Venture Forum's latest venture: hiring an executive director

Venture capital investments in Florida may be hovering near all-time lows, and it may seem as if most of the state's investors have gone into hiding. But Florida's biggest support group for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists isn't going to let that stop it from moving ahead with plans to hire its first executive director.

Though the nonprofit Venture Forum has been around since 1984, its programs have been administered by a part-time director, Jeanne Becker. Becker will remain involved, specifically in planning the group's next annual venture capital conference. More than $500-million has been raised by companies presenting at the past 11 conferences and about 800 people attended the most recent, held in Orlando in January.

Steve Lux, Venture Forum chairman and a director at Tampa's Stonehenge Capital Corp., said the new full-time director will be expected to recruit sponsors, investors and presenters for the group's monthly educational sessions and annual conference. Despite the dismal investing climate, Lux said the strong showing at the most recent conference encouraged the board to proceed with hiring.

"Attendance was down just a little bit from the year before, but participation from the venture community was even greater than in the past," Lux said. "That made us feel a little more comfortable about going forward with this job in very difficult times."

Though the Venture Forum has been run from the Miami area in the past, candidates can be based anywhere in the state. The salary range is being kept confidential, said Mick Lasher of Lasher Associates in Weston, the board member handling inquiries.

"We've never done this before, so we want to keep the range broad enough so we can find the right person," he said.