St. Johns, the foundation’s cornerstone program.

“The community will benefit tremendously from the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce Foundation,” said Cecil Gibson, the foundation’s board chair. “By offering financial assistance, the foundations work will create opportunities for highly qualified candidates to participate in the region’s premier leadership development program, Leadership St. Johns.”

Jamie Shelton, bestbet president and CEO, offered to host the fundraiser to support the chamber and the new foundation.

“bestbet is always interested in helping out the communities in which we operate, and the St. Johns County Chamber Foundation checks all our boxes for community involvement,” said Shelton, who serves on the chamber’s board of directors.

In addition to Leadership St. Johns, the foundation will also focus on creating an emergency fund for businesses to support recovery from natural disasters or economic downturns, as well as workforce development through partnerships with local educational institutions.

“The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce Foundation is a natural extension of the chamber’s work to promote a vibrant, diverse business environment in St. Johns County,” said Isabelle Renault, chamber president and CEO. “The foundation opens new avenues for programs and philanthropic work to make a difference in the community at large as we work to strengthen our business community.”

The foundation is led by a board of directors comprised of business leaders in the county. The founding members include Board Chair Cecil Gibson (Ameris Bank), Vice Chair Orville Dothage (Northrop Grumman), Secretary/Treasurer Erika Alba (Woolsey/Morcom), Nancy Dering Mock (Nancy Dering Mock Consulting), and Chamber President and CEO Isabelle Renault.

More information about the foundation is available at sjcchamberfoundation.org.

About the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce

The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce is the premier business advocacy organization in St. Johns County. With more than 1,100 member businesses across a variety of industries, the chamber is committed to delivering continuous service to members and the community through public policy, economic development and business education to cultivate an environment where businesses can grow and thrive. Learn more about the chamber at sjcchamber.com.