Al Rivett is no stranger to St. Lucie County; rather, few know it any better. Al served the St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council for 18 years, during which time he assisted dozens of companies with their location and expansion. Such success comes only after knowing the community and perfecting one’s trade.
In 1985-86, his leadership resulted in St. Lucie County becoming a “Blue Chip Community”, a certification from the then-Florida Department of Commerce. With this designation, prospective companies knew they would be professionally received and their interest properly and confidentially handled. It also was a statement to new (and existing) companies that they would be well cared for upon their investment.
Seeing the need to be more competitive, in 1992, Al, along with the late-County Commissioner Jim Minix, sought voter approval to offer ad valorum tax incentives to prospective companies. Passage of that referendum and its renewal in 2002 have been credited for the creation of hundreds of jobs in St. Lucie County.
With other community leaders, Al’s efforts resulted in: (1) the creation of the Central Florida Foreign-Trade and Fort Pierce Enterprise Zones; (2) the construction of the Ten Mile Creek water storage facility (to improve the water quality of the Indian River Lagoon); (3) a marine science education program (through the collaboration of Florida Atlantic University and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution); (4) a congressional appropriation for the construction of the USDA Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce; and (5) securing grants to facilitate the expansion of companies like Magnum Environmental Services, C&L Tool & Die, and Ross Mixing.
During Al’s four-year tenure with St. Lucie Habitat for Humanity, he (1) doubled the organization’s house production (increasing it from 15 homes constructed in 8 years to 29); (2) oversaw the start-up and management of Habitat’s retail store; (3) facilitated the purchase and renovation of an administrative office building; and (4) secured grants to help Habitat families prepare for and recover from the 2004 hurricanes.
Al has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan-Flint, and is a graduate of U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organizational Management (a 6-year program offered through the University of Georgia). He is an alumni of Class IV of Leadership St. Lucie.
Al has served on many boards of directors and currently serves on the Roundtable of St. Lucie County (which addresses children’s issues), as Chairman of St. Lucie INTACT (the county’s long-term disaster recovery organization), and as Vice-Chairman of the Republican Executive Committee of St. Lucie County. He recently completed a two-year term as Chairman of the Shared Services Alliance of Okeechobee and the Treasure Coast (which assists the Florida Department of Children and Families with overseeing adoption and foster care). Al was recognized in 1987 as the Kiwanian of the Year by the Kiwanis Club of Fort Pierce and as the 2003-04 Board Member of the Year by the St. Lucie County School Readiness Coalition. In 1992, he served as Vice-President of Education for the Florida Economic Development Council.
Al is a 26-year resident of St. Lucie County. He has lived in both cities (13 years in Port St. Lucie), and he and his wife of 10-years, Donna Rivett, currently reside in the unincorporated County. Al has three step-children and soon to be three grandchildren. He is an elder of the Indian River Presbyterian Church, where is he is currently serving his third (non-consecutive) term on the church Board of Directors.