Volume 33 l August 2021

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

Events & Members Edition

Your input is vital! Please take a few seconds now

Chamber Workforce Needs Survey ******Too many jobs. Not enough workers. It’s a concern being voiced here and across the country. Your Chamber is exploring a new service we’re calling ChamberWORKS. The goal is to develop a communication chain that links employers with employee resources and educators. Your response to this brief survey will assist us in our efforts.   CP Chamber Workforce Needs Survey

NEXT WEEK - 12th Annual Inspire Awards Reserve your tickets here - $25 per person.

Eight-Time Emmy-Winner to Emcee Inspire Awards ’21! ******The Chamber’s Women’s Leadership Committee has announced that Lissette Campos, eight-time Emmy Award winning journalist, media and communications strategist, will be the emcee of this year’s prestigious Inspire Awards on August 19. (More below) ******Ms. Campos, a former news anchor and community affairs director, is credited with creating initiatives that have raised the bar for program quality and have made a lasting and positive impact in the Tampa Bay region. She is best known as the creator and host of “Positively Tampa Bay”, which focused on local non-profits and advocacy groups, and the “Taking Action Against Domestic Violence” campaign at WFTS-TV. ******Her career also includes leadership roles in Crisis Communications and Public Affairs for the Disney Company, University of South Florida/ USF Health and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Florida. She is a proud member of the WEDU Community Advisory Board, The Spring of Tampa Bay Board of Directors and the Ybor City Museum Society Board of Trustees.

Welcome New Chamber Members

Over the past couple of months we've welcomed a dozen new members! At our recent Chamber 101 Coffee Meeting we had the pleasure of meeting some of them. Representatives from those businesses are seen here posing with their member plaques. Starting from the top left: Carolyn Tricoli from Budget Blinds of Clearwater & Seminole, Jerry Konstantatos from Largo Glass, Inc., Nick Fiorentino from Ciarciaglino, Gell & Fiorentino P.A. Bottom left: Elyana Zayed from BioLife Plasma Services and a long-time member with a new business name, Edeline Joseph-Theophile from Dreams Come True by Edie. To learn more about them, visit our Business Directory.

Register here: B2B Coffee An'

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.

ChamberCARES! in support of Santa to a Senior

Can the boss require workers to get a COVID-19 vaccine? There are rules in Florida More businesses, including some in Florida, are requiring employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as concerns over the more contagious delta variant continue to grow. Florida gambling deal with Seminole sports betting passes federal review A key federal agency will not block a sweeping gambling deal Gov. Ron DeSantis signed with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, opening the door for sports betting to start as soon as Oct. 15 in Florida and setting the stage for a legal showdown over the issue. Bobby Bowden, Who led FSU to be a football powerhouse, dies at 91 Over his 57 year career, Bowden won more games than nearly any other head coach. For 34 of those years, he led the Florida State Seminoles, turning the Tallahassee school into a football powerhouse. More Cubans try dangerous trip to U.S. across Florida Straits Cuba is seeing a surge in unauthorized migration to the United States, fueled by an economic crisis exacerbated by the pandemic. Tragedies often spur changes to building codes. Will the Surfside collapse bring more? The biggest changes to standards and codes have often come in the wake of tragedies.

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 MidFlorida Credit Union 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:

‌

‌ ‌ ‌