UPCOMING EVENT
Veterans Appreciation Luncheon presented by VyStar Credit Union
Thursday, October 24, 11:30am – 1:30pm
Trinity United Methodist Church
4000 NW 53rd Avenue, Gainesville
Join us as we celebrate and share our appreciation for our Veteran Community at the first annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon.
Presented by VyStar Credit Union and created in partnership between Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce, Veterans Health Services, and Alachua County Veteran Services.
Join us as we recognize veterans and citizens providing veteran services who are making a difference in the community.
Keynote speaker: Randy Dexter of K9's for Warriors
Proceeds to benefit The Fisher House.
For tickets, corporate sponsorships and more information,
click here
.
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To learn about keynote speaker Randy Dexter and K9s for Warriors, watch the video below.
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Below is the link to the nomination form for the Veterans Appreciation Awards.
The Categories include:
- Veteran Innovators and Entrepreneurs - A Veteran who has successfully build their own company, or made innovative impacts in the start-up world.
- Veteran Academic Achievements - Includes the accomplishments and achievements of non traditional students
- Veteran Educators - Those that have served and are now continuing to serve the greater good by educating our youth (K-12)
- Citizenship Award - Veterans who are making a positive impact in our community.
- Impact Award - Outstanding Employee in Veterans services. (This can be awarded to a citizen or non-veteran)
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Thank you to our presenting sponsor, VyStar Credit Union.
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UPCOMING EVENT
THURSDAY:
Business After Hours –
TradePMR Oktoberfest and Brew Challenge
Thursday, October 17, 5:30 – 7:30pm
Trade PMR
2511 NW 41st Street, Gainesville
Join us for the 5th Annual TradePMR Oktoberfest on Thursday, October 17 from 5:30-7:30 PM.
Music will be provided by Ken Block and Drew Copeland from Sister Hazel.
Come support your favorite local brewery and participate in the
Brew Challenge
for the best Oktoberfest beer.
In lieu of admission fees, we will be collecting voluntary donations to support
Lyrics For Life
.
Lyrics for Life is a non-profit organization founded in 2002 by Sister Hazel to help fight children’s cancer.
We hope to see you there!
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UPCOMING EVENT
CEO InSights featuring Domenic Scorpio, President and CEO of Scorpio Corporation
Wednesday, November 13, 8 - 9:30am
Hippodrome Theater, Gainesville
25 SE 2nd Place, Gainesville
Building People – The Foundation of Success
Over the course of his career in construction management, Domenic Scorpio has carefully cultivated three levels upon which professional success is achieved. First, master your industry. (Know what you want to do.) Second, create your company. (Know how you want to do it.) And lastly, grow and develop your team. (Know who you want to do it with.) This is the motivation behind “Building People”. Each of these levels delivers it rewards. Domenic has identified that by far the most significant and transformative success comes from helping others achieve their goal and that the foundation for every great achievement or organization is people.
CEO InSights is an event series featuring topic presentations by local presidents, CEOs and other community leaders in an intimate, studio-type setting. The goal is to share personal and timely insights on critical topics including leadership, innovation, culture and more.
Registration is required. A light breakfast will be served.
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CEO InSights is sponsored by BBVA.
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UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS
Oct 17:
Learn about sharks during Oct. 17 ‘Science on Tap’ at Cypress & Grove
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UPCOMING EVENT
Save the Date and Begin the Application Process for Annual Business Awards!
Business Awards
Wednesday, December 4, 5:30 – 8:30pm
UF Hilton
We love to celebrate our members and recognize all of the good they do not only in our region, but around the world! As we open up our nomination and intent to apply forms for the Annual Business Awards we encourage you to think about those member Businesses that are not only the best in their field, but are good neighbors, community members, and are leading by example.
