Manatee Chamber nabs former commissioner

BRADENTON — Former Manatee County Commissioner Michael Gallen, also a onetime high school teacher, has been named vice president of public policy and small business at the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.

Gallen, according to a statement, will replace Neil Spirtas, who is retiring. A senior vice president, Spirtas has been with the chamber for 30 years.

“The work Neil has done on behalf of the chamber and our community has had tremendous impact,” Manatee Chamber President Bob Bartz says in the statement. “Businesses and residents have benefited from his passionate commitment to supporting our local economy and improving our quality of life.”

Gallen, a Democrat, served on the county commission from 2010 to 2014. Gallen is an attorney, and before he was elected to the commission he ran his own law firm that focused on federal immigration law. In another position Gallen analyzed bills for the Florida House of Representatives Committee on Business Regulation. Gallen is also a teacher: He taught American government and history classes at Lakewood Ranch High School in east Manatee County, and has also taught politics and government classes at IMG Academy in Bradenton. Gallen is scheduled to start at the chamber March 16.

“We are excited to have Michael Gallen joining our team,” Bartz says. “He brings a wealth of knowledge of local and state government, a commitment to furthering public policies that ensure a strong business community, and a love of Manatee County nurtured by long-standing family ties and involvement in Manatee County.”

The Manatee Chamber has more than 2,100 member organizations that represent at least 74,000 employees.