A 5-Star Accredited Chamber of Commerce

COVID-19 UPDATE

Wear A Mask

While we enjoy many freedoms in this great nation, it remains important to think of others. In Florida, as we see skyrocketing cases of COVID-19, we urge all who read this to wear a mask. If we continue down this path, we will be sacrificing future success for present convenience economically and with regards to public health.  Wearing a mask  does not cause you physical harm, while not wearing one puts  you and others around you at risk . The more swiftly we make this small sacrifice, the sooner we won't need to wear them because things are more back to normal. We have them  for free at our office  if you need some.

To see an exhaustive list of updates, visit the Chamber's COVID-19 page or our Together page.

UPCOMING EVENT

Lunch & Learn –The Pandemic Paradox       

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Noon – 1:00 PM

Online

Would you like to get more creative while working remotely?      

Join us for an engaging discussion on the opportunities created by COVID-19 and explore how to innovate and be more creative.

During this presentation you will learn:

- How to add freshness to your thinking and find more ideas

- How to strengthen and cultivate your intuition when making decisions

- Embrace curiosity so fuels your creativity

- How to leverage momentum when everything seems to be slowing down

Presented by: Jim Harrision, an award winning creative director, brand strategist and speaker.

POLICY UPDATE

Make Your Voice Heard

Important Dates for Our August 18 Primary Election

 As you know, one key step to ensuring the business voice is heard is to become informed on the issues that matter to our community and to vote. Though the pandemic has necessitated a new way of doing many things, we are committed to helping you make your voice heard. We are conducting Get to Know Your Candidate interviews as we speak, and we will be posting those later this week—look for the links in the eJournal next week, as well as on our website and our social media. Our candidates are anxious for you to get to know them better.

 

Your vote matters . Note these important dates for the August 18 primary election:

 

For more information about this election, a list of candidates on the ballot and voting procedures—including adjustments due to the pandemic—visit the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections website at www.votealachua.com or call the office at 352-374-5252.

POLICY UPDATE

Take the Able Trust Survey Today

Together, we can build a diverse workforce that provides opportunity for all Floridians.  The Able Trust , one of the Florida Chamber Foundation's  Community Development Partners , is dedicated to being a key leader in providing opportunities for successful employment for Floridians with disabilities - especially as we relaunch Florida through the changing COVID-19 workforce environment. 

Please take a few minutes to complete this  important anonymous survey  now, as it  closes Friday, July 17 . Please also share this survey with your chamber members, as well as other business leaders so they can participate in securing Florida's future. 

This survey will close at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 17, 2020.

WORKFORCE UPDATE

CONNECT Meeting tomorrow

Wednesday, July 15, 2020 9:30-10:30 am

Register to receive Zoom meeting link

Creating Opportunities through Networking New and Existing Companies with our region's Talent (CONNECT) is a networking and professional development meeting that connects Greater Gainesville's highly-skilled talent with the employers who seek them.

We will be joined by Jillian Dinius from SharpSpring and Karen Oakey from Fracture to discuss applying and working in a remote environment. They will answer questions and have discussion about how to be prepared for remote working.

Program is designed for job seekers with an Associates Degree or higher OR five or more years of industry experience.

Employers are welcome to attend to provide additional feedback and for networking with our regional talent.

Dress code is professional. Be prepared to make a good first impression - even if it is from your living room!

REMINDER

Are you hiring amid the coronavirus outbreak?

To ensure you find the best candidates, please contact Andrea Mender at [email protected].

REMINDER

Hot Jobs through CareerSource NCFL

Each week, CareerSource North Central Florida staff members identify current Hot Jobs that employers are eager to fill.

If you’d like a vacant position to be included on this list, please call (352) 244-5112.   ...See this week's Hot Jobs

To apply for jobs listed:

UPCOMING EVENT

 4 Rivers raising funds for 4R Black Youth Scholarships Every Thursday in July

Join 4 Rivers Smokehouse every Thursday in July to help raise funds for 4R Black Youth Scholarships.

4 Rivers is reaffirming its commitment to supporting our local communities by creating 4R Black Youth Scholarships for students in Florida.

