April 9, 2019
UPCOMING EVENT
Join us on April 15 for our Distinguished Speaker Luncheon featuring An Insider’s Look at Local Elections
Monday, April 15, 11:30am - 1:15pm
Greater Gainesville Chamber
300 E University Ave, Suite 100, Gainesville

We are delighted to welcome to the Chamber Republican Political Consultant Alex Patton and Democratic Strategist and Management Consultant Bryan Eastman as our Distinguished Speakers on Monday, April 15, from 11:30 am to 1:15 pm. Alex and Bryan will provide insights into our local elections and a Q&A will follow their remarks. This member-exclusive event includes a buffet lunch.

These popular luncheons fill up quickly - register today!

About Alex Patton

Alex is the owner of the Ozean Media and founder of  Meer Research , a survey research firm. Alex has been a paid consultant on every level of political campaigns to include some brief international political experiences, and Ozean has won multiple national awards for political consulting and political media. Alex is experienced in all facets of political campaigning but is known for strategy, data analysis, political communication, and political media to include digital and social media. Alex is married, has two children, dabbles in photography, reads almost exclusively non-fiction, and enjoys riding his bike for exercise. He enjoys traveling and fly fishing to get away from it all.

About Bryan Eastman

Bryan is the owner of Gainesville-based Realist Strategies. He has worked on political campaigns for nearly a decade, working in Orlando and Gainesville and consulting on races across the United States. Locally he worked on the races of Gail Johnson, David Arreola, Lauren Poe, and Adrian Hayes-Santos, as well as the "No GRU Authority" Campaign, the Half-Cent for Schools, Gloria Walker for Judge, Ken McGurn for Congress, and more. In 2018, he consulted or managed over 20 races and issue campaigns across Florida, focusing on digital marketing and direct communications. Bryan is a board member for Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry that oversees Grace Marketplace. In what spare time he has left, he plays mandolin and guitar, and enjoys hiking the many great trails North Central Florida has to offer with his wife.
This event is sponsored by the UF Health Doug Williams Executive Health Program.
UPCOMING EVENT
Join us for  
Business Before Hours at Whole Foods Market
TODAY, 8:30 - 10am
Whole Foods Market
Butler Town Center
3490 SW Archer Road, Gainesville

Join us this morning for Business Before Hours from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at  Whole Foods.   Admission is free with your Chamber membership, registration is required.
 
Business Before Hours is a structured yet relaxed environment for making effective connections within the Chamber business community.
 
You may find a strong referral source, a new vendor, the perfect client or simply get a foot in the door for connecting at larger events. Come build lasting business and personal relationships at Business Before Hours. We hope to see you there!

Click Here for more information and to register.
UPCOMING EVENT
Join Us for a Ribbon Cutting Celebration today at The Windsor of Gainesville
TODAY, 5 - 7pm
The Windsor of Gainesville
3605 NW 83rd Street, Gainesville

Join us to celebrate The Windsor of Gainesville's 1 Year Anniversary with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.

The Windsor of Gainesville offers assisted living and memory care in a beautiful environment which is purposefully designed.

The event will include speeches, Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments, tours, giveaways, and music.

The official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will commence at 5:30pm.

Join Us for a Ribbon Cutting Celebration Thursday at Community Hospice and Palliative Care
Tomorrow, April 11, 5 - 6:30pm
Community Hospice & Palliative Care
4011 NW 43rd Street, Suite B, Gainesville

Join us as we celebrate Community Hospice & Palliative Care's new office in Gainesville with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. 

Community Hospice & Palliative Care of Alachua County is thrilled to open an office in Gainesville to better serve CHPC's community of patients and their families. As of 2019, they have been in business for 40 years and selected their Gainesville location to better serve the region.

The event will include speeches, tours, Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments.

The official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will commence at 5:30pm.

UPCOMING EVENT
Business After Hours at 
UF Performing Arts Center
Thursday, April 18, 5:30 – 7pm
UF Performing Arts Center
3201 Hull Road, Gainesville

Join us as we celebrate local business at the Greater Gainesville Chamber Business After Hours hosted by the UF Performing Arts. Enjoy food, drinks, door prizes and great company.

Expand your business network and unwind after work by connecting with other busy professionals in a relaxed environment. Business After Hours are held at Gainesville Area Chamber member business locations and feature networking, refreshments, giveaways and the opportunity to discover unique local businesses.  Attendees build valuable new contacts and make new friends, so be sure to bring plenty of business cards and come ready to have fun!

