PORT ORANGE — Barbara Ann Heegan, the CEO of the Port Orange South Daytona Chamber of Commerce who passionately championed giving jobs to former jail inmates to reintegrate them into the community, is stepping down on July 30.
Heegan confirmed that she is resigning after serving as the chamber’s chief executive for more than two years to become a caregiver for an aging relative in another part of Florida. She also has accepted a job in the senior living industry.
“I would like to thank board chair Dan Morris and the board for the opportunity to serve a great business-friendly community,” Heegan told The Daytona Beach News-Journal on Friday morning. “It has been the greatest honor in my career and I will deeply miss the people that are the heartbeat of the community.”
A search is already underway for Chamber successor
Dan Morris, chairman of the board for the Port Orange South Daytona Chamber, said a search has already begun to hire Heegan’s successor. He said the board has already heard from two “strong” local candidates who have expressed an interest in the job.
“We’re in good hands in the meantime with Sam (Ruiz, the chamber’s director of operations), Michele (Jordan, the chamber’s director of member services) and myself and the rest of the board,” said Morris, a local entrepreneur and longtime chamber member. Morris owns Honest 1 Auto Care in South Daytona, Tax-Free Wealth Group LLC in Daytona Beach and a soon-to-be launched new business called Pet Evolution in Port Orange.
Morris said Heegan gave him a heads-up a couple months ago that she might need to step down to care for her relative.
Morris commended Heegan for the job she has done as the chamber’s president and CEO since taking the job in March 2023.
“She’s worked incredibly hard,” he said. “I don’t think people really know all she does.”
What is the Port Orange South Daytona Chamber?
Founded in 1974, the chamber represents businesses in Port Orange, South Daytona, Daytona Beach Shores and Ponce Inlet. Its offices are at the Riverside Pavilion in Port Orange, next to the city’s Riverwalk Park. It has has an “annex” office in Daytona Beach Shores at 3060 S. Atlantic Ave. that it operates as a joint project with that city.
The chamber currently has 590 members.
Heegan said the chamber has added 122 members in the past year.
Who is Barbara Ann Heegan?
Heegan is a longtime chamber executive whose resume includes stints as CEO of the Greenwood (South Carolina) Chamber of Commerce and Otsego County Chamber of Commerce (in Oneonta, New York). She also worked for five years as director of marketing operations for a senior living community in Oneonta, New York, called Heritage of The Plains at Parish Homestead.
Heegan has a master of business administration degree from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor of applied science degree in child and family studies from the State University of New York (SUNY) in Oneonta, New York.
What did the chamber accomplish under Heegan’s watch?
When asked for her proudest achievement as CEO of the Port Orange South Daytona Chamber, Heegan said it was teaming up with Volusia County Council member Matt Reinhart and Joe DeMore, director of corrections for the Volusia County Division of Corrections, to put on the Second Chance Job Fairs in August 2024. Reinhart is a retired warden for the Volusia County Branch Jail and Volusia County Corrections Center.
“Everyone deserves a second chance,” Heegan told The News-Journal in an interview last year. “We know with stable housing, stable transportation and stable employment that people can rebuild their lives and contribute very positively to our community.”
The chamber’s next Second Chance Job Fair will be held Thursday, Aug. 7, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Volusia County Correctional Facility at 1354 Indian Lake Road in Daytona Beach.
The chamber is still seeking employers to sign up to take part in the hiring event.
“One in three Americans have a criminal record and are often sidelined (from the labor market),” said Heegan in a phone interview Friday. “Businesses say they need workers. People make mistakes. I believe in redemption.”
Under Heegan’s watch, the chamber also held forums to raise public awareness of the growing national opioid epidemic and its impact on the workplace. The chamber last year participated with the nonprofit Volusia Recovery Alliance and Volusia County Medical Examiner’s office in distributing “ONEbox” kits that included NARCAN to area businesses.
The chamber’s other events include the upcoming 2025 Business Expo on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 4-7 p.m. at the Lakeside Community Center at 1999 City Center Circle, in Port Orange.
The chamber also welcomes new businesses to the area by holding ribbon-cutting events. On Friday, July 31, at 8:45 a.m., it will hold a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the opening of the new Aldi grocery store at the Shoppes at Summer Trees at 5500 S. Williamson Blvd. in Port Orange.
Heegan’s decision to resign was difficult
Heegan in an email to chamber members wrote, “I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished together and remain a firm believer in the Chamber’s mission to shape a dynamic and resilient regional economy.
“This decision comes with a heavy heart, but it is rooted in my need to support my family during an important time. As a caregiver, I have recently accepted a leadership role in the senior living sector, a field that deeply aligns with my personal values and long-standing commitment to continue championing causes I care deeply about, including Alzheimer’s research and care. Today, over 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, and that number is projected to rise to nearly 13 million by 2050. As part of this transition, I will also be relocating outside the area.
“I want to express my heartfelt thanks to this remarkable community. It has been a true job to serve a Chamber known for being warm, welcoming, and collaborative, thanks to the dedication and spirit of our members, ambassadors, board and partners.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Port Orange South Daytona Chamber CEO resigns to care for aging relative
Reporting by Clayton Park, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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