On Sept. 3, in what would prove to be Greg Blose’s last email blast as head of the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce, he was inviting the chamber membership to the “grand opening” of the chamber’s latest move. The networking event was to be at the Chiumento building in Town Center the next afternoon, toasted by champagne.
By last Monday, Blose’s name and image had been removed from the chamber’s website. He was out. He’d led the then-new chamber since August 2020.
In early afternoon Thursday, Kelsie Lombard, one of two remaining chamber staffers, had taken over the chamber’s newsletters and was announcing a search for a new CEO in a press handout. The nationwide search is to “bring onto the team a dynamic leader who shares our excitement for the future of this community,” she wrote. Michael Chiumento, the attorney and since last June, chair of the chamber board, was quoted as saying that the board extended its best wishes to Blose, and that it would “certainly miss his leadership.” There was no explanation about Blose’s departure. He was not quoted.
Two hours later Chiumento sent an email to the chamber membership explaining that Blose “has decided to pursue new opportunities, and while we are saddened to see him go, we are deeply grateful for his contributions and leadership during his time with us.” Chiumento praised Blose for taking the chamber from five to 200 members in his tenure and for fostering “strong relationships” with governments and others.
Chiumento’s letter, equally fawning and vague, was written in the sort of legalist language common in seemingly inexplicable and sudden job severances, and suggestive of a negotiated and likely not voluntary parting.
In fact on Sept. 5, Blose had written a letter to the 17 members of the board in language vastly different from Chiumento’s. Blose detailed a series of problems, mostly involving–or targeting–him, including “toxic and unethical behavior” among the chamber leadership and an attempt to undermine him with his staff. In the letter, Blose did not appear to be seeking an exit so much as a corrective. His contract did not expire until 2026. Blose also clearly acknowledges that half the board had issues with his leadership. In the community at large, when interacting with local government boards for instance, Blose often had an aggressive, at times abrasive approach.
Blose’s full letter, obtained by FlaglerLive (its authenticity was confirmed by two members of the board), follows.
Dear Members of the Board,
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to share my deep concern over recent events that have taken place, which have significantly disrupted the operations and morale of the Palm Coast-Flagler Regional Chamber of Commerce. These events have not only caused confusion but have also affected the trust and stability that we have worked hard to establish within our organization and the community. It is important that I bring these matters to your attention with the goal of finding a resolution that supports the integrity and well-being of our Chamber.
During the week of August 19th, while I was on a scheduled vacation, Board member Mr. John Walsh approached one of my staff members, Andrew Massouras, with information regarding my potential departure from the Chamber. Mr. Walsh mentioned that the Board was considering replacing me as CEO and asked Andrew about his own long-term interest in the Chamber. This conversation took place without my knowledge or consent, and it has understandably caused considerable distress among my staff. Upon my return, my Operations Manager, Kelsie Lombard, was in tears after hearing the news from Andrew, believing that my termination was imminent. Both employees were left feeling uncertain about their own positions, and it has understandably shaken their confidence in the Chamber’s leadership.
I want to emphasize how difficult it has been to navigate these discussions with my team, especially given the sensitive nature of the situation. Upon my return from vacation, on August 27th, I met with Board Chair Mr. Michael Chiumento to address these concerns directly. Mr. Chiumento denied any knowledge of the situation and dismissed the severity of my concerns. During our conversation, he mentioned that half of the Board had raised issues with my performance, but no formal feedback was or has been provided to me by the Board of Directors. This lack of clarity and support has only heightened my concern for the overall health and stability of our organization.
In a later conversation, Mr. Chiumento informed me that he spoke to Mr. Walsh and his comments to Andrew were taken out of context. However, when I spoke with Mr. Walsh directly on September 3rd, he confirmed that he had indeed told Andrew about the Board’s consideration of my termination, which was communicated without my knowledge. Mr. Walsh also confirmed that Mr. Chiumento is and has been aware of conversations regarding my potential dismissal as President & CEO. While Mr. Walsh has since apologized, the impact of his breach of trust and protocol remains significant, and the confusion and uncertainty have affected my team deeply.
As a result of these events, my staff now finds themselves in an uncomfortable and uncertain position. Both Andrew and Kelsie have expressed that they are actively seeking new
employment due to the toxic and unethical behavior they have witnessed within the Chamber’s leadership. It breaks my heart to see our hard-working team demoralized and losing faith in the organization we have built together. i
Furthermore, the manner in which this situation has been handled has deeply affected my ability to lead effectively. The actions outlined above have undermined my credibility as CEO and have jeopardized the stability of the Chamber. This behavior is not only deeply troubling on an ethical level, but it also puts the Chamber at legal risk, potentially exposing us to claims of defamation and creating a hostile work environment.
