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Barbara Ann Heegan has joined the Port Orange South Daytona Beach Chamber of Commerce as President and CEO. In this position, she is responsible for advocating for business development, building relationships, and supporting economic opportunities. Ms. Heegan is a connector of people and resources and is a strong champion for small businesses in the chamber of commerce industry.
For her immediate past position, she was recruited by the Greenwood SC Chamber of Commerce in Greenwood, South Carolina, to serve as the organization’s President and CEO. During her tenure, she raised $200K to support a national campaign for new business development and talent attraction, hosted an inaugural housing summit in partnership with Micro Life Institute to address community housing needs, and helped small businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The wealth of experience and expertise Ms. Heegan brought to South Carolina was forged in New York State, during her service as President and CEO of the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce in Oneonta. She developed and maintained collaborative working relationships with key businesses, city, county, state and Federal elected officials to foster a nurturing business environment for members. In her first year, Ms. Heegan increased membership by 50 percent and generated a 40 percent increase in programs that were value-added member benefits.
Ms. Heegan’s passionate work on behalf of the Chamber was recognized by The Business Council of New York State. The organization designated the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce its “2013 Chamber of the Year,” the Chamber’s first-ever honors. Subsequently, in 2016, the Chamber was honored as the Non-Profit of the Year by the Greater Binghamton SCORE Chapter.
Ms. Heegan began her career on a path of serving others by working for the American Red Cross in the New York City area as a Family Support Specialist following the September 11 attacks. The American Red Cross had committed exclusively to the long-term service needs of people directly affected by the tragic event. Ms. Heegan provided individualized service plans and service coordination for 122 families with children in Nassau County, including providing access to resources for mental health, case management, financial assistance, and career planning services. She created the first 9/11 Family Support Group in Mineola, NY, an initiative that became a template for replication in New York City.
Ms. Heegan holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Oneonta. She is excited to immerse herself in the Port Orange South Daytona community along with her life partner, Dr. Robert Pondolfino, Jr.. Ms. Heegan’s family includes children Christina, Sean and Scott and family dog Lucy. Ms. Heegan is a Rotarian, loves to volunteer in the community, enjoys boating and playing golf.
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