The Chamber’s staff and its enthusiastic Diplomats are available to make introductions to business decision-makers. 

Admission is Free for Greater Gainesville Chamber Members 
We hope to see you there!
For more information and to register to attend,  Click Here .

Immediately following the Chamber Business After Hours, you are invited to stay for:

National Geographic Live: Ocean Soul
 
Voyage across the oceans with one of National Geographic’s most seasoned photographers and discover a vast, hidden world beneath the waves.

Using his camera to communicate, Brian Skerry has spent more than 10,000 hours underwater telling the oceans’ stories. His images celebrate the mystery of the depths and offer portraits of creatures so intimate they sometimes appear to have been shot in a studio. Skerry dives eight months of the year, often in extreme conditions beneath Arctic ice or in predator-infested waters and has even lived at the bottom of the sea to get close to his subjects.

National Geographic Live is a night of exploration through film, photography, and discussion with acclaimed National Geographic photographers. Experience nature through the eyes, lenses, and words of the researchers, scientists, and storytellers that have made National Geographic an icon of global media.

The approximate run time of the performance is 65 - 70 minutes followed by Q&A between the speaker Brian Skerry and the audience.
UPCOMING EVENT
Leadership Gainesville Class 46 now Accepting Applications
Deadline: June 14, 2019

Are you ready to make a difference as a leader in our community?

Leadership Gainesville is now accepting applications for its 46th class. This 10-month community leadership program is designed to give leaders of today the tools they need to grow their impact in the Greater Gainesville region. LG provides an in-depth immersion into the issues and opportunities of our region.

Leadership Gainesville allows you to:
  • Broaden your perspective and understanding
  • Develop your leadership expertise
  • Meet local & state leaders
  • Develop & expand network of contacts
  • Visit local sites & facilities
  • Gain exposure to current issues and developments
  • Build personal & professional relationships that last a lifetime
  • Impact the community through class projects
  • And more!

For more information, contact Joe Johnson at  joe@gainesvillechamber.com.
UPCOMING EVENT
Santa Fe Career Fair
Tomorrow, April 10, 9am - Noon
SF Gymnasium, Bldg. V
3000 NW 83rd Street, Gainesville

Registration is free but space is limited so reserve a table now—table and two chairs will be provided.

Please indicate any accommodations required prior to event—power is available but limited.

If your company is interested in sponsoring a light snack for employer participants, please let  James Schindler  know. Sponsors will receive prime placement of display and special considerations on marketing materials for this event.

Contact Career Placement office to register and with any questions about this event.
UPCOMING EVENT
Stay in the Swamp Career Fair
Friday, April 12, 10am - 1pm
Hough Hall, UF

Are you looking for an undergraduate or graduate University of Florida student who is interested in staying in the Swamp? Local organizations are invited to come and recruit UF students across all majors at the Stay in the Swamp career fair. This annual event connects local employers and students in an effort to keep talent in theregion. Students not only want to learn about your company's open positions, but also why your company and employees thrive in Greater Gainesville.

Companies are invited to market its openings and culture at optional information sessions the evening before the career fair. For more information, contact  Craig Petrus or  Stephanie Fajre.
REMINDER
Hot Jobs through CareerSource NCFL

Each week, CareerSource North Central Florida staff members identify current Hot Jobs that employers are eager to fill.

If you’d like a vacant position to be included on this list, please call (352) 244-5112.   ...See this week's Hot Jobs
To apply for jobs listed:
  1. log on towww.employflorida.com
  2. Click on “Job Search” under “Quick Menu” on the left side of the page
  3. Select “Job Number Search” from the menu across the top of the page
  4. Enter the job number from the list above in the “job number” box
  5. Click on “search”
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
Gainesville's ClaimFound Helps Return Lost Money to Florida Citizens

ClaimFound Inc., a Gainesville-based internet company providing free software to help individuals and businesses find, process, and monitor unclaimed property, has officially launched its platform in Florida and is looking to aid in the return of hundreds of millions of dollars to Florida citizens.

Unclaimed property encompasses a wide array of assets, from old utility deposits, to life insurance policy payouts which never made it to the rightful heir. The State of Florida has more than $3 billion in outstanding unclaimed property and has been proactive in returning it to the public. In 2017, the State fulfilled 623,326 claims and returned $322 million.

