Tom Van Berkel takes over as chair of the JAX Chamber in 2012 during a big year for him, his company and the city.
It’s his 30th wedding anniversary with his wife, Pandora.
It will mark 10 years since he moved The Main Street America Group’s headquarters from New Hampshire to Jacksonville in his role as president, chairman and CEO.
And it’s the first year of new ownership for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the National Football League franchise owned by Wayne Weaver and a partnership group since it was awarded in November 1993. Weaver is selling the team to Illinois businessman Shahid Khan.
In fact, Van Berkel sees an opportunity there.
Having relocated the headquarters of the mutual insurance holding company that now operates in 27 states, he can relate to corporate CEOs who are in the market for a move. He wouldn’t mind speaking with Khan about moving his Flex-N-Gate corporate headquarters from Urbana, Ill., to Northeast Florida.
“We would love to have him move his headquarters to Jacksonville,” said Van Berkel.
It probably will come up sooner or later. He said chamber leaders plan to meet with Khan, probably after he completes the Jaguars acquisition in January.
Flex-N-Gate aside, Van Berkel anticipates some big announcements during his year leading the business organization. “I hope so,” he said. “Let’s be plural. Big ones.”
The JAX Chamber’s 2012 agenda should be solidified at a Feb. 3 board planning retreat. Van Berkel said his overarching agenda will include Downtown development, especially by working with Mayor Alvin Brown; port development; education; membership; the “Buy Chamber” program to promote business among the 3,000 members; and the chamber’s new “ilovejax” campaign.
The campaign will run throughout 2012 and feature a monthly theme. It is designed to rebuild community pride by asking chamber members and other residents to describe what is great about the region.
For example, upcoming themes include “What are you giving back to JAX?” this month; “What are you doing to make JAX a great place to work?” in January; “What are you doing to make JAX a great place to live?” in February; and “What are you doing to make JAX a great place to play?” in March.
Van Berkel also intends to meet with the JAX Chamber councils throughout 2012.
The Main Street America Group is a super regional insurance company that operates eight property/casualty insurance carriers: NGM Insurance Co., Old Dominion Insurance Co., Main Street America Assurance Co., MSA Insurance Co., Great Lakes Casualty Insurance Co., Grain Dealers Mutual Insurance Co., Spring Valley Mutual Insurance Co. and Main Street America Protection Insurance Co.
Van Berkel moved the headquarters to Jacksonville six years after Main Street America bought Jacksonville-based Old Dominion.
Jacksonville was chosen for reasons that include the ocean and the ability of Main Street to become a significant corporate player quickly. The company has 850 employees, including 160 in Jacksonville.
He’s optimistic about the economy, too.
Van Berkel and his wife have two sons, 23 and 20. In addition to working, traveling and spending time with his family, he runs seven miles a day and has completed 19 marathons; he likes golf, tennis and racquetball; and he’s an avid reader.
Along with subscribing to four daily newspapers, his reading tastes lean toward the classics, history and biographies. He’s reading “Anna Karenina” now and plans to start “War and Peace,” another Leo Tolstoy classic, next.
On the lighter side, he’s also a fan of Monty Python comedy humor.
Having lived in the Northeast and graduated from Boston College, he’s also “a proud member of the Red Sox nation.”
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