Donna Lee Fore Takes Helm as New Riverview Chamber President

Standing next to her 6-foot-8-inch predecessor, 2013 Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce President Donna Lee Fore looked downright diminutive.

However, there's nothing small about Fore's goals for the year.

At a Western-themed annual dinner Friday, Jan. 18, Fore accepted the reins of the chamber's leadership from 2012 President Ed Booth, vowing to uphold the chamber's 47-year-old tradition of supporting the community and the businesses that serve it.

With nearly 850 members, Fore said the chamber should focus not only on supporting the community's businesses but also on improving its quality of life.

To that end, Fore said her goals this year are to build a more robust economic development team at the chamber, to forge a stronger relationship with Hillsborough County government and to provide more support for the community's growing military population as well as Riverview's veterans.

Fore, who co-owns P. F. Auto Glass Inc. with her husband, Pat, and is an independent consultant for Mary Kay Cosmetics, has quickly become a mover and shaker in the Riverview area.

Last year, she founded the Riverview Woman's Club with friend Jeanne Burkeson. In 2009, she was named the chamber's Person of the Year and in 2008 she received the chamber's Volunteer of the Year award.

She has served on the chamber's board of directors since 2009.

On Friday night at the dinner held at the International Independent Showmen's Association in Riverview, County Commissioner Al Higginbotham demonstrated his eagerness to heed Fore's directive to build a stronger relationship with county government when he presented member Jill Andrew, executive director of Superior Residences of Brandon, a certificate of achievement for her personal commitment to the community as well as her volunteer efforts through the chamber.

Guest speaker, former Hillsborough County School Superintendent and former Supervisor of Elections Earl Lennard, marveled at the growth of the community his grandfather helped pioneer.

Reverting to his old habits as a public school teacher, Lennard presented a history lesson about the community, noting that Riverview, once known as Peru after the Peruvian Mining Co. that mined phosphate in the area, was founded in 1885. One-hundred and twenty-five years later, its population had grown to 71,000 people.

Despite a looming "fiscal cliff," the threat of an apocalypse and all eyes on Tampa as it hosted the Republican National Convention, 2013 proved to be a banner year for Riverview, said the outgoing president.

Not only is the once-struggling chamber now in the black, said Booth, but a membership drive netted 252 new members this year.

The chamber honored the community's top 33 teachers at a Teacher of the Year celebration, welcomed 300 new teachers to Hillsborough County at its annual New Teacher Welcome Breakfast, raised funds for charity through a successful Riverview Honorary Mayor's Race and attracted 8,600 people to what's become the chamber's signature event, Trick or Treat Street, he noted.

As icing on the cake, the chamber's executive director, Tanya Doran, responded to a survey from Money Magazine asking for nominations for America's best small cities.

In August, said Booth, Money Magazine released its list of the top 100, with Riverview ranking 65.

"I've definitely got some big shoes to fill," joked Fore, glancing down at Booth's feet.

She said her job, however, will be much easier thanks to an active board of directors, which vowed their fidelity to the chamber at the conclusion of the dinner.

This year's board includes President-Elect Joe Eletto of Century 21 Beggins, treasurer Joe Nichols of Railroad & Industrial Federal Credit Union, treasurer-elect James Pulkowski of Pulkowski CPA, board emeritus Jim Johnson of Mosaic Fertilizer, Past President Ed Booth of Huth and Booth Photography, Andrea White of Bright House Networks, Bart Miller of Sweet Bay Supermarkets, Bryan Thatcher of Thatcher Properties, Honorary Mayor of Riverview Elijah Heath of Edward Jones Investments, Jennifer Caskey of CenterState Bank, Michael Beiter of Preservation 1st Financial Group, Michael Self of S & S Tacos/Pizzas & Stuff, Richard Rohde of R Processor Inc., Ross Spano of Christmas, Spano & Owen, P.A., Sharon Roush of South Bay Hospital and Tim Sanders of Costo Wholesale.