Cliff McDuffie will retire as chamber of commerce executive director after seven years of guiding its growth.
By MOLLY MOORHEAD
Published June 24, 2004
ZEPHYRHILLS - Cliff McDuffie has a list in his computer of 53 accomplishments from the past seven years. Among them: moving the office of the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce to a bigger building, expanding the board of directors to 15 members and staging six golf tournaments that raised more than $6,000 annually.
Come Sept. 3, McDuffie will cease to keep a tally. He is retiring as the chamber's executive director.
"I turned 70," he said of the timing. "Why not?"
But McDuffie will remain active and visible in another role: mayor of Zephyrhills. The job is largely ceremonial; the mayor has veto power but no vote on the City Council. But McDuffie was just elected to a second term in April, and he said another run is a definite possibility.
In the immediate future, he plans to take a 12-day cruise on the Danube River and devote some time to hobbies such as fishing and woodworking. He has two grandchildren who live nearby, and he and his wife, Joyce, celebrate their third anniversary today.
"It's time for me to take some time for me," he said.
McDuffie took over in Zephyrhills in 1997 after more than 20 years with the Tampa Chamber of Commerce. There, he ran the small-business and personnel divisions and was operations manager.
"I always wanted to run my own chamber," he said.
Early in his tenure, the chamber moved into a large office on Fifth Avenue downtown and upgraded its annual banquet from mobile home park clubhouses to Saddlebrook Resort. McDuffie made some smaller changes, too, such as staggering the terms of board members to retain continuity, posting signs in town directing visitors to the chamber office and creating souvenirs such as hats and postcards with the city's logo.
"Small things mean a whole lot to your image in the community," he said.
Zephyrhills chamber president John Scott said McDuffie has been a good guide through a period of growth.
"The area itself is growing. We've seen membership increase, we've seen traffic increase, and the visibility of the chamber has increased too," Scott said. "The interest has really spiked up."
"We will definitely miss him."
As for a replacement, Scott said the board officers are crafting an ad for the position, which will be posted on chamber job sites. They also could interview local candidates. He said there is no timeline for hiring a new director.
"We just want to make sure we get the right person," he said.
Cynthia Craig, director of Main Street Zephyrhills, praised McDuffie's work.
"I feel like, as chamber director, he's really helped guide the chamber into the 21st century," she said. "His place will be missed, but I'm extremely happy for him that he'll be able to have some time for his wife."
McDuffie said that at one time he thought he never wanted to leave Tampa. But he found a new home in Zephyrhills.
"I love the community," he said. "I've enjoyed every minute that I've been here."
