Good Morning Valued Chamber Member,
The School District of Palm Beach County has announced that Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Mike Burke will serve as interim superintendent of schools while a national search is conducted to select a permanent replacement. School Board Members voted unanimously to offer him the position. Mr. Burke has a lengthy career with the district, holding the distinction as the longest-serving member of the District’s Executive Leadership team. He will officially take over as interim superintendent once the School Board approves his contract at their July 28 Board meeting. This appointment will not prohibit him from applying for the permanent position. As CFO, Mr. Burke is tasked with overseeing the $3.8 billion School District Budget. To learn more about Mr. Burke, click here for his bio
. Kudos to Chairman Barbieri and members of the School Board for moving swiftly to select a seasoned executive to provide stability during the leadership transition.
Beginning Saturday, July 31 through August 9, qualifying back-to-school supply purchases will be exempt from tax during the 2021 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday. The following school items will be exempt from sales tax: clothing, footwear, backpacks $60 or less, school supplies $15 or less and the first $1,000 for personal computers or personal computer-related accessories. For more detailed information regarding the Sales Tax Holiday, click here.
This evening, the Boca Raton City Council will propose an ordinance that would add specific building recertification standards to protect the structural integrity of all high-rise buildings four stories or higher. The new law would require building recertifications after 30 years with additional recertification every 10 years thereafter. It would also require periodic inspections and more detailed reports. If approved tonight by the Council, Boca Raton would be the first municipality in Palm Beach County with such an ordinance.
New data indicates that if Florida was an independent country, it would be the 15th largest economy in the world. Florida overtook Indonesia and Mexico’s economies during the past year. Although other countries may rebound from the pandemic and impact this global economic ranking, the growth of Florida’s economy is a testament to the state's commitment to keeping businesses open and the economy running over the last year and a half. This economic growth is on the right path forward to making Florida’s economy the 10th largest in the world by 2030.
As the advocate for business, each year the Chamber prepares a Business Legislative Agenda that identifies priority issues affecting the business community. This document is shared with our State, County and local elected leaders. Additionally, this agenda is taken to Tallahassee each year while we visit our Palm Beach County legislative delegation during the annual legislative session. These in-person visits allow business leaders from the membership to help educate our elected leaders about those priority issues. With the start of another legislative session only months away, we are beginning the process of creating the agenda by collaborating with many of our members, community stakeholders and other business associations. If your business has an issue that may be impacted through the legislative process at the State, County, or Municipal level, please contact the Chamber’s Executive Vice President, Sarah Pearson.
The print deadline for our marquis annual publication is Friday, July 30th. All members are encouraged to check their business listing on our website to ensure that business contact information and category(s) are correct and accurate. Please use your username and password to make any changes online to your account. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Angie Penaherrera.
Looking for a quick way to find an event, register for an event, and receive pop-up notifications of important Chamber, County, City of Boca Raton, and City of Boynton Beach information? Download the Boca Chamber App – found on the App Store and Google Play Store. Keep your Chamber at the tip of your fingers! You can also stay up to date on all Chamber activities by visiting us at bocachamber.com.
We continue to provide you with valuable in-person and virtual experiences. Most virtual programs are recorded and available for you to access on the Boca Chamber’s YouTube Channel. Hit the subscribe button to find out when new content is posted on our channel.
Below is a list of our upcoming in-person experiences:
7/27 – 11:45 a.m. In-Person Smart Talk For Women
Topic: Effective Negotiations to Improve Close Rates
Speaker: Nancy Proffitt, Founder, Proffitt Management Solutions
Maggiano's Little Italy
21090 Saint Andrews Boulevard, Boca Raton
7/27 – 5:30 p.m. In-Person Live After Five
Meet|Connect|Have Fun!
Pavilion Grille
301 Yamato Road, Boca Raton
7/30 – 11:30 a.m. In-Person Business Awards Luncheon
Celebrate entrepreneurs and business professionals who contribute to overall economic prosperity and our community's success.
The Boca Raton (Boca Raton Resort & Club)
501 East Camino Real, Boca Raton
8/5 – 7:45 a.m. In-Person Membership Breakfast
(Date Change - 1st Thursday of the Month)
Sponsored By: The City of Boca Raton
Topic: Business in Boca: The Past, Present, and Future
Speaker: Scott Singer, Mayor, City of Boca Raton
One of the many ways the Chamber supports our non-profit community is through Boca Chamber Festival Days (BCFD). Non-profit Chamber Members join forces with for-profit Chamber Members to hold events during the month of August to raise awareness and much-needed funds for the non-profit members' critical missions. The Chamber helps to facilitate these events and promotes them through our many communication channels. This year, BCFD will kick off on July 30 and conclude on August 31. The events include music, comedy, dinner, tastings, game nights – and so much more. Please go to one or all to support these worthy causes! For a listing of all the events, click here.
I look forward to seeing you this Friday as we celebrate and recognize the 2021 Business Awards Recipients at The Boca Raton (Boca Raton Resort & Club). Do not miss this opportunity to celebrate business excellence and honor these deserving recipients. For more information and to register click here.
Together, we continue to Move Business Forward in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and South Palm Beach County, making our region the best place to Live, Work, Learn and Play.
Moving Business Forward,