The award categories for 2019 are:
- BioScience Company of the Year
- Commitment to the Environment
- Community Involvement
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Employer of the Year
- Leading Women’s Company
- Manufacturing Company of the Year
- Non-Profit (501C3 required) Small
- Non-Profit (501C3 required) Large
- Startup Company of the Year[
- Technology Company of the Year
- Small Business Company of the Year (<2 Million Revenue Annually)
- Large Business Company of the Year (>2 Million Revenue Annually)
If you would like to let us know you intend to apply, or to nominate another company please complete the following form. We will follow up with the contact and make sure they receive the application and are aware of all important dates.
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UPCOMING EVENT
Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing & Logistics Job Fair
Wednesday, October 23, 10am - 1pm
Gainesville Career Center
10 NW 6th Street, Gainesville
Hiring for a position in manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, or logistics? We can help you reach highly qualified candidates in a short amount of time!
You are invited to the
Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing, and Logistics Job Fair,
hosted by Propel GNV, a collaborative partnership between The Greater Gainesville Chamber and CareerSource North Central Florida. The event will take place on October 23rd from 10:00am-1:00pm, in the CareerSource North Central Florida Gainesville Career Center located at 10 NW 6th Street.
Through Propel GNV, the Greater Gainesville Chamber and CareerSource North Central Florida work together to ensure that each job fair has vetted, ready-to-work candidates, who are excited to apply to work with you!
Want to join us?
Step 2 - We will add the position to Employ Florida, allowing both job fair attendees and job seekers to view your available positions.
Step 3 - Arrive at the Gainesville Career Center between 9:30am-9:45am to set up your display. Bring items that help tell your story: handouts, business cards, giveaways, etc.
Step 4 - We will provide a table, two chairs, and if needed, ample room to screen and interview prospects.
Need help? We’ve got you covered! Just respond to this email, and we can work with you one-on-one to get the Employ Florida process started.
As a reminder, CareerSource North Central Florida and the Greater Gainesville Chamber host career fairs at no cost to participating employers.
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UPCOMING EVENT
Santa Fe College Fall Job Fair
Wednesday, October 30, 9am - Noon
3000 NW 83rd Street, Building R, Room 001, Gainesville
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UPCOMING EVENT
2019 NCF - SHRM Conference
Thursday, November 14, 7:30am
CareerSource North Central Florida | Gainesville Career Center
10 Northwest 6th Street, Gainesville
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REMINDER
Hot Jobs through CareerSource NCFL
Each week, CareerSource North Central Florida staff members identify current
Hot Jobs that employers are eager to fill.
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To apply for jobs listed:
- log on to www.employflorida.com
- Click on “Job Search” under “Quick Menu” on the left side of the page
- Select “Job Number Search” from the menu across the top of the page
- Enter the job number from the list above in the “job number” box
- Click on “search”
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UPCOMING EVENT
Join us on November 18 for our Distinguished Speaker Luncheon featuring NFRMC CEO Eric Lawson
Monday, November 18, 11:30am - 1:15pm
Greater Gainesville Chamber
300 E University Ave, Suite 100, Gainesville
We are delighted to welcome to the Chamber Eric Lawson, North Florida Regional Medical Center CEO, on Monday, November 18, from 11:30 am to 1:15 pm. Eric will provide an update on developments at NFRMC,and a Q&A will follow his remarks. This member-exclusive event includes a buffet lunch. These popular luncheons fill up quickly -
register today
!
About Eric Lawson
Eric Lawson has been with HCA Healthcare for over 30 years and began his healthcare career as a staff auditor with HCA Internal Audit in 1989.
During his rewarding career, he has served as the Chief Financial Officer at St. Joseph Medical Center, Orange Park Medical Center and North Florida Regional Medical Center.
In 2012, Eric served as the Chief Financial Officer of the TriStar Division, overseeing 14 hospitals, 10 ambulatory surgery centers and 386 service providers.
He returned to Gainesville in July 2018 to serve as the Chief Executive Officer for North Florida Regional Medical Center (NFRMC). Some of his most profound accomplishments during his first year as NFRMC’s top leader are that the hospital’s turnover rate is at an all-time low and physician engagement is at an all-time high. NFRMC’s clinical quality scorecard rank is also in the top 10 percent of all HCA hospitals.
