If you don’t already know Cheri Donohue, you’ve probably at least been to an event she has planned or been involved with an organization she has led. Cheri’s roots run deep in the Temple Terrace community and range-wide through Uptown nurturing and strengthening the community we love and call home.
Cheri serves on the Soaring City Advisory Committee and served on the Advisory Board for the Tampa Innovation Partnership before that, helping to shape the strategic direction of Uptown’s Innovation Quarter.
In 2022, due to term limits, she completed 8 years (2 terms) on the Temple Terrace City Council, where she was a guiding voice in decisions that resulted in an improved fiscal outlook and the city’s redevelopment of its Downtown area. She almost immediately went to work helping another key civic organization when she took on the role of interim President & CEO for the Temple Terrace Uptown Chamber of Commerce.
“As we installed new Directors for the year in September, the Chamber was in transition and the President/CEO position was vacant. Cheri had already graciously agreed to join the volunteer Board of Directors, and then went a step further by agreeing to serve as President & CEO, a position that she previously thrived in from 2002 to 2009,” said Chairman of the Board of Directors, Eddie Burch. “We are so fortunate to have the perfect person for the role right here all along and she has already made great strides in rebuilding our membership ranks and fostering stronger relationships in the Temple Terrace Uptown business community.”
In her role as President & CEO of the Temple Terrace Uptown Chamber, Cheri’s goal is to guide the organization to be a catalyst for business growth; a champion for a stronger business community, and a connector of business owners, community leaders, and influencers.
As if that’s not already a handful, she continues to serve as the Chair of Rotary Club of Temple Terrace’s Annual Craft BrewFest (7 years), the Garden Club’s Spring Market and has an active role as the Registrar for the Temple Terrace Arts Festival held annually in November. She retired from the Hillsborough Education Foundation as the Development Chair and keeps her hand in education as the Treasurer of the Greco MS PTSA. She and her husband of 52 years have 4 grown children and 9 grandchildren in Temple Terrace, New York, and Portland, Oregon.
“As a Tampa native and then a Temple Terrace resident for more than 40 years, I’ve watched tremendous change that encouraged the growth of a diverse population and businesses that come with that,” said Donovan. “While I truly love and appreciate Temple Terrace as the third largest city in Hillsborough County, I am equally thrilled to see that the outlook is bright for Uptown and the perfect place to connect Tampa, Temple Terrace, and Hillsborough County. All eyes should be on us!”