There is a thread that runs through John Phillips’ first career in sports administration that carries over to his second career, and that is building personal relationships and seeing projects come to fruition.
Phillips was recently named the new president of the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce, not an insignificant role in one of the most rapidly growing areas of Florida.
John Phillips, new CEO of the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce, Monday March 31, 2025,
That’s why Phillips finds the idea of building upon that growth — making Flagler a powerhouse for business — he loves pushing himself in new directions and taking on new challenges.
Not long after Phillips graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a major in aviation, he was hired as a professor in aeronautics. A baseball player all through college, he also took on work as a coach. After being promoted to athletic director, it wasn’t long before he was offered a job in the commentator’s booth, becoming “the voice of Ernie the Eagle.”
Worried he wouldn’t know enough about calling the game or have the personality for it, instead, he shined, doing the job for over 20 years.
In 2025, another job opportunity fell in his lap. Holly Hill couple Rainer and Julie Martens, who founded Pictona, decided to look for someone to oversee day-to-day operations for the nonprofit-run 49-court pickleball complex.
“It was just the right fit for what I was looking to do at the time,” Phillips said. “It was relatable in a way to what I’d done as AD for Embry-Riddle, developing relationships and working to connect people with other people as a kind of liaison.
After Palm Coast Regional Chamber of Commerce founder Greg Blose left for another business venture, Phillips interviewed for the job. Like Pictona, he would be able to help build another organization from the ground up (the chamber was begun only in 2020 and very much in its infancy. Phillips was hired and began his new duties on March 30. He also worked briefly with NASCAR at trade shows.
He sees a ton of potential in the marketability of the commercial and industrial growth of the area he calls home (Ormond Beach).
“Aside from bringing in more members, we want to really foster a great relationship with the Volusia and Flagler tourism councils,” Phillips said.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: John Phillips takes on a new gig leading Palm Coast Regional Chamber