Meet your Deans for LG41

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1 Dean Margot Wilder, LG Meet your Deans for LG41 Margot Wilder is the Director of Development for the Child Advocacy Center in Gainesville and has 7 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising. Ms. Wilder holds both a Master of Business Administration and an undergraduate degree in Event Management from the University of Florida. In addition to her work at the Child Advocacy Center, Margot is co-owner and creator of Margot s Impeccable Pickles and sells handcrafted pickles across North Central Florida. She hopes to expand her business and product line in the near future. Margot is a graduate of LG37 and serves on the Leadership Gainesville Alumni Association board of directors. Margot is currently the Secretary on the Board of Directors for the Junior League of Gainesville and is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and Youth E- Safety (Ye-S) her Leadership Gainesville class project. In her free time, Margot enjoys cooking, entertaining and being in, on or near the water. You may reach Margot at margot@childadvocacycentergainesville.org. Dean Nick DeConna, LG40 Nick DeConna was born and raised in Gainesville. He graduated from the IB program at Eastside High School and the University of Florida with a Bachelor s Degree in Advertising. Nick is currently the Sales Director at Advantage Publishing, where he promotes publications including HOME Magazine, Business in the Heart of Florida, and The Parade of Homes.

2 Nick DeConna continued Nick also serves as the Silent Auction Chair for Taste of Gainesville, an annual charity fundraiser benefitting the Child Advocacy Center, PACE Center for Girls, and Tyler s Hope. Nick also donates his time to the Ad Federation of Gainesville where he serves on the board of directors and volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club of Alachua County and Junior Achievement. You may reach Nick DeConna at Nick@advantagepublishinginc.com. Dean Nikki Wagner, LG36 Driven to overcome obstacles through sheer resourcefulness, Nikki Wagner graduated from the University of Florida and never left. She started her career as a travel agent. While learning how to fix problems that weren t her fault (I don t fly the planes people!), she learned that by listening, genuinely caring about people, remaining dedicated to professional development, and following up after every sale would bring career success and traveled to over 26 countries. Due to declining demand for travel agent services, Nikki was forced to reconsider her dream travel agent career and think about another career path. This led her to earn a Master s in Nonprofit Management and work at two different local nonprofits in town: the Education Foundation and United Way of North Central Florida. Her customer service background helped her excel in fundraising, event planning, marketing, and any other duties as assigned. Looking for a better work-life balance and a career focus on branding, she now works at the University of Florida Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies where she serves as Assistant Director. She is currently chair of the Community Relations committee of the Leadership Gainesville Alumni Association. She has a husband, dog, and toddler-aged son. You may reach Nikki Wagner at nikkigw@gmail.com. Dean Jason Gonos, LG40 Jason Gonos is originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and moved to Gainesville in He graduated from the University of Florida in 2005 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.

3 Jason Gonos continued During his last year of college, Jason started his first business in the Indoor Air Quality field. This experience led him to meet with people in the energy industry and he got involved with solar power. After a few years of working for other contractors he co-founded his own company, Power Production Management, Inc, and received his state certified solar contractor license. Since starting PPM, the company has installed nearly 200 residential and commercial photovoltaic systems throughout Florida. Currently Jason is working on expanding the company to other states and to the Caribbean. Regardless of where he and his companies go, Jason says that Gainesville will always have a big place in his heart. You may reach Jason Gonos at Jason@sunppm.com. Dean Victor Hazy, LG41 Victor Hazy is the President of Insurance World of Gainesville, Inc. Since 1980, Victor has trained dozens of insurance agents, who now own successful insurance agencies throughout Florida. At Insurance World, Victor s goal is to help all the generations in his client's families choose the plans that are the most suitable for their unique situation. Victor accomplishes his goal by being an independent agent representing dozens of the top insurance companies for life, health, auto and homeowners insurance. Victor always wants to say, "Yes". He hates to say, "No". He works tirelessly to find a company to insure even the most hard-to-place cases. Many clients find Victor s approach refreshing, because instead of selling a product, he educates them about all of their choices to protect their families. He has taught classes at Santa Fe College C.E.I.D. on the Affordable Care Act. He may be the only one in Gainesville who teaches Medicare Insurance classes year-round. Victor s wife, Carol, has been patiently listening to his jokes for over 30 years. His African Grey Parrot has been laughing at his jokes for 27 years, but his two little dogs never seem to get the punchlines. You may reach Victor Hazy at Victorhazy@aol.com.

