Drew Wilson
The Florida Chamber Foundation announced a wave of promotions and hires as part of its 6-year, $105 million strategic plan to grow Florida into a Top 10 global economy.
The staffing changes include the elevation of Kyle Baltuch to Executive Vice President and Rachel Ludwig to Vice President of Talent Development for the Future of Work. The Chamber also announced that Dr. Keith Richard is coming aboard as Vice President of Research, a newly created position.
“These updates to our team are a big step in a larger strategy to restructure our Chamber Foundation to ensure adequate focus is given to achieving the 39 goals outlined in the Florida 2030 Blueprint’s Six Pillars Framework. We are excited about what this means for the future of our Foundation and for Florida,” said Don Kiselewski, Executive Director of External Affairs at Florida Power & Light Company and the Chair of the Florida Chamber Foundation Board of Trustees.
Baltuch is an economist and previously served as the Chamber Foundation’s Senior Vice President of Equality of Opportunity. In his new role, he will continue working to unite businesses and philanthropic leaders to improve early learning outcomes while working with stakeholders on other aspects of the Chamber’s Florida 2030 Blueprint and overseeing the Chamber Foundation’s “research into results” approach.
“I am honored that the Florida Chamber Foundation Board of Trustees, Community Development Partners, Executive Team, and professional staff have entrusted me with this opportunity and the leadership of this incredible organization. I look forward to working with our great team to add to the Foundation’s legacy, working intentionally with the business community and our association partners to secure Florida’s future,” Baltuch said.
Ludwig, meanwhile, will continue to build the Future of Work Florida Initiative while also overseeing Florida Business Alliance for Early Learning Project’s kindergarten readiness efforts and working to grow the Future of Work Florida’s Center for Workforce & Talent Development.
“I am honored to serve in this new role, providing additional thought leadership on the solutions to meet our Florida 2030 Blueprint’s six Talent Pillar goals,” Ludwig said. “There is so much power in collaboration, and I am truly excited to expand our collaborative efforts with businesses and educators to ensure our current and future talent is prepared for high-demand career opportunities.”
And Richard, a former Vice Chancellor at the Florida Department of Education, will spearhead research initiatives to broaden the understanding of the Florida 2030 Blueprint goals and deliver timely and actionable insights on the dynamics of Florida’s communities, economy, and workforce development pipeline.
“I am eager to start this next chapter in my career, joining the Florida Chamber Foundation in uniting the business community for good to secure Florida’s future,” Richard said. “I look forward to engaging directly with Florida leaders to provide insight on the issues impacting our businesses, residents, and economy the most as we continue to chart the path toward achieving our Florida 2030 Blueprint’s mission of growing Florida to a top 10 global economy.”