If there are performance concerns related to my role as CEO, I believe they should be addressed through proper channels, in accordance with my employment contract, and with a clear and constructive dialogue. It is critical that these matters be handled in a formal and transparent manner, rather than through informal conversations with staff or external parties. The current situation has created a ripple effect that is destabilizing the organization and tarnishing the Chamber’s reputation.
In my last performance review, I received positive feedback, which resulted in the renewal of my contract for another three years (expiring in 2026). While operational challenges have arisen from time to time, we have worked together to resolve these issues quickly, and under my leadership, the Chamber has seen significant financial improvement, including increased savings and growth. It is disappointing to see the recent actions of at least one Board member undermining this progress and creating an environment of uncertainty.
I kindly request that the Board take immediate action to address these issues and ensure that we are upholding the highest standards of governance and ethical behavior. Our staff deserves a workplace that is safe, respectful, and free from unnecessary stress or rumors. The Chamber’s future success depends on our ability to foster an environment of professionalism, transparency, and integrity, and I trust that the Board will take the necessary steps to restore confidence in our leadership.
I appreciate your time and attention to this matter and look forward to working together to resolve these concerns and move forward in the best interest of the Chamber.
Sincerely,
Greg
Palm Coast long-time business owner says
Why any business would pay any money to belong to that organization is beyond me. It’s a financial loss and a time loss, in my opinion. That, combined with the historically toxic and low behavior of Chiumento in and around this community brings it all down to a very low level in all respects.
Bye bye says
Don’t let the door hit you on the ass! Karma’s a bitch. Greg became way too focused on politics and not businesses. His leadership style was aggressive and toxic. Looks like a move in the right direction.
Jo says
Nailed it!!
Been There says
How wrong you are. There is a contingency of people who have worked at the county and the city who has first hand experience with the lack of integrity prevalent among the founders of this chamber, who either sit on the board or have proxies sitting in their stead. The founders are the political driven with their ambition as wannabe king makers muddying what a chamber’s mission should be. Look at the founder sand tell me, who those people have supported? Notoriously, John Walsh endorsed Joe Mullins.
KMcG says
Organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce have been a time honored cornerstone of the Small Business community in many small Towns or Cities. Since its charter is to help the local businesses to expand as well as attract new businesses to want to establish themselves in Cities such as Palm Coast or Counties such as Flagler, They must be pristine of character and devoid of any scandals. Since this dirty laundry has now been aired outside the confines of the Chamber it might be time for an independent committee, individuals who have no leadership positions in the Chamber, without the influence of the leadership, look into the credibility of charges of a toxic environment. And then publish a report in FlaglerLive, the Observer, etc. of their findings. We seem to be past “whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Jobs and economics are at stake!
Nephew Of Uncle Sam says
Remember when Chamber of Commerce’s promoted the Local Business’ and it was made up of Local Business volunteers to steer it. They didn’t have National Searches for a leader, meddle in politics, meddle in Local Town Councils and didn’t meddle in Local School Boards.
James says
Greg was great and pushed our community to be better. Not surprising he was run off. This is typical of our area. Probably a result of our crummy community leaders and why we can’t get our act together.
KC says
Did anyone expect anything different from an organization that is overseen by dirt bags like Walsh and Chiumento? They have been trying to destabilize our school district for years.
A decent chamber or business organization stays in its own lane and does not actively work to dictate who will be school superintendent.
Flagler county is disgusting. .
Jen says
He was happy to participate in this too though so I don’t feel bad for him.
Been There says
Nailed it.
Willy Boy says
I hate to say it, but anything that John Walsh touches eventually turns to crap.
Ava says
As a fellow chamber member, I am absolutely disgusted by the recent chain of events surrounding Greg Blose’s forced exit. The unethical behavior displayed by the chamber board and its members is both alarming and disgraceful. It’s 100% true that Greg was pushed out after raising legitimate ethical concerns, and this kind of behavior has no place in a professional organization. Shockingly, this isn’t the first time the chamber has seen such actions—similar issues arose before Greg’s tenure. It’s truly sad that this toxic environment continues to fester, enabled by so-called “professionals” who seem completely oblivious to the responsibilities and duties that come with being a board member.
As a contributing member who has invested thousands into this chamber, I feel deeply betrayed by this lack of integrity and accountability. This kind of unethical behavior not only disrespects the leadership but affects every chamber member who has worked hard to build trust in the organization. I cannot, in good conscience, continue to support a chamber that allows such unprofessional and underhanded actions to take place. Until there is a real change in the culture and governance, I will not be participating in this chamber any longer.
