John Lai

Title: President and CEO

Organization: Sanibel - Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce

Committee Position: Chair

John Lai is the President and CEO of the Sanibel and Captiva Chamber of Commerce, the premiere business organization Sanibel and Captiva islands and the Francis P. Bailey Visitor Center, the only Visit Florida certified visitor center that is open 365 days a year that sees over 80,000 visitors per year.

Professionally, John has been in the hospitality and tourism industry for over 30 years and a resident of Lee county for over 35 years. He has operated hotels and resorts on Sanibel, Captiva, Clearwater, and Vero Beach. John joined the Chamber staff in 2017 and was promoted to President and CEO in 2018. John is past president of the Lee County Chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and served as their Regional Director for Lee, Collier, and Charlotte Counties following Hurricane Ian. John is on the board of directors of Lee County Sports, and is the past Chair of the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals.

John has been married to his wife Amy for 27 years and they have two children, Zachary, and Emma who both reside in St. Petersburg, FL.