John Solomon

Title: Director

Organization: Franklin County Tourist Development Council

Committee Position: Member

John Solomon is the Director of the Franklin County Tourist Development Council and the Executive Director of the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce. The Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce has over 450 members and operates three Visitors Centers in Franklin County, two of which are Visit Florida Certified Information Centers.

John, who grew up on the Forgotten Coast, started his public service back in 1995 at the Franklin County Sheriff's Office. During his time at the Sheriff's Office, he served as Correctional Officer Sergeant and Evidence Officer. After 19 years, he left to become the Executive Director of the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce in 2014. In January of 2019, the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce became the Franklin County Tourist Development Council administration, where he was named the Director. John has been the President of the Florida Seafood Festival volunteer Board of Directors for 17 years and has served on the Board for 21 years. John has served on the Board of Directors of the Florida BBQ Association since 2019. For that year, he held the position of secretary. In 2021 John was selected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals. He Also represents Franklin County Tourism on the Board of Explore Northwest Florida. John has championed recognizing and celebrating volunteerism in Franklin County for the past 11 years.

John has been married to his wife Penny for 23 years, and they have two children, Shawn and Reagen. John spends his free time volunteering and enjoying his passion for cooking and competing in BBQ with his team 10-4 BBQ.