Former Crowley executive has guided dozens of CEOs and key executives through confidential peer advisory groups since December 2020
JACKSONVILLE, FL, UNITED STATES, October 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Steve Collar, Chair of CEO and Key Executive peer advisory groups for Vistage Florida, this month celebrates five years of leading some of Northeast Florida’s most ambitious business leaders through their hardest decisions. Collar began his Chair work in December 2020 and launched his first group in 2022.
“Most CEOs are surrounded by smart people and still make their biggest decisions alone,” said Collar. “My job for the last five years has been to build a room where that stops being true. I’ve watched CEOs in this room make decisions that changed the trajectory of their companies — decisions they couldn’t have made alone. That’s why I do this work.”
Five years, two groups, measurable results
Collar began his work as a Vistage Florida Chair in December 2020, after more than 40 years as a senior executive, including senior vice president and general manager roles at Jacksonville-based Crowley, where he combined logistics, international liner service and Puerto Rico liner service into one division and was responsible for more than $1 billion in revenue and roughly 1,200 administrative employees. His first group launched in 2022, and he was recognized with two Vistage Chair Excellence Awards in his first two years as Chair.
Today he leads two Jacksonville groups: a CEO group and a Key Executive group. Members meet monthly for a full working day that combines nationally recognized expert speakers with a structured peer session, where each member brings a real issue from their business and leaves with a decision. Between meetings, Collar meets one-on-one with every member.
The results show up in the members’ numbers. One member, a Jacksonville law firm, grew from roughly 25 employees to 85 and more than doubled revenue in two years of membership. A real estate group of companies reports higher productivity across every operating company while its CEO stepped out of day-to-day operations.
“Vistage members tell me the group became one of the most important rooms in their life, not just their career,” Collar said. “The confidentiality is absolute, everyone at the table has skin in the game, and nobody is there to sell anything. Five years in, that’s still the whole model.”
What members say
Members of Collar’s groups, speaking in a video series on stevecollar.com, describe the Chair as the difference between a networking group and a working one.
“When I started Vistage, I had approximately 25 to 30 employees. Now I have 85 employees and my revenue doubled in two years,” said Josh Woolsey, attorney and managing partner. “Steve ran incredible meetings. He kept us on track, he brought in great speakers, and he was very selective in who he allowed in the group. I left my very first meeting with eight things on my list, and within months I was seeing results.”
“I expected a lead-generation group. It’s nothing like that, and I’m so glad it’s not. There are a million groups like that out there, but there’s not a million groups like this,” said Christian Leehinger, Connected Mind. “Steve is very hands-off, allowing the group to work, but he’s very good at gently nudging you back to center when things go off track. He’s not taking the limelight. This really focuses on the members.”
“Steve is especially a great host because he has actual experience in a company with leadership and management issues. He’s been there,” said Matt Liotta, CEO of Volato Group, a publicly traded private aviation company. “He really exemplifies servant leadership.”
“Two years ago I was embedded in every detail of SVR Group. Today I’m out by three, most afternoons coaching my kids’ sports, and the companies are running more productively than ever,” said Jeffrey Terwilliger, CEO, SVR Group of Companies. “The number one thing I’ve learned is working on the business versus in the business.”
“We used my problem to work in the group. The feedback was unbiased, from people outside my industry, and the decision we made really changed the course of our company,” said Erin Lyons, a member for six months. “And the accountability is real. The next month it’s, ‘How did that hard conversation go?’”
“Steve’s put together a great group of people with different life experiences, diverse in industry and business type,” said John Kilgore, CEO of Bluecore Design and Construction. “If you’re on the fence, there’s really no reason you shouldn’t try it. After one session, you’ll be hooked.”
“Steve introduced himself after church one Sunday, and within minutes it was clear this wasn’t a pitch. This was a guy who was genuinely curious and knew his stuff. It turns out he had run a billion-dollar line of business for Crowley,” said Nick Smith, CEO of Loud Canvas Health. “What I didn’t expect was how invested the whole group would be in each other’s growth.”
About Steve Collar
Steve Collar is a Vistage Chair in Jacksonville, Fla., leading CEO and Key Executive peer advisory groups through Vistage Florida since December 2020. He brings more than 40 years of senior executive experience, including senior vice president and general manager roles at Crowley, and is a John Maxwell Certified Coach, Teacher, Speaker and Trainer. He earned two Vistage Chair Excellence Awards in his first two years as Chair. Learn more at stevecollar.com.
About Vistage
Vistage is the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize businesses. Since 1957, Vistage has helped CEOs, business owners and key executives make better decisions through confidential peer groups, one-on-one coaching and expert speakers. More than 45,000 members in 35-plus countries rely on Vistage. A 2017 analysis of Dun & Bradstreet data found that Vistage member companies grew 2.2 times faster than average U.S. small and midsize businesses. Vistage Florida is headquartered at 8286 Bayberry Road, Jacksonville, FL 32256. Learn more at vistageflorida.com.
Nicholas Smith
Loud Canvas Health
nick@loudcanvashealth.com
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