To raise funds for these scholarships, 4 Rivers is designating the remaining Thursdays in July as fundraising days to support this cause. 4 Rivers will donate a percentage of net proceeds from purchases made in-store or online on July 16th, 23rd, & 30th, so invite all your friends to enjoy your favorite BBQ on these dates in the name of charity.

Additionally, guests who want to contribute monetary funds can donate online or pledge support.

UPCOMING EVENT

Join us for Elevate 2020: A New, Live Leadership Event

Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020

Online

 

Advantage Media Promotions is celebrating 10 years of hosting leadership events in the Gainesville community. For nine years we hosted Leadercast, and this year, in celebration of our tenth anniversary, we are launching our own new, live and local event,  Elevate . 

 

It looks a little different because it is all online but rest assured that this event has been created from the ground up to help you and your business define and achieve your vision, with clarity and focus. 

 

Our Elevate speakers are leaders in their fields and bring a dynamic and wide-reaching array of knowledge, experiences and advice and tools that will help your team define your vision, strategically focus on the tasks you can take in the short and long-term and provide you with personal and professional growth opportunities along the journey.  You can get to know some of our speakers on our new podcast series, Elevate Leader Chats, which is free to watch on our Facebook page.  Our speaker line-up incudes Eric Godet, President & CEO of the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce; Keith Wilmot, CEO of Dscoop and former CEO of Leadercast; and  Pete Vargas, CEO of Advance Your Reach .

 

Find out more and register at  www.Elevate-Lead.com .

MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT

2Gether GNV looking for volunteers

2gether GNV is looking for summer youth program volunteers for the upcoming East Gainesville Youth Summer Program from July 27 - August 7 at Eastwood Meadows Community Center.

If you're someone who needs volunteer experience with youth, and are looking for a way to give back to the community, join now! Volunteers be 14 or older. The program will take place outdoors and CDC guidelines will be enforced.

If interested, call 352-872-5500x7105 or call 352-234-4262 to sign up!

MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT

Gainesville Company Selected as a Winner of a Lendio Small Business Grant

Winners include non-profits, small companies and sole proprietors impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic

LEHI, Utah – July 10, 2020 –  Lendio , the nation’s leading marketplace for small business loans, today announced the winners of a $200,000 grant program aimed at helping its small business customers recover from economic hardship due to the global pandemic. Through the program, 23 small business owners have been selected to receive free subscriptions to Lendio’s  Sunrise  bookkeeping service or grants of up to $50,000.

Local company Fortitude Security  of Gainesville, Florida is one of the 23 companies who were chosen and have been awarded a $1,000 Grant or a Sunrise Bookkeeping Subscription.

Lendio received nearly 400 grant applications from across the country. The grant  winners  come from a wide range of locations, industries and demographics.

UPCOMING EVENT

Meridian participates in 2020 Amazing Give

August 19, 6 p.m. - August 20, 6 p.m.



The staff at Meridian Behavioral Healthcare, Inc. who have dedicated themselves to be by your side during this pandemic, either in person or through telehealth, is pleased to announce that Meridian will once again participate in the Amazing Give.  

 

The Amazing Give is hosted by the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.

This day of giving will raise money for over 100 local nonprofits through a single online donation platform, providing a simple way to connect donors to the charitable causes they care about most and encourage them to take action. Giving begins at 6 pm on August 19 ^th  and will be open for donations until 6 pm on August 20 ^th . Last year, Meridian raised $12,000 during this 24-hour day of giving.  

When choosing to support Meridian during the give, you are providing an answer to those affected by mental illnesses and substance use disorders through prevention, coordinated treatment, and supportive services.  When March arrived, so did COVID-19, business has continued but definitely not as usual. We have increased our telehealth services from an average of 30 client sessions to over 400 per day. We will continue to serve our current clients and many new clients during these uncertain times.  

To support your community and your Meridian during the Amazing Give, just visit  www.mbhci.org/AmazingGive . Should you have any questions or would like to donate directly, please contact Stephanie Esposito, Director of Advancement, at 352.374.5600 x8630 or email  [email protected] . 

To learn more about how Meridian is making an impact and information on all of our services, please visit www.mbhci.org .

