We are proud to host the Chamber’s Third Annual Boynton Beach First Responders Awards Luncheon this Friday, April 8^th. We are equally excited this event will be held in person for the first time in three years! We will recognize and honor a Police Officer, Firefighter, and Paramedic of the Year. These brave professionals have been chosen by their departments for their courageous acts in service to the community of Boynton Beach. Thank you to Baptist Health (Bethesda East & West) for their title sponsorship, as well as ADT, South Florida PBS, Habitat for Humanity, and GED Lawyers for their support. Click here to register and support our first responders!

In Boynton Beach last night, Ty Penserga, Angela Cruz, and Thomas Turkin were officially sworn in as Mayor and Commissioner(s) at the City Commission meeting. We look forward to working with new Commissioners Cruz and Turkin and continue working with Mayor Penserga to advance economic prosperity in Boynton Beach.

The decision to keep these Elected Leaders’ positions in place provides continuity for the entire council to continue their good work and move business forward.    

Governor DeSantis has signed Florida House Bill 3 into law, encouraging police officers from other states to come to Florida. They are being offered a $5,000 bonus and scholarships to cover tuition, fees, and up to $1,000 in expenses for trainees in a law enforcement academy. New officers must complete training, be hired at a Florida law enforcement agency, and work for at least two years to receive the $5,000 bonus. The law will take effect on July 1^st. 

As students being to participate this week in the Annual Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) testing process, note there will be a change going forward due to Florida Senate Bill 1048 signed by Governor DeSantis three weeks ago. The bill, formally called "Student Assessments", is now renamed Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST). This legislation will eliminate the FSA after this school year and replace it with a Progress Monitoring System starting in the 2022/23 academic year. The FSA is a multi-day series of high-stakes exams given at the end of every school year to students in third grade and above. The new Progress Monitoring System will consist of three rounds of exams, which will be given throughout the school year to help better track each student's performance. Florida will become the first state in the nation to fully transition to this type of Progress Monitoring System.

The School District of Palm Beach County is seeking input from parents, staff, and community members for the final stages of their upcoming five-year Strategic Plan. We know how important education is to our children – let the District know your thoughts and provide feedback! The survey will close on Tuesday, April 12. Click here to participate in the survey.

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.

Below is a list of our upcoming in-person and virtual experiences:

4/8 – 11:45 a.m. In-Person Boynton Beach First Responders Awards Luncheon 

For more information and to register, click here

4/13 – 11:45 a.m. In-Person Boynton Beach Lunch and Learn

For more information and to register, click here

4/14 – 7:45 a.m. In-Person April Membership Breakfast

For more information and to register, click here

As the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University Moves Business Forward with its Global Ventures Program, it has already welcomed six new companies within the first quarter of 2022. These new companies include Azuiran, CloudLabs, FAST2 Mine, Greener Process Systems, Helix Virtual Medicine, and XYGO. Global Ventures focuses on assisting second-stage technology companies with six or more employees and approximately $1 million in annual revenue. To read more about these six new businesses, click here.

City of Boynton Beach