Additionally, under Eric’s leadership, the administration team has been successful in recruiting a new surgical oncologist and a new endovascular surgeon to practice at NFRMC.
In addition to his strong leadership background, Eric obtained his Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Tennessee Technological University. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce and the Haven Hospice Advisory Board.
He is recently married and has a blended family with six children.
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Distinguished Speaker Luncheons are sponsored by UF Health Doug Williams Executive Health.
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EDUCATION NEWS
District reaches tentative agreement with teachers, educational support professionals to increase salaries
All teachers and educational support professionals (ESPs) in Alachua County Public Schools will receive salary increases this year based on a tentative agreement reached by negotiators for both the district and the Alachua County Education Association (ACEA), which represents those employees.
Under the agreement, salaries for teachers would rise another 2% in addition to the 1.5% ‘step’ increases that nearly all teachers are also receiving for this year. Steps are annual salary increases based on years of experience and performance evaluations.
Many teachers will also receive additional pay increases based on such factors as where they teach and any supplemental activities they take on, such as coaching, serving as department heads, sponsoring certain clubs, etc.
An additional $300,000 has been set aside for teacher bonuses. The ACEA will determine how to distribute those funds, with the plan to be approved by the School Board.
The new agreement, along with annual step increases, represents a total boost in pay for most teachers of 9% over the last two years. During the last school year, the average teacher salary of $45,215 placed ACPS 44
th
among the state’s 67 school districts. That’s up from a ranking of 55
th
in the 2017-18 school year and 62
nd
eight years ago. The new average teacher salary and rankings for ACPS and all Florida districts will be calculated at the end of the school year.
The district’s ESPs, a group which includes paraprofessionals, food service workers, custodians, clerical staff and many other employees will receive a salary increase of 60 cents per hour, which represents an average of about 4.3% That brings the minimum wage to $11.57 an hour, an increase of more than 8% over the last two years.
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
3rd Annual Oktoberfest Benefiting Ronald McDonald House
Saturday, October 19, 10am - 6pm
Audi Gainesville
1920 N Main Street, Gainesville
Join us this Saturday at Audi Gainesville for their third annual authentic German Oktoberfest benefiting Ronald McDonald House. We welcome Gator fans and lovers of a good time from Gainesville and surrounding areas to join us and tailgate "Heckklappensitzen" before, during and after the game! We will broadcast the Gator game on the big screen during the event.
Audi Gainesville is bringing Germany to Gainesville with a band flown in from Munich, German-made pretzels, beer brats, beer gardens and potato salad. This third annual Oktoberfest is going to knock your lederhosen off!
This family-friendly Oktoberfest will feature:
- Oktoberfest German Lager Sponsored by Swamp Head Brewery
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Central Florida fundraiser: Proceeds from the event go directly to the Ronald McDonald House!
- When Audi says ‘authentic’, they mean it. They are flying in a band directly from Munich Germany. They will also have beer brats and chicken prepared for the grill using traditional German Oktoberfest Spices. Additionally, the German potato salad and pretzels will be aplenty.
Come grab a brat and a beer with us at Gainesville's authentic Oktoberfest!
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MEMBER CONTRIBUTION
Signs Your Running Shoes Need to be Replaced
As your local expert on footwear, Suda’s FitFoot is a mobile shoe store committed to freeing you from foot and leg pain by bringing athletic shoes, socks, apparel, and orthotics to you where you live, work, and play. We travel around Gainesville to make shopping convenient and fun so that you can have a great workout!
How to know when your running shoes need to be replaced:
1.)
Time. Average lifespan of the highest quality running shoes is 6 months-1 year or 350-450 miles of running, whichever comes first.
2.)
Soreness. If you feel low grade discomfort in the feet/lower legs/high impact joints such as knees/hips that lasts more than 24 hours. For newer runners, pay particular attention to the front of the lower leg (shin area).
3.)
Life changes. The following situations result in changes in foot size and shape. Be sure to have your feet re-measured each time you shop for shoes.
a.
Growth spurts
b.
Pregnancy/childbirth
c.
