AIF Announces Tom Feeney as New President/CEO
TALLAHASSEE – Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) today announced Tom Feeney as its new president and CEO. In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of the organization, he will work closely with elected officials and policymakers to further cultivate a pro-business climate in Florida. He will assume his duties on January 1, 2012.
“Representative Feeney is highly respected, both as an elected official and as a Florida businessman. He is a proven leader and will be a tremendous asset to the association. Having dedicated much of the last 20 years to public service, Tom knows what it takes to be effective in the halls of the Florida capitol and on Capitol Hill,” said Erika Alba, Chair of the AIF Board of Directors. “AIF is proud of the many successes we have achieved for our growing membership and the business community at large. We look forward to Tom building on these successes and taking AIF to the next level.”
A seasoned lawmaker who has served at both the state and federal levels, Feeney represented the 24th Congressional District of Florida from 2002 to 2008. During his time in Congress, Feeney was the Ranking Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Space and Aviation Subcommittees, and Deputy Ranking Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Intellectual Property Subcommittee. His service on the U.S. House Financial Services Committee earned him experience in banking, insurance, monetary and fiscal policy, corporate governance, and a wide variety of financial issues. Additionally, he served on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, leading on Intellectual Property and Anti-Trust issues.
Feeney was elected to the Florida House of Representatives where he served two terms before being chosen as Governor Bush’s running mate in his first race for governor in 1994. He returned to the State Legislature in 1995 and, in 2000, was elected Speaker of the Florida House. He continued his service in the Florida House until his election to Congress in 2002. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Penn State University and obtained his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
“I thank the Board of Directors and members of the Search Committee for providing me the great honor and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lead an organization as distinguished as AIF,” said Feeney. “With the 2012 Legislative Session just around the corner, I will be immediately rolling up my sleeves and getting to work on AIF’s top priorities.”
After establishing a Search Committee lead by former State Representative Trey Traviesa, the AIF Board of Directors retained the services of Korn/Ferry International, a global provider of talent management solutions, and launched a formal search for a new president and CEO in October. After reviewing information on prospective candidates compiled by Korn/Ferry, the Search Committee interviewed selected candidates prior to making its recommendations to the AIF Board of Directors. The full Board voted today in favor of Feeney.
“This was an incredible process and we were fortunate to have a number of highly qualified candidates to consider. In the end, however, it was Representative Feeney’s vast knowledge and deep understanding of the issues important to AIF members that most impressed the Board,” said Traviesa.
Known as “The Voice of Florida Business,” AIF has advocated for the principles of prosperity and free enterprise since 1920. Representing more than 10,000 businesses across the state, AIF is one of Florida’s most powerful and successful government affairs and business lobbying groups.
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