NORTHWEST FLORIDA CORRIDORS
Coastal Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Jackson, Bay, Calhoun,
FORWARD Progress Jennifer Conoley steers region toward bright future By Hannah Burke
O
n March 23, 2020, just days after the global stock market experienced its fastest, most dramatic tumble since ı929, Jennifer Conoley took the helm at the region’s premier economic development agency, Florida’s Great Northwest (FGNW). It was a sign, she said. Things could only go up from there. But even amid a global pandemic, political pandemonium and a change in leadership, FGNW hasn’t lost steam. For Conoley, the transition to her new role was smooth. Conoley grew up in Port St. Joe as the daughter of a paper mill worker. She earned a degree in public relations at Florida State University, and after doing some work with a statewide foundation focused on people with disabilities, Conoley married her high school sweetheart and moved to Panama City Beach. It was there that she gained an appreciation for economic development professionals. Conoley went to work with the Bay County Economic Development Alliance and subsequently joined the economic development team at Gulf Power Co. After conducting a nationwide search for a new leader, FGNW found Conoley in its own backyard. “I was excited to join the regional economic development organization for Northwest Florida and to have the opportunity to serve ı2 counties
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850businessmagazine.com
A product of Port St. Joe, Jennifer Conoley has expanded her horizons as an economic developer and is now promoting regional cooperation as the head of Florida’s Great Northwest.
Photography by MIKE FENDER
