Matt Galnor, a journalist-turned-PR pro, has been named VP of public affairs for the JAX Chamber, the chamber of commerce for Florida's largest city.

Galnor exits a media/PR role at hospital netowrk Baptist Health. He previously  worked corporate communications for the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville, where he made his leap to PR after years reporting on politics and government for the Florida Times-Union.

He heads communications for the Chamber and will work to grow its political action committee, JAXBIZ. The Chamber in August hired state senate majority office press secretary Dan Dawson as communications director upon the exit of Lisa Daniel.

"There's an energy and excitement here now as the economy is turning around," Galnor said of the city, the largest deepwater port in the South and home to Fortune 500 companies like CSX Corp., Fidelity and Winn-Dixie Stores.