A 5-Star Accredited Chamber of Commerce |
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EVENT RECAP
Chamber hosts 97th Annual Meeting
On Thursday, the Greater Gainesville Chamber hosted its 97th Annual Meeting at the UF Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. In-person attendance was restricted to board members, staff and honorees, while the event was streamed live on YouTube, free to the public.“Today’s event is all about celebrating our resiliency not only as an organization, but as an entire community, state, and even nation,” Greater Gainesville Chamber President & CEO Eric Godet said.
Godet outlined numerous Greater Gainesville Chamber responses to the challenges of the past year. These included the Feed GNV initiative, a partnership with the City of Gainesville and GRACE to feed our community’s most vulnerable by collaborating with locally owned restaurants, the Eat GNV Facebook group, which amassed 13,000 members engaging and promoting local restaurants, 31 Days of Shop GNV, aimed to boost holiday shopping at local retailers, the Chamber’s election information efforts, informative COVID-19 news and the transition to online events, including the PIVOT series. Honorees included Diplomat of the Year Laura Bialeck of LifeSouth, Rich Blaser and Darin Cook of Infinite Energy as winners of the Rotary Ethics in Business Award, President’s Award winner Deborah Butler of Butler Enterprises, Citizen’s Award winners Bert Gill and Paul D'Alto of Pomodoro Cafe, as well as the Chamber staff, who received the Chair’s Award.
Read more here. Video of the event can be found here. |
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UPCOMING EVENT
TUESDAY, March 9th: Business Before Hours Virtual Networking
Tuesday, March 9, 8:30 - 10 a.m.
Join us for our Business Before Hours Virtual Networking Event on Tuesday, February 16th from 8:30 to 10 a.m.
This is a virtual edition of Business Before Hours and is structured the same way as our past in-person events. Attendees will have opportunities to share in small groups who they are, what they do, and who would make a good customer or referral for them. Come build lasting business and personal relationships at Business Before Hours.
Attendance is limited to 50 pre-registered attendees.
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UPCOMING EVENT
Lunch & Learn – Microsoft Teams: So Much More Than Instant Messaging
Wednesday, March 17, Noon
Whether you are already using Microsoft Teams or are thinking about using it in the future, you will learn how to increase your businesses productivity and learn about the benefits of working remotely.
Is Microsoft Teams right for you?
In this session overview of Microsoft Teams, we will cover:
1) Features at a glance including app integration
2) Learn how teams enables remote work and increases meeting effectiveness
3) Learn how to use KPI's offered by Teams to gain insight into employee productivity
4) We will share tips, tricks and shortcuts to help you operate better
5) The benefits of using a cloud based service for your business productivity
Presented by: Cox Business
Speakers:
Calli Trabeaux, Cox Business Product Manager of Managed and Cloud Services
Rich Lounsbury, Cox Business Cloud Solutions Consultant
ABOUT LUNCH & LEARNS:
Small business is the strength of our local economy and Chamber. The Chamber is committed to helping ensure business growth for all of our members. These workshops are dedicated to assist in developing and educating our small business owners and their employees on topics such as wellness, social media, strategic planning, websites, career development and more.
This event will be held live on ZOOM.
Chamber Members: Free to Attend
Future Members: $10.00 Registration
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MEMBERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT
Welcome New Members!
We are excited to welcome the newest 31 members of the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce in 2021.
Please remember to do business with your fellow Chamber members!
Together we are Stronger.
Together we are GNV.
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Accounting Personalized
AGAPE Medical Training Center, LLC
American Commercial Realty
Archer Electric Service Company, Inc.
Brown & Brown Insurance
Central Termite and Pest
Computer Wizz
Cryos USA – International Sperm and Egg Bank
Dave and Busters
Departure Media
Eat The 80
EC Corp Business Consultants
Elevate Leadership Institute
Gator Deal Finder
Green Construction & Development, Inc.
KJP Holdings Inc. (dbs Scenthound Gainesville/Ocala)
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Le Macaron French Pastries
Madre’s Cakes
Mechie’s Frozen Yogurt
Motto Mortgage Integrity
Noble on Newberry
PROST! Photography
Scooter’s Coffee
Smash My Trash of North Central Florida
Swamp City Fitness
The Einstein School
The Hammocks
Tioga Dental & Orthodontics at Celebration Pointe
Tioga Dental and Orthodics
VBM Interactive
Vet Comp & Pen Medical Consulting LLC
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MEMBERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT
Laura Bialeck Honored as the 2020 Chamber Diplomat of the Year
Diplomats serve as a liaison between the Chamber and its members, and continually strive to improve the level of personal customer service our members receive. Through periodic visits, phone calls and attendance at Chamber events, Diplomats assist our members in fully understanding the benefits of their membership.
Each year, one Diplomat is selected by their peers as being the most active and engaging with our members and is duly recognized at the Chamber Annual meeting.
Please help us in congratulating Laura Bialeck, the District Community Development Coordinator for LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, as our 2020 Diplomat of the Year.
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SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY
2021 Sponsorships & Advertising Options Available! Announce Your Support for the Gainesville Business Community
Sponsorship and partnership opportunities with the Greater Gainesville Chamber are some of the best ways for your business to gain exposure in the Gainesville region. By aligning your business with a 5-star chamber of commerce with sponsorship or advertising, you help immediately grow your company’s prestige, reputation, exposure and bottom line.
For 2021 marketing and exposure opportunities, contact Steve Cannon, VP Member Development, at [email protected] or call 352-334-7127.
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EDUCATION NEWS
NAMI Basics Classes for Parents begin this week
Thursday, March 4 - Thursday, April 8, 6:30 - 9 p.m.