4 LG Chamber Team Gainesville Area Chamber Vice President, Chamber Development Deborah V. Bowie, CCE, IOM Deborah Bowie, CCE, IOM, joined the Gainesville Area Chamber in April 2013 when she assumed duties as VP of Chamber Development and was charged with directing the growth of the 5-star accredited chamber. Deborah brings more than 10 years of experience in development, communications, advocacy and chamber management and more than 20 years in communications and messaging. Specific areas of management at the Gainesville Chamber include Marketing, Communications, Business Services, Membership and Leadership Gainesville. Prior to her move to Gainesville, Deborah, born and raised in Miami, was Senior Director of Public Policy and Communications for the Albany (Ga) Chamber of Commerce/CVB and Vice President of Community Development at the Birmingham (AL) Regional Chamber of Commerce. Deborah is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Organizational Management and a fellow in regional sustainability via the Ford Foundation. In 2012, Deborah completed studies at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government in collaborative governance, a program with a 40% international class composition. In July 2013, Deborah earned the highest certification in the Chamber industry Certified Chamber Executive from the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). Deborah is the proud mother of a college junior and a set of triplets. You may reach Deborah at Deborah@GainesvilleChamber.com

5 Gainesville Chamber Events Manager Mallory Thompson Meet Mallory Thompson, the Chamber s Events Manager. Mallory, who interned with the Gainesville Chamber for six months while attending the University of Florida, came aboard after graduation to assist with the new five-year economic development campaign for the Council for Economic Outreach. She was hired full-time in 2014 and today, Mallory up all signature events for the Chamber, including the annual Business of the Year gala, the Chamber s Annual meeting and the Annual Business Showcase, to name a few. Originally from Pensacola, FL, Mallory came to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida and after graduation, found it to be the perfect place to begin her career. Welcome aboard! You may reach Mallory Thompson at Mallory@GainesvilleChamber.com. Gainesville Chamber Information Specialist Pauline Williams As the Information Specialist and face of the chamber, Pauline refers more than 3,000 calls a month to member businesses of the Chamber, manages the front desk and is responsible for updating membership information, assisting walkins, providing information about the area and many other clerical duties including logistical support for Leadership Gainesville. She also assists at numerous events, processing payments and maintaining attendance reports. Ms. Pauline, as she is affectionately called, just celebrated 14 years with the Chamber! You may reach Pauline at Pauline@GainesvilleChamber.com

6 About Leadership Gainesville The community leadership program the fourth oldest in the nation is designed to educate current and future leaders about the Greater Gainesville community by providing a behind-the-scenes view of various key aspects affecting citizens in our area. Each monthly session provides opportunities to develop leadership skills by networking with individuals in the community across segments including business, law, civic groups, the arts, education, health care, and human services. For more information about Leadership Gainesville, contact Deborah Bowie at Deborah@GainesvilleChamber.com. About the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce Formed in 1924, and celebrating 90 years in existence in 2014, the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business in the Gainesville area. Representing over 1,200 members that employ more than 70,000 employees, the Chamber firmly believes that thriving business builds a thriving community. The Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce is 5-star accredited by the United States Chamber of Commerce, putting it in the top 1% of all chambers nationwide. Learn more at or call us at About Leadership Gainesville Alumni Association The Leadership Gainesville Alumni Association works toward the focused goal of improving the quality of life of our members and our community. They do this through leadership development, collaboration and active community involvement. LG graduates are automatically accepted into the alumni association, and their first year s dues are included in tuition. Learn more about LGAA at #####