JAXUSA Partnership welcomes Baptist Health president and CEO Hugh Greene

JAXUSA Partnership, a division of the JAX Chamber, welcomed Hugh Greene, president & CEO of Baptist Health, as the featured keynote speaker at the 3^rd Quarter JAXUSA Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront Thursday. United Way of Northeast Florida President & CEO Michelle Braun, and 2016 campaign chair Robert Hill of Acosta, kicked off the ‘Make Your Moment’ campaign during the luncheon.

Speaking to more than 700 business leaders and elected officials, Greene discussed Baptist Health’s recent growth and its role as an economic driver in the region. Baptist’s partnership with MD Anderson will create more than 600 jobs with an average salary over $100,000. That number does not include the many jobs associated with the construction of the nine-story, 330,000-square-foot building expected to be completed by mid-2018, dramatically expanding the Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, which opened in October 2015.

“MD Anderson’s decision to partner with Baptist Health to bring a top cancer center to the Jacksonville region confirms the strength of our health and life sciences industry,” said Mark Frisch, 2016 chair of JAXUSA Partnership. “Northeast Florida’s competitive economic climate has been further solidified over the last year by the top industry leaders who have chosen to make Jacksonville their home.”

The launch of United Way of Northeast Florida’s 2016 ‘Make Your Moment’ campaign kicks off a year of important work for United Way, its partners and the Jacksonville community.

“United Way of Northeast Florida and the many organizations it supports are critical to our community,” said Robert Hill of Acosta, 2016 campaign chair. “It’s an honor to serve as this year’s United Way campaign chair, and I am excited about the work we will accomplish together for Northeast Florida,” said Hill.

Since 1924, United Way has played a critical role to the health of the local nonprofit sector by investing millions of dollars every year to agencies in the community. According to a recent Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida study, Jacksonville’s volunteers stand out among the best in the country with 153,000 people donating 4.5 million hours of service annually.

“We were delighted to collaborate with JAXUSA Partnership for our kickoff this year. United Way and JAXUSA share many supporters with common goals; we both invest in our community to make it stronger. United Way’s boards, impact partners, volunteers and staff look forward to the year ahead as we connect Northeast Florida residents to moments that will uplift our community,” said Michelle Braun, president & CEO, United Way of Northeast Florida.