Good Morning Valued Chamber Member,
This Sunday will mark the three-year anniversary of the tragic events that took place on the campus of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas (MSD) High School. The Chamber offers its deepest sympathies to those families who lost their friends and loved ones on that day and continue to grieve with you. It is our sincere hope that no family will have to experience what they have endured.
Palm Beach County’s mass COVID-19 vaccination site officially opened Wednesday at the South Florida Fairgrounds. Currently, the Health Care District of Palm Beach County is scheduling appointments for people on the County Health Department's waiting list. If you are currently on that list, the agency will reach out to you to make an appointment. The site currently has the capability of supplying 500 doses daily, but can ramp up to 7,000 doses when supply becomes available. The Health Care District plans to schedule 2,000 appointments begining Monday, February 15th. The site is expected to operate Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Palm Beach County Administrator Verdenia Baker also announced a second mass vaccination site will also be coming to Palm Beach State College on PGA Boulevard.
Passengers will soon be able to get screened for COVID-19 at Palm Beach International Airport. The plan, approved by County Commissioners, will have Helix Virtual, Inc. operate a testing room in a pre-security area on the second level near Concourse C. The company will offer both rapid and PCR tests to departing and arriving passengers within 72 hours of their flight, as well as airport and airline employees and employees of service providers. The site will not be open to the general public. The results of the rapid tests will generally be ready in less than 30 minutes, and the results of the PCR tests are expected in 24 hours. If you're self-paying without insurance, the maximum cost for each test will be $125. This service is voluntary and being provided as a passenger convenience. No one is mandated to take any test.
During Tuesday’s Boca Raton City Council meeting, the Council approved a resolution to enter a contract with the federal government to receive Federal CARES Act dollars from a community development block grant in the amount of $900,000. $350,000 of that money will be allocated for emergency housing assistance, with the remainder used for administration needs. Once the city receives the funds, an application process will begin to distribute the funds.
Having a high-quality workforce is Florida’s best long-term economic development strategy. Our partners at the Florida Chamber of Commerce are conducting a survey to understand your company’s evolving workforce needs and the impact this pandemic is having on your recruiting and training goals. The results will be shared in its entirety and segmented by industry. Please take five minutes and complete the 2021 Workforce 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 activity by visiting us at bocachamber.com.
We continue to provide you with valuable educational webinars and virtual experiences, with most being recorded and available for you to access on the Boca Chamber’s YouTube Channel. Hit the subscribe button to find out when new content is posted on our channel.
Below is a list of our upcoming virtual and in-person experiences:
Topic: How to Get the Competitive Edge in Today’s Marketplace
Speaker: Omar Periu, Business Coach, Mentor and Speaker, Omar Periu International
2/16 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual PULSE Presentation
Topic: COVID-19 Update
Speaker: Lincoln Mendez, CEO, Boca Raton Regional Hospital
Topic: Meet the New Leaders of the Small Business Development Center (Florida)
Speaker: Cheryl Kirby, P.h.D. Interim CEO, Small Business Development Center
2/17 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual South Healthcare Advocacy Network (S.H.A.N.)
Topic: Let’s Talk About Sleep
Speaker: Colleen Ferren, O.T. CDP, Trilogy Home Health Care
2/18 – 8:00 a.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Coffee Plus
Perk Up Your Leads Over a Cup of Coffee! The early bird gets the worm! Enjoy this FREE monthly networking opportunity. Meet new people and give your best 30-second elevator pitch – all before the workday begins!
2/18 – 11:45 a.m. In-Person Successful Women in Business Luncheon
Topic: Caring for the Caregiver During Challenging Times
Speaker: Lori R. Carpenter, LCSW, ACHP-SW, Facility Liaison, Business Development, Trustbridge
Location: Boca Raton Marriott at Boca Center, 5150 Town Center Circle in Boca Raton
2/23 – 5:00 p.m. Virtual Live After Five
Meet, Greet, Connect, and Have fun at this After-Hours Virtual Networking Event
2/23 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Smart Talk for Women
Topic: Sales, Marketing, and Operational Challenges to Consider in 2021 – How Do You Sustain Success?
Speaker: Nancy Proffitt, Founder Proffitt Management Solutions
2/25 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Government Affairs Council
Topic: Boynton Beach Tourism Master Plan
Speaker: Don Kolodz, President & CEO of Tourism Strategic Solutions
2/26 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Women’s Business Council
Topic: How to Find the Perfect Employee in 2021
Speaker: Andrea Hoffer, Founder & CEO of AHA! Recruiting Experts
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce made the exciting announcement this week that Suzanne Clark, the current President, will become the organization’s next Chief Executive Officer. Suzanne will become the first woman to lead the Chamber in its 109-year history when her appointment takes effect on March 11th. She follows in the footsteps of the current CEO, Tom Donahue, who has successfully led the organization for 24 years. I have the good fortune to know both Tom and Suzanne and have worked alongside them for many years. I am excited about this leadership transition and look forward to working more closely with Suzanne in her new role. Congratulations to Suzanne and a big Thank You to Tom for his more than two decades of service and commitment to the free enterprise system.
Thanks to those of you who joined us in-person yesterday for our monthly Membership Breakfast, sponsored by Delray Medical Center. We had the pleasure of welcoming Michael Nordness, Group COO, Palm Beach Health Network, CAO, Delray Medical Center, on his sixth week here in Palm Beach County! Additional thanks to Dr. Maini and Dr. Newman for their informative presentations on the cutting-edge innovations in Structural Heart Therapies and Cardiothoracic Surgery being performed at Delray Medical Center. In the event you could not attend yesterday’s breakfast, you can watch it here.
As always, thank you for making Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, and all South Palm Beach County the best place to Live, Work, Learn and Play.
Happy Valentine’s Day and be sure to take care of your Sweetheart this weekend!
Moving Business Forward,
