John Bosley Award
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Jacob Stuart |
Jacob V. Stuart, President of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, is the recipient of the John Bosley Award presented by the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC). The award recognizes outstanding service and contributions by an individual to advance the success of the regional community.
Serving as President of the largest Chamber of Commerce in the Central Florida Region for over 20 years, Mr. Stuart has effected monumental change in a number of strategic areas, including regional cooperation, healthcare, community leadership, technology, transportation, international business, and workforce development.
One of his early accomplishments was establishing the Regional Transportation Authority, which revitalized the region’s mass transportation system. His recent contributions and accomplishments include “Leadership Orlando,” which has been redesigned as a regional leadership development program that has creating regional solutions for regional issues as one of its core values; BusinessForce, the Central Florida Technology Partnership, Workforce 2020, and the Hispanic Summit.
Mr. Stuart has consistently promoted regional cooperation through his work. In 2001, he championed the creation of myregion.org, a public-private partnership that brings together various market sectors to research, develop and act on a regional agenda that ensures Central Florida’s competitiveness in the global marketplace. As a result of Mr. Stuart’s vision and leadership, the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce is one of only four Chambers in the nation to earn the distinction of being a “Five Star” Chamber, the highest possible ranking by the United States Chamber of Commerce.
“Jacob Stuart deserves the award because he is an outstanding community leader, successful business executive and tireless promoter of regionalism. His vision has brought forth programs that are fine examples of what public-private partnerships can achieve for the advancement of the regional community," said Harold Barley, Executive Director of METROPLAN ORLANDO, the regional transportation planning organization for Central Forida.
The latest collaborative effort participated in by Mr. Stuart is the regional growth visioning program entitled “How Shall We Grow?” This program will engage 5,000 citizens over 15 months to develop a regional vision that will address a priority public policy issue in population growth.
Upon receiving the Bosley award, Jacob Stuart said, “It has been my privilege, as President of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce for over twenty years, to work with a host of community leaders and regional partners who care about Central Florida as much as I do. Our collaborative effort in building the community have not only made our region stronger, but have made it better. With all the volunteer leaders and board members of our partner organizations believing in, and advocating, the message of a regional vision for Central Florida, we can serve as a model for communities across the country who face similar challenges and opportunities.”
The Bosley Award is in memory of John Bosley, who served as deputy director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and legal advisor to NARC.