Front and Center: Dick Rice

>>Dick Rice and his bride, Marcela, started their marriage-a second for both of them-honeymooning with six of their eight children.

"We were all loaded up with just a single pop-up camper," recalls Rice. "It wasn't what people think of when they think 'honeymoon.' But we had a great time."

Some 33 years later, Rice is still happily married and once again making the best of a new start under unusual circumstances. Rice, 68, came out of retirement in February to become the Immokalee Chamber of Commerce's executive director. He is drumming up new chamber membership, educating small-business owners and reaching out to government agencies for support, all without the benefit of a chamber headquarters, office or staff. Rice sometimes works from his home but more often hits the road to attend meetings, gather feedback and sign up new members.

"He's energetic, has a great deal of experience and we were lucky to get him," says Fred Thomas Jr., a community activist and member of the chamber's board of directors. "He understands his role-increasing economic development and the quality of our business environment-and we got a real professional when we couldn't really afford real professional prices."

With the planned expansion at the Immokalee Regional Airport, the promise of the 165-acre Florida Tradeport district surrounding it and proposal to widen state roads 29 and 82, among other road projects, all the elements that draw manufacturers are coming into place, says Rice. A large, trainable workforce already resides in what is currently a sleepy agricultural town, and Rice has been eager to see the community grow since he moved there almost three years ago.

"We're just 30 miles from Fort Myers and 30 miles from Naples, forming a triangle, so it's just natural for this area to prosper," says Rice. "I had 18 years of chamber work, so when the position opened I thought, 'Hey, I'm already involved in the community and I love the work, why not get back into it?'"

Born in Quincy, Ill., Rice grew up in Washington, Mo., and initially worked in radio broadcasting. He started his chamber career in his hometown before becoming executive director for chambers in two other Missouri communities-Mexico and Independence.

Rice has also served as head of the

Missouri Transportation and Develop-ment Council (a contracting association) and as director of the Davie and Homestead chambers of commerce.

At various points in his career, Rice has sold automobiles, opened and renovated restaurants for McDonald's Corp. and co-owned an office-equipment company. In the early 1990s, he owned and operated a hamburger stand in his wife's native Bolivia.

Since February, Rice has increased membership in the Immokalee chamber from 170 to more than 200. In the long run, he wants to help develop the town as a tourist attraction, taking advantage of the crowds who already flock to Immokalee's Seminole Casino. Rice also envisions a lively downtown district with retail, restaurants and housing.

"In 10 years, people won't recognize Immokalee as Immokalee," he says.

Currently, Rice's priority is speeding up several key projects that have been delayed by government regulations and slow road construction.

"We keep hearing rumors that all this growth is coming, but at this point we'll believe it when we see it," says Floyd Crews, a partner in Southwest Florida Service & Supply. "He is energetic and he has a lot to offer, but if we don't get these roads built then we're not going to be able to grow like we're supposed to."

Permitting at the tradeport has become the biggest problem, says Rice. Federal permits are in place and several companies have shown interest in moving there, but development cannot take place until Collier County approves a planned unit development for the site.

"It's all coming along much more slowly than it should," says Rice. "If industry wants to come into an area, it wants to be in operation in six months. Our problem is that there are certain basic elements that need to be in place and they haven't been accomplished."

Immokalee has probably missed out on two potential windfalls due to the delays, notes Rice. Naples-based Skytruck Corp., a firm that does finishing work on Polish-manufactured aircraft and once planned to relocate to the airport, probably won't be coming because of the delays. The company would have brought an estimated 100 new jobs to the area.

"We needed to move more quickly on the decision-making process with Skytruck, which is still in question," says Rice. "And Honda recently announced it's looking for a place to build a plant in the U.S., but we can't even throw our hat in the ring. We're ready in Immokalee, but permitting has been a real bugaboo."