A 5-Star Accredited Chamber of Commerce |
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February is Black History Month
The theme for the 2022 Black History Month celebration is “Black Health and Wellness.” The month's events will examine the often underserved African-American community as well as celebrate the legacy of Black contributors, scholars, and practitioners in Western medicine.
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UPCOMING EVENT
Launch Time: Greater Gainesville
Young Professionals!
Thursday, February 3
5:30PM - 7:30PM
Tech Park, next to Hotel Indigo
Celebration Pointe
5020 SW 30th Lane
Gainesville, FL 32608
The Greater Gainesville Chamber is proud to announce the upcoming launch of Greater Gainesville Young Professionals! This program is designed to help our community's future leaders discover what Greater Gainesville has to offer, strive for greater success, thrive in our community and connect with fellow young professionals. The Greater Gainesville Young Professionals is officially launching on February 3 with an event at Tech Park, next to Hotel Indigo in Celebration Pointe.
There will be drinks, snacks, as well as games as we celebrate the beginning of this new era. Register to reserve your spot at the event!
A big thank you to our event sponsors:
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UPCOMING EVENT
2022 Annual Meeting
Wednesday, March 2
Cocktail hour: 6 p.m.
Main event: 7 p.m.
Hilton UF Conference Center
1714 Hull Road, Gainesville
The Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its 98th Annual Member Meeting on Wednesday, March 2, 2022 at the UF Hilton Conference Center.
The Annual Member Meeting will include a cocktail hour, a plated dinner, a presentation from the outgoing and incoming chairman, special awards and recognitions, and special announcements. This will be followed by an after-dinner dessert and coffee reception.
Get your tickets, reserve your corporate tables, or find out more about sponsorship opportunities by visiting our website!
A big thank you to our event sponsors:
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RIBBON CUTTING!
Relax Salt Rooms Celebrates 2 Years!
Wednesday, February 2, 4-6pm
Relax Salt Rooms
4936 NW 39th Ave, Suite A
Gainesville, FL
Join us to celebrate the 2 Year Anniversary of Relax Salt Rooms on 2-2-22 with a Ribbon Cutting celebration! Relax Salt Rooms is here to help you with breathing & skin issues by using salt therapy. Their salt rooms provide natural therapeutic pulverized salt where occupants are able to passively breathe it in. Their child salt room features an underwater theme where kids can play and have fun while receiving their breathing treatment. Their adult salt room features 17,000 pounds of imported Himalayan salt on the walls and on the floor.
Join us for this celebration with drinks, hors d'oeuvres, giveaways, tours and more!
The ribbon cutting ceremony will commence at 4:30pm.
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RIBBON CUTTING!
Celebrating Swamp Boil
Tuesday, February 1, 4-7pm
Swamp Boil
2001 NW 13th St
Gainesville, FL, 32609
Join us as we congratulate Swamp Boil on over a year of successful business and their 2022 "rebirth"!
Swamp Boil doesn't just make food, they make experiences. Swamp Boil was built on the idea that food should foster meaningful connections and they carry that belief into everything that they do. Established in October 2020, Swamp Boil combines the exciting experience of Cajun seafood boils with the freshness and aromatics of authentic Vietnamese cuisine. The result is a hands on, high-energy culinary experience that immerses all 5 senses. They're perfect for family meals, gatherings and celebrations.
So, come celebrate Swamp Boil! Join us for drinks, hors d'oeuvres, giveaways, music and more! The ribbon cutting ceremony of their grand rebirth will commence at 5pm. They have added many new menu items and reinvented their kitchen and are excited to share this with the community.
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RIBBON CUTTING!
Engel & Volkers Expands to Tioga!
Thursday, February 3, 4-7pm
13085 SW 1st Lane, Suite 40
Newberry, FL, 32669
Join us as we congratulate Engel & Volkers Gainesville on opening their shop in Tioga Town Center! Engel & Volkers is a global real estate brand with a network of local specialists in more than 30 countries. They are able to provide the highest level of personalized service to more buyers and sellers as they achieve their real estate goals.
Come and congratulate the Engel & Volkers Gainesville team while enjoying hors e'oeuvres, music and more! Registration is required for this event.
The ribbon cutting ceremony will commence at 5pm.
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LUNCH WITH A SIDE OF KNOWLEDGE
Lunch & Learn
Creating Optimism:
The Power of Resilience
Wednesday, February 16th, Noon - 1 p.m.
LifeSouth Community Blood Center
2nd Floor Conference Room
1221 NW 13th Street
Gainesville, FL 32601
Everybody needs it, some already have it, and using it makes a world of difference in a post pandemic world. Cultivating optimism and resilience is about acknowledging the past with all its challenges, while creating a mindset open to opportunities and growth. We all know Einstein’s definition of insanity, doing things the same old way and expecting different results. And post pandemic growth revolves around giving employees tools to foster confidence, handle setbacks and provide an environment with strategies to nurture optimism and sharpen risk-taking prowess.
Presented by: Jennifer Webb
Register below or pay at the door; either way, we can't wait to see you back in person!