NAMI Gainesville will be offering classes to help parents of children and teens that have extreme behavior or attitude issues, mental health challenges, or diagnosed mental illnesses. Some of these children and teens may have been diagnosed with ADHD, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, OCD, conduct disorder, etc.
The next six week course begins on Thursday, March 4 through April 8. Classes are held on Zoom 6:30-9:00 pm. NAMI has a limited number of laptops to lend for those that need to participate in the classes.
There is no charge for these classes though they are incredibly valuable! They are a magnificent mix of educational information, emotional support, and practical skills that have been proven to improve outcomes for the youth and their families.
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UPCOMING DEADLINE
Apply now to Lockheed Martin scholarship programs
Deadlines to apply: March 11 and April 1
The Lockheed Martin STEM Scholarship Program is open to students pursuing bachelor's degrees in engineering, computer science or physics who demonstrate need and come from underrepresented or underserved communities. Up to 200 renewable scholarships of $10,000 each are offered for full-time study at a U.S. accredited four-year institution. The deadline to apply is April 1, 2021.
The Lockheed Martin Vocational Scholarship Program is open to students pursuing associate degrees, credit-bearing certificates or industry-recognized credentials in technology and advanced manufacturing disciplines. Up to 150 scholarships of $6,600 each are offered for study at a U.S. accredited vocational-technical school, trade school, two-year community college or state college. The deadline to apply is March 11, 2021.
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UPCOMING EVENT
FBC hosting Post-Covid lecture series
Wednesday, March 3, 7 p.m.
Online
First Baptist Church, Gainesville, hosts the second lecture in a five-week series entitled "Beyond the Wilderness, Post-Covid Life," Wednesday, March 3, 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. Dr. David Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics, Mercer University, will speak on March 3, 7:00 p.m. on Post-Covid culture. Much has happened in American society over the last year. Dr. Gushee will present a vision of how these events have changed our culture and ways we can participate in God’s work in the world going forward. This lecture series will be FREE to the Gainesville and larger community. To participate in the lecture series, please register on Zoom to receive your zoom link.
Zoom registration can be found here.
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UPCOMING EVENT
Cybersecurity in M&A and Commercial Transactions
Wednesday, March 3, Noon - 1 pm
Tune in for a wide-ranging discussion focused on establishing effective cybersecurity and legal practices to safeguard and protect your organization from a potential breach during major transactions. Hear perspectives from technology and legal professionals about considerations and best practices before, during and after M&A and other commercial transactions. We’ll round out the discussion with what to do if you’ve discovered a cyber breach.
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UPCOMING EVENT
Women Working With Women: Purple Table Talk
Monday, March 8, 6 - 7 p.m.
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
UF Micro Internships to help students & employers
UF is pivoting to Micro Internships as an option for students (and partner employers).
Micro Internships can be defined as:
- Short-term, project-based assignments offered by companies virtually
- Projects can take anywhere from one week to a few months to complete
- New projects are posted regularly throughout the year
- Students are usually paid for their work on these projects
Benefits to an employer:
- Provides a cost effective and scalable alternative to traditional internships
- Provides immediate support for projects or tasks
- Offers opportunities for employers to engage with talent and students to get hands-on experience
- Expands and diversifies the talent pipeline by engaging early
Micro-Internships can include projects across all departments, including:
- Human Resources
- Strategy
- Marketing
- Research
- Operations and Support
- Finance and Accounting
- Sales
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
Free Lazy Susan with Chamber Membership
Jackson Stoneworks
1111 SE 22nd Ave, Gainesville
All members of the Greater Gainesville Chamber are invited to visit Jackson Stoneworks precision automated granite, marble, and quartz counter top factor and kitchen and bath design and selection center to receive a Free Granite Lazy Susan and a $100 Jackson Stoneworks gift card when you join or renew your membership in the Greater Gainesville Chamber.
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
Community Hospice & Palliative Care Events - March
Community Hospice & Palliative Care is hosting multiple free support sessions during the month of March:
Mar 4 @ 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
March 8 @ 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Mar 15 @ 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Understanding Grief is designed to help people learn that healing is possible after the death of a loved one and there are effective ways to cope
with grief and loss.
The 90-minute virtual workshop will help attendees:
• Identify normal responses to loss
• Identify coping skills that may be helpful
• Understand the importance of self-care in the grieving process
Understanding Grief is designed to be most helpful for those who have experienced a loss within the last 90 days, and are at least 18 years old. Click here to register or call 904.407.7001. All Community Hospice & Palliative Care bereavement services are free of charge and are available to anyone in the community for up to 13 months after a loved one’s death.
Every Friday - 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
We’re offering a new online support session called Coffee and Conversation which might be right for you. Hosted weekly, meetings discuss various topics related to grief and how you can find help. We encourage you to join us for support during this very difficult time. While social isolation is difficult, grieving makes it worse. Rabbi Earl Grollman said, “Grief shared is grief diminished.” Space is limited, so email [email protected] or call (904) 407-6464 and don’t forget to bring your coffee!
Mar 18 @ 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Join us as we debunk these and other myths with the facts about hospice care. Learn about hospice care as holistic care, supporting the needs of the patient and their family. Click here to register.
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
Elder Options offering free classes
Elder Options is offering two FREE classes. The first is the Savvy Caregiver course that is designed to help improve the caregiving experience for those who assist people with dementia. It will consist of weekly two hour classes over seven consecutive weeks.
The second class we are currently offering is the Coping with Caregiving Training Program that is designed to help improve the lives of caregivers and care receivers. The program is divided into two classes and participants can take one or both based on their individual needs or interests. Each class meets once a week for two hours for 4 weeks.
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