A 5-Star Accredited Chamber of Commerce |
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UPCOMING EVENT
Elevate is less than a month away!
Thursday, September 17, 2020
Moving Forward with courage is all about living in the present while being mindful of what we want in our future. This event is designed to help you focus on 2020 vision for your future in spite of the circumstances and challenges that surround us.
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Digital Advertising Opportunity
When searching for business, services and an overall feel to an area, people look to the Greater Gainesville Chamber. We are excited to now offer our members a limited number of Digital Advertising opportunities available on our website, newsletter and Chamber lobby display.
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UPCOMING EVENT
Greater Gainesville Chamber Leadership Book Club
Tuesday, September 15, 8 - 8:45 a.m.
Lifelong learning is what differentiates performance over time.
Join us for our next Leadership Book Club Meeting where we will be discussing the book:
Book Name: Making Work Work
Author: Shola Richards
The leadership book club creates diversity of thought as you’ll read books you might not have picked. It creates accountability as you have a deadline to read or listen to it. The discussion reinforces the takeaways from each book and how members are implementing them in their lives and workplaces.
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POLICY UPDATE
Join us September 21 for our Distinguished Speaker Virtual Lunch featuring
UF Chief Operating Officer Dr. Charlie Lane
We are delighted to welcome Dr. Charlie Lane, UF COO, as our September Distinguished Speaker on Monday, September 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dr. Lane will provide an update on UF’s plans and priorities. A Q&A will follow his remarks. This Zoom event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. These popular luncheons fill up quickly, register today!
About Dr. Charlie Lane
Dr. Charlie Lane is the University of Florida’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, responsible for overseeing numerous university-wide functions, including Information Technology, Human Resources and the Office of Internal Audit, Business Affairs and Real Estate. He was appointed to the position in March of 2014.
Dr. Lane came to UF from the University of Southern California, where he began working in 1991 and last held the position of Associate Senior Vice President, Administration. Dr. Lane’s career spans both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Prior to working for USC, he worked for the University of Houston, Intermedics, Inc. and Texas Instruments, Inc.
Dr. Lane’s academic credentials emphasize the natural, applied and social sciences. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology (summa cum laude) from Southwest Baptist University, a master’s degree in public health from the University of Texas and a master’s degree in public administration from USC. Charlie completed his Doctor of Public Administration degree from USC in 1998, and holds the CSP, ARM and SPHR designations.
Dr. Lane and his wife Natasha live in Gainesville with their daughters Grace and Hope.
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The Distinguished Speaker Luncheon Series is sponsored by: |
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AMAZING GIVE
Counting Down!
The 2020 Census concludes September 30
The deadline to complete our Census for 2020 is looming: the count will conclude on September 30. That means just 29 days to ensure we capture every last one of the federal dollars and congressional representation to which we are entitled. Remember, Alachua County lost out on an estimated $390 million dollars this past decade, because of our Census undercount. Now more than ever, it is imperative we are all counted. In Alachua County, we stand at 64.3% counted, ahead of the state of Florida at 61.4% and about even with the nation as a whole at 64.7%.
Dedicated Census field operators are now out in the community visiting households who have not yet responded. If you haven’t had a chance to do your Census, there’s no time like now, and it is not too late to “avoid the knock.” Please continue to remind your employees, co-workers, friends and family, especially those in the Butler Plaza, Innovation Square, UF’s Sorority Row and Waldo areas, which are running behind the rest of the county. Visit www.2020census.gov for all the information you need to complete your census. And, to keep track of how the completion numbers look in your neighborhood, click here
Let’s close out this challenging year with a strong count—our hospitals, schools, fire departments, social service agencies and businesses depend on it. Remember, We’re Still Counting on You, Alachua County!
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UPCOMING EVENT
Community Hospice & Palliative Care expands services
Community Hospice & Palliative Care began serving the people of North Central Florida in 2017 with the commitment to care for people of Alachua living with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses. That commitment meant opening an office in Gainesville, holding career fairs to hire local employees to care for their community, coordinating free life-enhancing educational opportunities for caregivers, providing best in class hospice care that surpasses national rankings and all competitors, and now adding palliative care services to help people earlier in their disease progression. No other hospice provider in Alachua County offers palliative care.
The people of Community Hospice & Palliative Care are experts when it comes to caring for people with advanced illness (Alzheimer’s/Dementia, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease- COPD, congestive heart failure, etc.). Community Palliative Consultants, a longstanding division of Community Hospice & Palliative Care, partners with hospitals and physicians to palliate or manage the symptoms associated with advanced illness, thereby allowing patients to be at home instead of in the hospital.