Please note that in order to maintain safety, masks will be required inside the LifeSouth Blood Center facility.
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REGISTER FOR OUR NEXT
Business Before Hours
Tuesday, February 8th, 8:30 - 10 a.m.
Virtual event
This is a virtual edition of Business Before Hours 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.
See you there!
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SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY
2022 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.
From the 12-month sponsorship opportunity offered through our Circle of Champions to an event specific sponsorship, businesses gain exceptional exposure throughout the year with a variety of benefits and price points to fit any budget.
For more information contact Steve Cannon, VP Member Development, at [email protected] or call 352.334-7127.
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FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
Keep Up with Tallahassee on our Legislative Focus page
Stay tuned with everything happening at the state capitol by following our legislative updates! Once a week, we update our Legislative Focus page to give you information on bills passed or proposed, what your local representatives are working on, as well as hot-button issues and conversations that can affect Florida citizens. To stay informed, visit our Legislative Focus page. |
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FLORIDA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Where We Stand 2022
Each year prior to Florida Legislative Session, the Florida Chamber of Commerce releases our annual Where We Stand business agenda that outlines key issues facing Florida’s business community in the coming year. As we work to keep Florida, Florida and grow our economy to the 10th largest in the world by 2030, the Florida Chamber of Commerce is uniting Florida’s business community for good, fighting for economic opportunities and growing private-sector jobs.
We’re fighting every day in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. to solve issues that impact Florida’s competitiveness, as well as the future of Florida’s business climate.
To view the full Florida Chamber’s 2022 Jobs and Competitiveness Agenda, click here.
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THE LATEST IN
Exporting for Women Roundtable Series - Free Webinar!
Wednesday, February 2nd
12:00PM - 1:30PM
Join a panel of experts as they offer solutions on export issues and discuss updated on international trade topics. Register for the this free webinar below!
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AND THE AWARD GOES TO...
Alachua County's Teacher Of The Year: Todd Eckstein
Todd Eckstein, the director of instrumental music at Lincoln Middle School, was announced as the district’s newest top teacher at Thursday evening’s Robert W. Hughes Teacher Recognition celebration. He will now go on to represent Alachua County Public Schools in the Florida Teacher of the Year program.
Eckstein has been teaching music to middle and high school students since 1998, and has been at Lincoln for the last 15 years. Under his direction, bands and ensembles have earned state and national recognition and top ratings in performance assessments. They’ve also performed at many local and state events. More than 30 of his students have qualified for All State bands and orchestras.
Click here to learn more about this well deserved recognition. |
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HELP THE FLORIDA CHAMBER FOUNDATION
Florida Workforce Needs Study 2.0
Please participate in our brand-new workforce research by asking your hiring managers to take our survey today
In order for Florida to be successful in creating and strengthening access to high-quality career pathways, TODAY, we invite you to provide us with deeper insight into what employers need, and are doing, to provide job skills training to your workforce.
Last year, the Florida Chamber Foundation released the 2021 Florida Workforce Needs Study which provided a deep dive into the impacts of COVID-19 on Florida’s industries and talent. This year, we will be releasing a follow-up research effort known as the Florida Workforce Needs Study 2.0. This two-year research program will further examine the lasting impacts of the pandemic on your workforce needs and challenges, and provideinsight into how Florida businesses and educational institutions can partner to advance the hard and soft skills needed to narrow Florida's workforce skills gaps and improve our talent pipeline.
Please take 10 minutes to participate in the Florida Workforce Needs Survey 2.0 – Part One “Addressing Florida’s Hiring, Recruitment, Community Partnerships, and Skills Gaps." We want to continue to engage with you to understand your company’s evolving workforce needs and how we can work collectively as a business community to secure Florida’s talent. Throughout the duration of our research period, you will receive additional surveys which will help to provide the baseline for this important study. A stronger talent pipeline, and a focus on the future of work will build a stronger Florida. Let’s learn from each other.
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
TempForce
Is Now Spherion!
Office with Nearly Four Decades of Staffing Expertise Makes Strategic Move to Advance Business and Better Serve Job Seekers
TempForce Gainesville has established itself as the go-to staffing and recruiting office in the region for the past 37 years. Known for consistently supporting the area’s most well-known companies and matching them with highly motivated job seekers, the TempForce office is revamping its presence.
Under the continuing ownership of Carolynn Buchanan, the office is transitioning to Spherion Staffing on January 31, 2022. Buchanan is excited about the future of the business and the opportunity to leverage the resources of Spherion and its parent company, while remaining just as committed to her clients and candidates in Gainesville.
“I’ve been working in the staffing industry since 1977 and have owned the TempForce office in Gainesville since 1985. It has been an interesting journey, but through it all I’ve learned the ins and outs of the staffing industry and have made some incredible relationships along the way,” said Carolynn.
Click below to learn more!
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
A Call To Artists!
