From the President's Desk E-Connection

Volume 71 l May 2022

Weekly eConnection

801 West Bay Drive, Suite 602 Largo, FL 33770

Tel: 727-584-2321 Fax: 727-586-3112

President's Edition

From the President's Desk...

President’s Report

******Welcome to May! The month when Florida unofficially kicks-off its summer season. We celebrate Mother’s Day and Memorial Day Weekend and anxiously prepare for the annual tropical storms’ marathon.

******Looking back, April was a whirlwind for your Chamber. Coffee an’Networking, new member presentations and a business ribbon-cutting brought many of us together. And, after a two-year hiatus, we held our signature Springtime Expo. The reviews were great! Thanks to everyone who participated. We’re looking forward to our Autumn/Halloween themed Business Showcase in October.

******In a couple of weeks – May 18 – we’re holding our City of Largo Outlook Breakfast at Pinellas Technical College. The program will include a look at the new Horizon West project featuring Largo City Hall. Information/registration link is below.

******Coming soon, additional education sessions through our new ChamberSMART! initiative and a Women’s Leadership Committee program/breakfast on inclusion & diversity. We also have a Chamber Casino Night in the planning that will be fun for all. Reach out to me if you’d like to help with that.

******I hope to catch up with you soon at one of our events or committee meetings.

******All the best for a happy and prosperous month!

Tom Morrissette

Even More Photos from our 2022 Business in Springtime Expo!

Thank you everyone for being a part of our Expo! A special thanks to our Passport Partners: Piper Fire Protection, Spectrum Reach, Fly High Business Builders and Professional Systems Printing & Promotions.

Check out the video here. Shout out to Advanced Video Systems for the photos!

The City of Largo is hosting a Career Fair on Friday, May 13 from 10am-2pm at the Largo Public Library (120 Central Park Drive) in the Jenkins Wing.

The event will feature several City departments seeking talented candidates in a variety of areas from public safety to recreation leaders, custodial to utilities team members and everything in between.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a resume and contact information. Computers will be on-site to apply online during the job fair or to sign up for job alerts when new positions open.

Admission is free. Visit Largo.com/Jobs to view current job openings. For questions or more information, please contact Largo Human Resources at 727-587-6716 or hrinfo@largo.com.

Current Summer Job Openings in Largo Recreation, Parks, and Arts. New hires who complete the entire 10 weeks of summer are eligible to receive up to $300 in incentives. Job opportunities available for 16+ (lifeguards) and 18+ (camp counselors).

Summer jobs include hosting field trips, playing sports and games, exploring the outdoors, and providing safe atmosphere for summer camp kids. Apply at Largo.com/Jobs.

New Member Plaque Presentation

(From left to right: Gamal Megherfi of First Citizens Bank, Wendy Swertfeger of LegalShield/IDShield, Brandon Seigel of Fly High Business Builders, Kay McKenzie of Check Before Hire and Shelby Davis of Fly High Business Builders)

Last week your Chamber and the Ambassadors' Team welcomed new member Fly High Business Builders with a Member Plaque presentation! Visit their office located on 10225 Ulmerton Road, Suite 8B, Largo. For their contact information check out their business listing in our Business Directory.

Is Florida’s place as a top-tier battleground state at risk?

Florida has famously sat at the center of the country’s politics since 2000, but a string of recent stunning Democratic defeats have changed the perception of the state.

Black farmers line up for medical marijuana license, but wait continues

Regulators of Florida’s medical marijuana industry are currently perusing applications from Black farmers for the highly sought license to grow marijuana.

Two counties in Florida lead the way nationally in population growth

More than 1,800 counties nationwide posted population increases in 2021. Of those, two counties on the west coast of Florida — Polk and Lee — ranked among the top 10 nationally in welcoming new residents.

Florida lost 70,000 people to Covid. It’s still not prepared for the next wave.

A report by the Florida Hospital Association estimates 70 percent of Florida hospitals are facing a critical staffing shortage, and the state will be short 60,000 nurses by 2035.

SpaceX makes record 6th launch in a month

It’s been a busy month for SpaceX topped with a record 6th Falcon 9 launch in a month, this time from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Friday.