“Florida has a great system in place, but with billions more dollars out there waiting for Florida residents, ClaimFound is a way to help them extend their reach and return even more unclaimed property” says Chris Prompovitch, CEO and Co-founder of the company.

ClaimFound’s humble beginnings started in the garage of two friends near the University of Florida. They spent two years developing the first version of the software, which includes having developed a proprietary search algorithm that allows Florida residents with common names like John Smith to more easily find their missing money when sorting through thousands of potential claims. Now the company employs five Gainesville residents, and hopes to recruit up to five more in the next twelve months. With this growing team they are able to improve the software and continue to connect more people to their property.

Once users find some money they’re owed, the website guides users through the process, providing help with required documentation, after which the completed forms are submitted to the Florida Unclaimed Property Department to be processed. Typically, users get their check within 30 days following the Unclaimed Property Department’s acceptance and review of the claim package.

Continue reading here .

that as a Chamber member, you may host a Ribbon Cutting Celebration to market your company for a multitude of reasons including a Grand Opening, A Milestone Anniversary and even an expansion of your business.  For information on hosting a Ribbon Cutting Event, contact Mary Fox, your Member Engagement Manager at mary@gainesvillechamber.com .
UPCOMING EVENT
Leadercast Gainesville: Leading Healthy Teams with Your Third Eye
Wednesday, April 10, 11:30am - 1pm
Team Dynamo - Keller Williams Realty
7584 NW 4th Blvd, Gainesville

Come and learn about “third eye leadership.” How do effective leaders “see” opportunities before they exist? What does it take to build up others to be the best they can be for the success of the whole team? Craig Wilburn, Leader and Champion of the Vision for Team Dynamo at Keller Williams, one of the Nations Top Real Estate Teams, will conduct a campfire style discussion revolving around these topics to encourage you to identify the leader within YOU.

Family man, speaker, Realtor®, wholehearted husband, & impassioned leader. These are just a few of the things you’ll hear him called. By the numbers, Craig Wilburn has dominated real estate in the Gainesville region for over 15 years. 95% of his clients come from area referrals (he’s the region’s top seller). He’s backed by an accomplished team of real estate experts. in 2017, he lead his team to over $48 million in transactions. He’s spoken in 18 cities. He’s the proud father of 5 kids. And as Team Dynamo, he and his team have earned the title of Gainesville’s NUMBER ONE People’s Choice for Real Estate by the community they serve.

New Members

CWP Photography

Ideal Image

Landmark Mortgage Planners

OGGI Italian, LLC

Sugar Mama Foods
Renewing Members

352 Foto

Advantage Media Promotions

Atlas Screen Printing

Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish, Realtors

Down Home Inspections

ELISA Technologies, Inc

Gainesville Health & Fitness

Henderson Engineering, Inc.

Laurel J. Freeman, B.A. LMT

Mister Paper Business Products

Nelson's Lark Outdoor Store

NovaBone Products, LLC

Parisleaf

Pinners Fine Shoes

Purvis Gray & Co, CPA's

Tel-Test

Treweek Insurance Agency, LLC
MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
Calling All Entrepreneurs: Coffee Shop and Cafe Opportunity At the Melrose Community and Senior Center 
307 State Road 26, Melrose

The Institute for Workforce Innovation (IWI) is in search of an energetic/independent entrepreneur to operate the food service at the Melrose Community and Senior Center(MCSC) located at 307 State Road 26, Melrose, FL. The Center was established in 2010 to provide a focal point in the community for all citizens in the Lake Area of Alachua, Putnam, Bradford and Clay counties. A strong focus of the center is to assist and enable older residents “age in place” by providing access to health information, continuing education, social interaction and nutritious food. 

An ITN Proposal (Invitation To Negotiate) will be made available to any interested parties so that they may have a chance to propose their business ideas with the operator. The proposals will be ranked with the goal of selecting an independent contractor or organization who shall partner with the operator in providing management and daily operations of the food service to enhance and grow the utilization of the facility by the full community. 

Proposal Timeline: 

  • April 8- Proposal specifications released and available both by email (if requested) or at the center from 9am-12pm..
  • April 15- A short bidders conference including a site visit of the kitchen and a question and answer period.
  • April 22 - Proposals due by email no later the close of business (5pm) the same day. Late submissions will not be considered.
  • April 30- Selected bidders for consideration will be notified and presentations will be scheduled.
  • May 4- Successful bidder will begin agreement negotiations.

Contact for Questions: PJ Thran. pthran@iwionline.org 352-475-2589