But it all could have gone another way, if not for some decisive leadership at a key time in the council’s development.

It was 1991, and the Economic Council was at a crossroads in the evolution of its mission: take a strong, vocal stand and help shape the future of Palm Beach County from the front lines, or stay quietly under the radar, a safe distance from the vengeful barbs and retaliations of ruffled politicians, and protect the council’s coveted squeaky-clean image.

The council had just undergone an impressionable experience that would help make the choice much easier. Fresh off an unprecedented victory, where the council had engineered a fairer system of government by pushing through single-member voting districts on the County Commission, Economic Council leaders had gotten a taste of how much of a difference we could make in the county’s future health and vitality. And we were hooked.

It turns out the varying paths at the crossroads’ intersection weren’t that conflicting after all.

We came up with an idea that let us have our cake and eat it, too — keep our reputation for taking the high road, help promote positive change in how local government operated, and, most importantly, change the dynamic for how government impacted the business community. Our answer: a business-oriented political action committee.

And so, BIZPAC was born.

Read more on BizPacReview.com.