Volume 35 l August 2021
 
Weekly eConnection
801 West Bay Drive, Suite 602 Largo, FL 33770
Tel: 727-584-2321 Fax: 727-586-3112


Community Edition
12th Annual Inspire Awards
It was the feel-good event of the year! The Chamber's 12th Annual Inspire Awards held last week at the Central Park Performing Arts Center attracted more than 100 people from throughout our region. There were nine honorees, and all their stories were inspirational. Special thanks to our emcee Lissette Campos and our event sponsors. These photos and video are courtesy of Advanced Video Systems and Lissette.
2021 Central Pinellas Chamber of Commerce 12th Annual Inspire Award Honorees! Seen here, from left, Tricia Kane of Piper Fire Protection with Jeannine and Kevin Ford of the Tarpon Springs Leadership Conservatory of the Arts; and Jake Alexander of Action Accounting, Krish Asknani of Palm Harbor University High School IB Program, Misty Oudshoff of Abundant Life Children's Ministries, Jasmeen Santos-Ramirez of Largo High School IB Program, Tiffany Brown of Pinellas Multi-Ethnic Young Life, and Karen McFarlin of Elmcroft of Pinecrest. Missing from photo, Margaret Dorhman, retired dispatcher of Pinellas County Safety and Emergency Service, and Patricia Bell of the Greater Largo Library Foundation and Friends of the Largo Library.
Welcome, Ensurem!
The Chamber’s Economic Development Committee held its August meeting at and toured Ensurem which recently become a member. A Chamber plaque was presented to its management team, seen here from left, Norm DePalantino, SVP, Chief Sales Officer; Danielle Hutchins, Communications Manager; Dave Rich, President/CEO; and Mike Aja, VP of Technology. Ensurem is a technology-based marketplace offering a wide selection of Medicare and supplemental health insurance plans from the nation’s top-rated insurance companies. To learn more about them, visit www.Ensurem.com
Annual Chamber Meeting & Awards Breakfast
Purchase your tickets here
2021 Annual Chamber Community Awards: Nominations now open!
*****Throughout our community and within the organization are many individuals worthy of acclaim.
*****To spotlight their contributions in helping to make our community a better place to live and work, the Chamber each year presents its “Citizen of the Year” and “Mac Norcross Small Business Person of the Year” awards.
*****These distinguished honors will be presented at our 68th Annual Awards Breakfast on Thursday, Sept. 30 at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort. It’s with much pomp and circumstance that we add these two individuals to the celebrated company of past recipients.
******Use this link for Awards Criteria, Nomination Form and list of past recipients: https://www.centralchamber.biz/annual-chamber-awards
******Please take the time to consider if there is someone you know who embodies the characteristics of these honors, and submit your nomination(s) by Friday, Sept. 3. If you have any questions, call Tom at 584-2321 or email tom@CentralChamber.biz.
ChamberSHOP! Members interacting with members
Do business with a Chamber member and you'll get a chance to win a member profile! Your ad/logo could be featured in our BizReach & on our social media.
Check out the ChamberSHOP! page for more details: ChamberSHOP!
ChamberCARES! in support of Santa to a Senior
Doctors at Florida’s hospitals expect the death toll of the newest wave to continue for weeks, maybe even months. But they already can see that people dying now of COVID are not the same as in previous surges.
Some big gatherings are being shut down as the number of coronavirus cases surges again, dealing a fresh hit to a business that was already struggling to revive from the era of social distancing and working from home.
In the middle of hurricane season, most people dread learning about an incoming storm but UCF Associate Professor of water resource engineering Kelly Kibler says storms actually benefit our state in some ways.
Manatee deaths reported in the past half-century include nearly 5,000 from boat strikes, water structures and red tides. Across that span of mortalities tied to human activities, there has never been a die-off as gruesome as from December through May.
The federal government is ready to look into the reopening of public schools in Florida as Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran pressure school districts that have approved student mask mandates, despite the governor banning such requirements.
Thank you to our Trustees and Newsletter Sponsors
Bay Care/Morton Plant Hospital
Cloud Law Firm PA
Duke Energy
Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital
Home Instead/Be a Santa
Jackson & Associates CPA
Melody Hunter, Charles Rutenberg Realty
National Aviation Academy
Nova Southeastern University - Tampa Bay
Paradise Air
Piper Fire Protection
Platinum Information Services
Regions Bank
The Palms of Largo
Valley National Bank
Village Inn
Wealth Builders
The Weekly E-Connection is made possible by the following generous sponsors: