The Jacksonville Women’s Leadership Coalition and JAX Chamber recently announced they are partnering to hire an executive-level leader whose sole focus will be to strategically address identified gender gaps in Northeast Florida leadership.

The Chamber will soon be hiring for the position of Vice President, Elevate Women, who will be part of JAXUSA Partnership, the regional economic development arm of the Chamber. The title is derived from Elevate Northeast Florida, the region’s five-year strategic plan for economic development. One of the four main pillars of Elevate Northeast Florida is attracting and retaining top talent, and business leaders see developing a pipeline of female executives as a key economic development issue.

The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida has secured funding from individual and corporate donors to fund the position for its first three years.

The need for the position is informed by a landmark study funded by the Jacksonville Women’s Leadership Coalition that measures the status of female leadership in the region and issues key findings and recommendations to address identified gender gaps. The study, “The Status of Women in Northeast Florida: Strengthening the Pipeline for Women’s Advancement to Leadership,” examines top issues that impact a woman’s ability to attain leadership roles and pay equity in First Coast counties.