Losing/gaining weight
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New Members
Camp Run-A-Mutt
Columbia Care
LeaderLync
Maid Professionally, LLC
SeeSnap, LLC
Renewing Members
Business Bookkeeping Service
Cintas Clear Sound Audiology
Darr-Schackow Insurance Agency, Inc.
Dragonfly Sushi & Sake Co
Edward Jones- Sally Lawrence
Electronics World
Florida Credit Union - 43rd Street Branch
Gainesville Animal Hospital
Gainesville Buick GMC
Gainesville Sod, Inc
Hampton Inn Gainesville
Holden, Carpenter & Roscow, PL
Innova Leaf Creative Solutions, LLC
Lendio North Florida
McGriff-Williams Insurance
Neighborhood Housing & Development Corp
Oak Hammock at the University of Florida
Oelrich Construction Inc.
Panera Bread # 4152
Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza
Purvis Gray & Co, CPAs
Ridgway Enterprises, Inc.
The Independent Florida Alligator
Thrivent Financial
Weseman, Warner W.
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UPCOMING EVENT
Bourbon Advocacy Raffle & Sip'n Party
Thursday, December 5, 6 - 9pm
Haile Plantation
Attention Bourbon Lovers!
Enter for a Chance to Win a Special Edition Bottle of Buffalo Trace Bourbon in support of Peaceful Paths!
The six millionth barrel of Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has been aged 10 years and eleven months and filled into 375 ml bottles and then made available exclusively to non-profit organizations for fund raising opportunities. Each bottle from the Sixth Millionth Barrel has a beautifully handwritten description on the glass. The bottles in turn have been packaged in a numbered hardwood showcase box that includes a piece of the charred oak stave from the historic barrel and small brochure explaining the significance of this collector’s edition. This commemorative bottling of the Buffalo Trace Sixth Million Barrel will not be available in stores.
Buffalo Trace Distillery has awarded Peaceful Paths one of these coveted unique bottles, and you have a chance to win it! Purchase chance drawing tickets for $100, limited to a total of 50 purchasers!
Each ticket enters you into our exclusive B.A.R. Sip’n Party on Thursday, December 5 from 6-9 in Haile Plantation. Ticket Holders will be contacted directly with the address of this exclusive party. We will be drawing the winning ticket during the B.A.R. Sip'n Party! But, you do not have to be present to win and can tune in LIVE on Facebook around 8:30 pm to watch the drawing.
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
7th Annual Kickin’ It! Martial Arts Tournament Fundraiser
Saturday, October 19, 8am
Gainesville Health & Fitness
4820 Newberry Road, Gainesville
Come out and join us for this fun, action packed day of kids helping kids Stop Children’s Cancer.
All funding goes to the Divisions of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at the UF College of Medicine for research towards finding a cure.
The event will take place on Saturday, October 19th at the Gainesville Health & Fitness at 4820 Newberry Rd, Gainesville, Florida 32607
The tournament is open to competitors ages 16 and younger. The karate competition will include forms, sparring, and weapons.
Registration begins at 8:00am and the opening ceremony begins at 10:00 am. $45 early registration and $55 at the door. Spectators pay $5 per person, or $15 for four people.
There will also be a great Silent Auction! We hope to see you there!
Contact Larry Hartfield at
[email protected]
or visit our website for registration, information, or if you’d like to be a sponsor.
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UPCOMING EVENT
Concept Companies Breaks Ground on New Location for Lacerta Therapeutics in Alachua’s Copeland Park
GAINESVILLE, FL -- October 9, 2019 -- Concept Companies, a Gainesville headquartered full-service real estate development and construction firm, has announced commencement of construction on a new office and lab building in Copeland Park for Lacerta Therapeutics, a clinical-stage gene therapy company. The 12,950 square foot building is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2020.
Strategically located in the heart of the North Florida Research corridor in Alachua, Florida, Copeland Park offers state-of-the-art, build-to-suit laboratory and office space for biotechnology and life science companies. “Copeland Park is the perfect location for companies like Lacerta that are rapidly expanding and need new and flexible lab space,” said Brian Crawford, founder, owner and CEO of Concept Companies.