Karma says
Couldn’t happen to a nicer group of adults(ers)
Jane Gentile Youd says
JohnWalsh threw me out of his office ( when he owned the Observer) when I was running for County Commission in 2022 and refused to print a letter from me responding to a false claim which he willingly printed. He is scum in my opinion and I am so glad that Brian MacMillan is now the owner of the Observer. He overcharged Plantation Bay for our monthly newspaper for years until he was canceled – had more ads than news and not even phone numbers of our Board of Directors! – He never sent anyone to our monthly meetings, stuffed our 6 page newspaper with irrelevant nonsense and refused to give advertising discounts for residents.
One of the nastiest people I have met since moving to Flagler County over 22 years ago.
Fess Parker says
John Walsh did us all a favor by throwing you out of his office.
Do you know getha...... says
Let’s run down the information as we see it,shall we!
Greg Blosé- heavy handed when dealing with politics like a mob boss. Head of a fake Chamber.
The Board:
I really don’t need to say more that that. Scammed up with the first five companies with an outrageous fee to keep the regular folks out. Then they got 195 more companies duped to join.
The Capo di tutti Capos:
Italian for the boss the bosses. That leads us to Walsh and Chumento. Walsh can’t shut up and The lawyer- huh.
I hope they close this BS story down. I wouldn’t give them a dime as they use the money to both undermine the politics like the school board and other municipal races.
Good bye and good riddens.
Ya’all deserve it.
Celia Pugliese says
The problem with the Flagler Chamber is the Board and CEO’s forget the very reasons the member join paying the pricey fee…to get help, promoted, endorsed and expand their businesses by the organization that instead only gets in politics, elections, candidates and even school board business lately! Well, just look at who is who in the board…the reason why they will never change for the better. As a taxpayer totally refuse out local county and PC spends any dime in 5,000 membership in this organization. Let the local businesses start their own Chamber…and lets do not pit the chamber members against the needs of the residents pleads, because some of those residents could be chamber members as well.
Nancy N. says
Chiumento has a hand in underhanded drama? Well that’s breaking news…not.
Lady Bulldog says
Chiumentos gonna Chiumento. I say that as someone who has lived here since the 80s and was in school with them. Bullies back then and bullies now.
Protonbeam says
Toxic and unethical…yep that summarizes Walsh …. Blose knew of it for quite sometime I guess he was fine when they did it to others and not so great when it was done to him
Tired of it says
I remember Blose lying to the county commission on a number of subject. Willfully misrepresenting statistics. Good riddance. He must have done something to annoy Chiumento, who everyone knows is the one pulling the strings.
The dude says
This town is slimy from top to bottom.
It’s all due to MAGA.
This is what happens when you become enthralled with MAGA.
So goes the Captain…
Flagler County business owner says
Dear “The Dude”
It has nothing to do with “MAGA”. It has everything to do with power hungry and evil Walsh who endorsed and backed Joe Mullins for county commissioner.
It also has to do with the perennial sleaze Chiumento going all the way back to his childhood when his dad had to ship him out of county to go to school. The man is total sleaze starting from childhood. He oozes sleaze.
The dude says
All MAGA.
Until a better grift comes along anyway…
Jim says
If there is a single “good guy” in this story, I missed it. It’s been obvious for years that the CoC here is not primarily interested in promoting business in this area. What they have done is insert themselves into local politics to support the fringe candidates and push politics more to the right. Frankly, I think any self-respecting business should consider getting out of this organization for the sake of their reputation.
Mr. John Walsh demonstrates the ethical behavior of a snake. To approach a subordinate of Blose while his supervisor is on vacation is what a weasel does. This is clearly a man(?) who will stab you in the back. Anyone doing any business with this guy should get their head examined. And Blose did his subordinates a big favor by telling the board in writing that two of his subordinates (Andrew Massouras, Kelsie Lombard) are now looking for new jobs. Talk about putting a target on someone’s back…
This is just yet another example of the toxic and self-destructive behavior of organizations in this county that are not looking out for the best interests of this area. They are focused in their petty feuds and personal interests and don’t do anything to move this county forward.
Laurel says
As I look around, it appears that Flagler County and its surroundings are up for grabs.
Been There says
Let’s not forget that it was Chimento and his contingency that dissolved the previous chamber. It was a run into the ground and supposedly failing to make money. They inserted a “interim“ president and told her that she had to have the chamber credit card in her name. Then, Stiffed her with a $25,000 debt that damaged her credit Because the board refused to pay for their own debt. Chimento assured her that it would be taken care of.
They claimed bankruptcy, but we were able to find money to give to certain “friends”..
Ethics and integrity are not a huge concern of these people.