Alachua County is advertising a Call-to-Artists for a Sankofa statue in honor of the late Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Nunn on an existing 12x12 concrete slab on the West Lawn of the County Administration Building (12 S.E. 1st Street, Gainesville). Artists must submit three to six high-quality (at least 600 x 900 pixels) digital photos of an existing outdoor sculpture you have created made of durable, vandal-resistant materials with an estimated life expectancy of 100 or more years. The photos should be of the same sculpture, both close up and distant, showing details, height, and 360 views of the work.
Submittals will be accepted through Monochronicle until Wednesday, February 16, 2022, no later than 2 p.m.
Submittals will be ranked by the Alachua County Arts Council, and the top three sculptors will be paid $150 to sketch the proposed sculpture (due within 30 days of notification). The three sketches will be presented to the Alachua County Commission for final selection.
The budget for the project is $75,000.
Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Nunn was an adjunct associate professor for the University of Florida, African American Studies Program. She studied Media and Culture, Audience Analysis, Enslaved Africans in Alachua County and African American History in Alachua County. Her creative practices included Media Production, West African Dance & Mixed Media Art. Before teaching in African America Studies, she taught Black Women and Film in the Center for Women’s Studies and Gender Research at the University of Florida. She served various populations while working as a Community Organizer in Alachua County.
For more information, contact Assistant County Manager – Chief of Staff Gina Peebles at 352-337-6279 or [email protected]
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
CareerSource Awarded Grant From D.E.O.
CareerSource North Central Florida is pleased to announce that they have been awarded the 'WIOA Get There Faster' Grant by the Department of Economic Opportunity. They have received a total of $893,833.00 to serve participants from October 1, 2021, through September 30, 2023.
“This was a competitive grant and is one of a few awarded,” said CareerSource North Central Florida Chief Executive Officer Ms. Phyllis Marty. "It is in times of low unemployment (like now) that at-risk individuals can achieve employment in careerpositions to support growing our business community. Winning this competitive grant will add fresh resources to our CareerSource NCFL programs to benefit both our workforce and business customers."
The award provides education and work skills needed by at-risk Floridians. At-risk individuals are defined as those who are receiving public assistance, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Social Security Disability Insurance, individuals recovering from substance use disorders and returning citizens who were justice-involved.
Eligible participants will receive ongoing intensive employment services and support to remove employment barriers, increase their likelihood of obtaining and maintaining unsubsidized employment, and decrease their reliance on public assistance benefits.
Such services include enrollment in secondary and post-secondary education that leads to an industry-recognized credential of value, dedicated case manager and job coach responsible for coordination with employers, job placement, employment mentoring, and progress monitoring, comprehensive assessment, coordinated referral, and service delivery with other agencies for services such as assessments, housing, mental wellness, substance use disorder and domestic violence, when needed, work-based learning opportunities, work readiness activities, job matching and referrals, and transitional support such as childcare, transportation, employment-related supplies.
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
The FLOAAT Center Announces New Spectrum Life Group for Adults
The FLOAAT Center is excited to announce a new support group for autistic adults! The group will meet weekly with a cost of $50 per session. Limited spots are available so sign up now by sending us an email at [email protected]!
The support group will function from a strengths-based holistic approach to provide support in areas such as sensory sensitivities, self-advocacy, social skills, and so much more for a total of 8 sessions.
To learn more about strengths-based holistic therapy and the areas covered in the Spectrum Life Group please view our flyer.
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
Project YouthBuild Hosting UF Community Dentistry Saving Smiles Clinic
Project YouthBuild will be hosting the UF Community Dentistry Saving Smiles Clinic January 31 through February 3 at the Dr. Banks & Dr. Cosby Youth Empowerment Center. Young people who attend Project YouthBuild along with their children will have the opportunity to access free dental exams and treatment.
Services at the clinic will include dental exams and oral hygiene education, sealants and fluoride varnish, as well as tooth extractions and fillings.
Untreated dental problems can cause a number of issues, including pain and infection.
For young people and children, it can result in missed school days and lower classroom performance. “Project YouthBuild is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with UF’s Saving Smiles Clinic,” said Jonathan Leslie, Project YouthBuild Executive Director. “There is a shortage of accessible, affordable dental care in our community and we all know that poor dental health can have far reaching health consequences can negatively impact learning and overall quality of life. We hope this is the first of many Saving Smiles Clinics we will be able to host.”
Project YouthBuild’s campus is located at 635 NW 6th Street, the former site of Dr. Banks’s and Dr. Cosby’s individual private practices. Dr. Banks was a physician and Dr. Cosby was a dentist and they worked together providing medical and dental services from the late 1950s until Dr. Banks retired and closed his practice. Dr. Cosby maintained his practice until he passed away in 2004; he was 83 years old. The building was used for several years by the City Police Department. In 2018, Project YouthBuild worked with the City of Gainesville to create the Dr. Banks & Dr. Cosby Youth Empowerment Center.
To learn more about Project YouthBuild and how you can help, click here.
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Did you know that as a member you can post your open job listings on our website? Your position shows up for the more than 30,000 unique visitors our site receives monthly!
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