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Chamber names new president

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From the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce

Robert Agrusa has been named the new President of the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce. Agrusa will begin his employment with the chamber on Monday, September 25.

A Florida native and leading advocate for the Central Florida business community, Mr. Agrusa comes to the Chamber from BusinessForce, the political action arm of the Orlando Economic Partnership (formerly the Central Florida Partnership), where he has served as Executive Director for the past two years. In that role, Agrusa represented thousands of businesses and their tens of thousands of employees and was directly responsible for advancing the business community’s agenda through public policy advocacy and supporting business-friendly candidates for Florida’s largest regional PAC.

"I am very excited and humbled by this opportunity” said Agrusa. “Apopka is a wonderful place for business and I look forward to sharing my skills and vision with the Board of Directors and membership to meet the expanding business needs of this rapidly growing community.”

Robert Agrusa

As the lead administrator and spokesman for BusinessForce, Agrusa led community conversations, built diverse coalitions, and engaged the Central Florida’s businesses by facilitating positive, proactive participation. He also provided a strong voice on behalf of the business community to create more balanced media coverage in the process.

“Robert is a well-known and well-respected business advocate whose background and extensive experience in the Central Florida community will enable him to hit the ground running as we focus on bringing increased and measurable value to our members” said Debbie Perez, Chairman of the Board. “We are confident his skills and experience will enable us to meet the continued growth of our community head-on.” The chamber’s executive search included nearly 200 applicants.

Agrusa moved to Central Florida in 2011 to serve as the chief political liaison between Senator Andy Gardiner’s legislative office and his responsibilities as Florida Senate President Designate. In this role, Agrusa was immersed in Gardiner’s political, fundraising and campaign-related activities – including his 2014 re-election campaign and his state Political Action Committee – and built quality and key relationships between members of the business community, elected officials and organizations from across the State of Florida

Agrusa’s community involvement includes serving on the Board of Directors for the Tiger Bay Club of Central Florida, the Government Affairs Council at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando, and the Central Florida Young Professionals Advisory Council. Additionally, Agrusa is a graduate of Leadership Orlando, Class 91, and the 2013 Central Florida Political Leadership Institute. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Florida.

The Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to be a catalyst of success for the entrepreneurs and leaders in business development, relationship building, community enrichment and local, regional and statewide issue advocacy by providing the tools and resources to help members be successful. Chamber membership offers business credibility, referrals, networking, marketing and advertising opportunities and professional development.

Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce

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