CEP shake-up

Kevin Sheilley has resigned as president/CEO of the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership. File photo: [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

President and CEO Kevin Sheilley has announced his resignation from the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership to take on a similar role in South Carolina.

His resignation came shortly after the city of Ocala approved a new annual contract with the CEP with a vote of 4-1, despite concerns from some city council members that the chamber hadn’t considered the city’s wishes when backing a redevelopment proposal that will increase rail traffic through the congested downtown area.

Sheilley was the CEP’s first president, serving since 2012 shortly after the chamber was formed. The CEP announced on Dec. 19 that Sheilley was leaving to take over as president of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce.

Sheilley’s last day with the CEP will be Jan. 31, 2025.

“It has been a tremendous honor to lead the CEP over the last dozen years. We have an incredible team who works tirelessly each day toward making our community a great place to live, work, and play,” Sheilley said.

In 2024 through 2025, Ocala will pay the CEP $190,000 for business creation, retention and attraction services, particularly in the downtown and midtown development areas and at the airport industrial park, said Planning Director Aubrey Hale.

The funding has been broken into two categories—one is for a sponsorship grant, and the other for CEP services beyond partner benefits, including a work plan highlighting the focus areas.

Sheilley cited three CEP advancements he is most proud of helping to accomplish over the past 12 years.

“Not only have we impacted the creation of more than 13,000 jobs but the average wage in this community has grown 50% faster than the nation over the last decade,” Sheilley said. “No one should have a wage penalty because they want to live in this community.”

Additionally, the CEP campaigned for the initial passage of the county’s infrastructure sales tax, the 20-year renewal for the tax, and the passage of the half-cent sales tax for schools.

“These funds set our community up for long-term sustainability,” Sheilley said.

Sheilley said the work he did to grow and expand programming and access for entrepreneurs will continue.

“From the Power Plant Business Incubator to the IMPACT Initiative to the IMPACT Neighborhood Incubator to the creation of the Ocala Metro Catalyst Fund to the addition of our Spanish language training, the resources available to entrepreneurs is unparalleled in the Ocala metro,” he said. 

Incoming CEP Board Chair Charisse Rivers has appointed a search committee composed of herself, Doug Cone, Ken Ausley, Angie Lewis, CEP Board Secretary Dwayne Carlton, and Board Vice Chair Todd Rudnianyn. Cone will lead the national search to find Sheilley’s replacement.

The city’s contract with the CEP was originally presented at the Nov. 5 council meeting but was tabled until Dec. 17 so that city staff and the CEP could work to reformat the agreement, Hale said.

During this time, a conflict-of-interest provision was added to the contract in attempt to prevent future disagreements like the Advanced Draining Systems proposal conflict.

In September, the Marion County Board of Commissioners issued a special-use permit to Advanced Drainage Systems to convert the former Certified Grocer site at 6045 SE 83^rd St. into a plastic pipe manufacturing plant, all with the backing of the CEP. The city of Ocala issued a letter and spoke before the board asking them not to approve the proposal, with concerns that increased rail traffic through the downtown area would negatively impact businesses.

“If the city and the CEP are in conflict, we’ll try to work it out. If we’re not able to, it allows us to have a termination of the agreement if so,” Hale said.

Councilmember Jay Musleh originally brought forward the concerns about the contract, and voted against approving the contract even after the amendments were made.

“I think the CEP does a great job; however, this $190,000 contract is the same thing as what we had several weeks ago. It’s the same amount of money, just divided up a little differently,” he said.

Council President Kristen Dreyer rebutted Musleh’s comments, voting in support of the agreement.

“I hear what you’re saying,” she said, “but this contract is remarkably different from what we’ve been working with in the past. They put a lot of time and effort into adding additional performance measures that you can hold them to the fire on.”

Mayor Ben Marciano cited recent CEP successes in his support of the city’s continued partnership.

“I think the CEP does a great job, thinking about what they did helping to pass the penny sales tax,” Marciano said. “I see tremendous benefit in the partnership…I think the contract is beneficial to both of us.”