New Members

Radiant Dentistry Implant & Full Mouth Cosmetic

the Pink Poodle,llc dba Sweetums treats &treata

Renewing Members

Accent Aesthetics

Affiliated Engineers Southeast, Inc.

All Florida Personnel

Allen & Wilson CPAs

Arranta Bio

BBVA

Brookdale Gainesville Southwest

Brookside Apartments

Broxson Real Estate Group

Cabi Style with Leza

Carpet One Floor & Home

Celebrate Primary Care

Club Pilates 

Comfort Keepers

Comprehensive Women's Health

Crime Prevention Security Systems

Dog Bytes Computer

Double Envelope Corp

EAN Holdings, LLC

Earth Pets Natural Pet Market

Ed Potts - Edward Jones Investments

Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Ocala 

Everett Design Build

Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, PA

Florida Museum of Natural History

Gainesville Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

Gainesville Fine Arts Association

Gainesville High Field MRI Center

GatorCPR

Gulf Coast Supply & Manufacturing, LLC

Harn Museum of Art

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Alachua

Kinetix Physical Therapy, P.A.

Kiwanis Club of Gainesville, FL                    

Landmark Properties, Inc.

Laurel J. Freeman,  B.A.  LMT

Liquid Creative Studio

Magic Communications

Marc Radio Group

Mark McGriff - State Farm Insurance

Martinback Group Inc.

McCall Service, Inc

Mister Paper Business Products

Next Steps Senior Solutions

Pepine Realty

Perry Roofing Contractors

Residence Inn Gainesville I-75

RTI Surgical

ServiceSource

Shore Builders, Inc

Soup To Nuts

Southern Comfort Properties, LLC

Sunstate Federal Credit Union - Main Office

The Plaza Health and Rehab

Traffic 2 Revenue, Inc DBA Swamp Rentals.com

Venture Realty of Florida, LLC

Visiting Angels of Gainesville

W. W. Gay Mechanical Contractor

WACO Properties, Inc

Westlab Pharmacy

Wing House

UPCOMING EVENT

Alachua County Christian Pastors Association hosting 7:14 at the Swamp

Tuesday, July 14, 6:30 p.m.

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

157 Gale Lemerand Drive, Gainesville

We are writing to invite you - and humbly ask you - to be a part of a unified, God-centered effort to dismantle racism in our community. On  7/14/20  at  6:30 PM  pastors will gather to corporately pray through 2 Chronicles 7:14 at the University of Florida's field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. We are calling this 7:14. Due to the CDC restrictions, we will not be able to extend this event to members of congregation, however we will be streaming the event live on social media Through the ACCPA facebook page and also ACCPA YouTube channel. Our hope is also to plan an event for everyone once the Covid 19 threat is eliminated.

On July 14th at 6:30 PM we will gather at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to call upon God. That's right, the Lord has opened a door for us to use Florida Field as a site of repentance, worship, and prayer.

 

1. We are limited to 250 people due to UF and CDC guidelines, so in order to be included you must RSVP for this event  Register Here !

2. Please bring a mask, be prepared for social distancing in the stadium, and know that CDC guidelines will be followed explicitly.

3. If you are able, considering making a small donation of $100-200 to defer costs for this event.

 

Again, If you are willing to be a part of 7:14, please RSVP.

UPCOMING EVENT

ADAPT Forum to Explore Climate Change and Coronavirus

Today, July 14, 7-8:30 p.m.

Zoom

WJCT Public Media  and the Northeast Florida Regional Council will present an ADAPT forum focused on the parallels between, and the intersections of, climate change and the coronavirus — and how these crises are affecting the state of Florida and the Jacksonville metropolitan area. Those who attend the zoom meeting are invited to participate in the conversation and ask questions through the chat feature.

The forum will be moderated by WJCT News reporter and lead ADAPT reporter Brendan Rivers and Sean D. Lahav, MPA, Resiliency Coordinator for the Northeast Florida Regional Council .

Panelists include:

To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/is-there-a-connection-climate-change-and-coronavirus-tickets-111685654800.

All members of the Gainesville 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” when you join or renew your membership in the Greater Gainesville Chamber.