Joe Reddy, president and CEO of Lacerta Therapeutics, said: “We are excited about our new office and lab space. This new facility will enable us to rapidly advance development of our broad pipeline of AAV gene therapy product candidates in multiple therapeutic areas. We have an option to expand into the adjoining parcel, which would enable us to leverage our proprietary, scalable AAV manufacturing platform.”
Reddy added, “We look forward to working with Brian and his team at Concept Companies to build the space we need to achieve our goal of bringing life-saving gene therapy treatments to patients.”
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
UF Horticulture Club 23rd Annual Poinsettia Sale
Friday - Saturday, December 6 - 7, 8am - 5pm
Horticulture Greenhouse
2475 Memorial Road, Gainesville
The UF Environmental Horticulture Club is gearing up for their 23rd annual poinsettia sale on Friday, December 6, and Saturday, December 7!
The annual poinsettia sale helps fund the club and the international trip for their members. Last year, with the help of the community, our club was able to visit Spain to learn about their unique horticulture industries. We toured La Concepcion Botanical Gardens, plant growing facilities at Almeria University, various farms for wine grapes, tomatoes, and much more! This year, the club will be visiting the gorgeous state of Hawai’i. Well-known for its tourism activities, Hawai’i also has an agricultural industry focused on producing crops like sugarcane, pineapples, coffee, and macadamia nuts.
During the trip, we will be touring various plantations, national parks, botanical gardens, and also learning more about native Hawai’ian culture and history. Club members will have the opportunity to network with leading industry professionals and create lasting professional relationships while being immersed in the culture of Hawai’i. The purpose of the trip is to educate members and to provide experiences for career and personal development. This unique opportunity allows club members to become well-rounded and enhance their cultural and professional diversity.
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
City of Waldo Fall Festival
Friday, October 18, 5:30 - 8pm
Waldo City Square
14450 NE 148th Ave, Waldo
The City of Waldo, Florida (a member) is hosting its annual Fall Festival on Oct 18th, 5:30-8:00pm. The event will have family-oriented games, prizes, music, food & drink, a bounce house, face painting, etc. and is free admission.
The city of Waldo has partnered with the National MS Society (North Florida), who is hosting a Glow Race (5k) at the event.
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UPCOMING EVENT
The Hope Weekend
Friday - Sunday, October 24 - 26
The Hope Weekend is the signature fundraising event for Tyler's Hope for a Dystonia Cure. It's a weekend packed with celebration all to raise awareness and dollars for dystonia research.
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HUB International Acquires the Assets of Florida-Based Doug Johnson Insurance, LLC
Chicago, October 3, 2019
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Hub International Limited
(Hub), a leading global insurance brokerage, announced today that it has acquired the assets of Doug Johnson Insurance, LLC (Doug Johnson Insurance). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Headquartered in Gainesville, Florida, Doug Johnson Insurance is an independent insurance agency providing personal, commercial and employee benefits solutions to clients.
Doug Johnson, CEO/President of Doug Johnson Insurance, is a Gainesville native and former star quarterback for the University of Florida going on to play seven years in the NFL. Mr. Johnson is a well-respected business owner helping clients protect themselves and their assets, and serving his community.
Mr. Johnson and the Doug Johnson Insurance team will be joining Hub Florida.
“The addition of Doug and the Doug Johnson Insurance demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the Gainesville region and our desire to continue to grow in Florida,” said Chris Gardner, CEO of Hub Florida. “They’re a natural fit and their overall experience in insurance and employee benefits consulting will be a valuable asset to our clients.”
“Joining Hub is an exciting new chapter for our agency,” said Mr. Johnson. “Hub's entrepreneurial and collaborative nature and their insurance and risk services provide the ideal platform for us to further serve our clients.”
“Doug and I have known each other for over twenty years and have been friendly competitors for the last decade. I’m excited we’ll be working together going forward”, said Brian Scarborough, Executive Vice President of Hub’s Gainesville office.
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