One recent example of how the people of Community go above and beyond to care for and honor the wishes of their palliative care patients involves wedding vows. Mary Mack, a Community Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), learned that her palliative care patient Bruce Cook wanted to renew his wedding vows. Bruce and wife Dottie have been married for 19 years, but have known each other for 40 years. Mary coordinated a vow renewal service with Community’s Alachua Chaplain, Tom Tyer, and Bruce’s social worker, Pamela Way, and his nurse Theresa Felkins both attended the service.
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
Library District celebrates National Library Card Sign-Up Month with limited-quantity poster
The Alachua County Library District is chomping into National Library Card Sign-Up Month this September with a special poster for new cardholders, available while supplies last. The illustrated poster features an alligator encircling the word “Read.” Florida residents ages 18 and older can register at any branch with photo identification and proof of residency using curbside service Monday-Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Minors ages 4-17 can register with assistance from a legal guardian. Learn more at www.aclib.us/signup.
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alachua County are Accepting Applications for Children and Mentors
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alachua County, which announced its return to the Gainesville area earlier this year, is now accepting applications from caring adult volunteer mentors, as well as from children that would benefit from having a friend and positive role model in their lives.
The agency, an affiliate of BBBS of Tampa Bay, is part of that nation’s oldest and largest youth mentoring organization. In the Community-Based Program, adults (called Bigs) are matched one-on-one with children (called Littles) who have similar interests or backgrounds.
“It is super exciting to see matches beginning to be made in our community. Alachua County has always been a community of philanthropic work. Now, we are looking to add additional caring adults to our program who are willing to share a small portion of their time to defend the potential of a child,” said Jasmyn Copeland, Alachua County Program Director. “Traditionally, our matches would spend time together a couple of times each month participating in an activity they both enjoy. However, right now we are following all guidelines relating to COVID-19 and offering virtual meetings until everyone feels it is safe to start face-to-face activities.”
Anyone can refer a child for participating in the program – parents, guardians, teachers or other family members. Children must be between the ages of 5-13 at the time of their initial match, although they are eligible to remain in the program through high school graduation.
Read the full release here. |
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
Gainesville Community Counseling Center
Public School Employee Support Group
Those working in the brick and mortar setting of the public schools are facing an unprecedented situation as they return to school during the pandemic. The Gainesville Community Counseling Center will offer a free 6-week support group for employees of the public school system who find themselves in need of support. We can accommodate no more than 15 people in each group. You may register for one of the groups by clicking here.
This group is great for anyone who ...
- Experiences stress/anxiety from returning to brick and mortar
- Desires to find meaningful ways to manage stress/anxiety
- Needs or wants to be in a supportive community
- Works within the public school system
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
September 10 is Hunger Action Day
Help tell the story of hunger in our community!
In 2019 Bread of the Mighty Food Bank distributed a record of over 8.4 million pounds of food to those in need in Alachua, Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy and Lafayette counties. That’s 6.7 million meals in an entire year.
Since March 1, as a result of COVID-19, Bread of the Mighty Food Bank has responded by distributing over 13.8 million pounds of food in just 6 months. That’s 11.5 million meals!
From September 1 - 30, join the “Take Action - Food and Fund Drive” for Hunger Action Month. Please support Bread of the Mighty's mission to provide food, hope and encouragement to help nourish the hungry and food insecure in our community.
Take action this September by:
- Visiting Bread of the Mighty for a tour.
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Putting together a food drive in your neighborhood, church, business, school or organization and drop it off to us at 325 NW 10th Ave M-F 8am-4pm.
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Donating funds in person or at breadofthemighty.org.
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Become a Hunger Hero. Bread of the Mighty's goal is to have 1,000 Hunger Heroes sign up at breadofthemighty.org for just $15 a month. This goal will bring in $180,000 and provide 1,800,000 meals per year.
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MEMBER CONTRIBUTION
Shattering Our Four-Minute Miles
Jennifer Webb, Magic Communications
There’s a fun 1946 show tune by Irving Berlin called "Anything You Can Do" and is about two people bragging—each one is trying to best the other in all their accomplishments. Thinking about that silly song, from the Broadway musical Annie Get Your Gun, it reminded me of the wisdom of appreciating those who know more than we do. Learning from those who know more than we do, is a great way to inspire us to do things we may not have even thought possible.
Four-Minute Mile
Roger Bannister is a great example. Prior to 1954 it was believed no one could run under a 4-minute mile, it was a physical impossibility. That is until Roger shattered the record at a dual meet at Oxford. Once the psychological barrier was broken several men ran under a four-minute mile the same year. Someone just had to show them it was possible.
Perhaps this is the best time—right in the middle of the pandemic—to decide who can inspire us to our greatness, and who can we inspire. How can we be someone’s hero, simply through our day in day out actions? And where can we get the mojo we need to break our own four minute miles?
How do we get inspired? And pass on our excitement and optimism?
Continue reading here for characteristics that propel people forward.
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