When Janna P. Lhota took over as chair of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce for 2026, she chose “Connected for Impact” as her theme for the year.
For Lhota, a partner in Holland & Knight’s Fort Lauderdale office, that could mean helping an entrepreneur meet a potential customer, connecting a company with resources, or giving members a stronger voice on issues affecting the local business community.
“You have to view the Chamber as a toolbox,” Lhota says. “What do you want to get out of it? Are you looking for new contacts for business? Are you looking for new relationships? Are you looking to the Chamber for resources?”
With more than 1,000 members and more than 20 councils and programs, she says the answer can be different for every business.
Small businesses make up the lion’s share of Chamber membership, making practical resources particularly important. Its programs range from leads groups and networking events to councils addressing healthcare, hospitality, racial equity, and government affairs.
Lhota points to the Chamber’s healthcare programming as one example. Its Vital Signs initiative has tackled issues such as how employers can insure workers while controlling healthcare costs. Other Chamber efforts address affordable housing and help members understand how proposed legislation could affect their businesses.
The organization also wants to reach the next generation.
Its Rising Leaders program targets younger professionals entering the business community, while Leadership Fort Lauderdale offers participants a deeper look at the region and an opportunity to develop relationships across industries.
“Relationships are so important in business,” Lhota says.
She believes younger professionals need a seat at the table as Fort Lauderdale itself changes. Lhota says she considered generational diversity when assembling her board and wants the Chamber to demonstrate why it remains relevant to someone in their 20s as well as to a business owner who has belonged for decades.
Her own Chamber involvement stretches back years. Lhota practices land use and zoning law at Holland & Knight, where she helps clients navigate development approvals, rezonings, variances, and other entitlements. She became increasingly involved with the Chamber through government affairs before eventually joining its board and working her way toward the chair position. Her year as chair also happens to coincide with a significant transition.
Longtime Chamber President and CEO Dan Lindblade retired this past spring after nearly two decades leading the organization. Dr. Ty Richardson is serving as interim president and CEO while a search committee works to select the Chamber’s next leader. “Bringing and onboarding a new president and CEO” is one of the year’s challenges, Lhota says, but she also views the transition as an opportunity. “It’s an exciting time for the Chamber,” she says. A new leader, she adds, will bring “new ideas that will help the Chamber grow.”
Lhota emphasizes that Chamber membership isn’t limited to businesses headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. Its reach includes businesses and organizations throughout Broward County, with participation from communities including Oakland Park, Wilton Manors, and Deerfield Beach, as well as major regional institutions connected to the airport, Port Everglades and tourism.
But joining, she says, is only the first step.
Some companies have maintained memberships for years without becoming particularly active. Lhota would like to change that by encouraging members to identify what they actually need and choose the programs that make sense rather than trying to attend everything. “You should be targeted,” she says.
For Lhota, that is what “Connected for Impact” ultimately means: turning a Chamber membership from something a company simply pays for into something it actually uses.
“Our goal is to always give our members value,” she says, “and to serve our mission and the business community.”
