Good Morning Valued Chamber Member,
Our right to vote is one of the greatest gifts bestowed upon us from our founding fathers. As the third largest county in Florida, the ultimate responsibility of our elections falls on the shoulders of our county’s Supervisor of Elections. One week ago, the business community and residents of Palm Beach County elected to keep an exceptional public servant, and the existing Supervisor of Elections, Wendy Sartory-Link. As a traditionalist who went to my assigned polling location and voted in person last Tuesday, I can share that the process went smoothly, and the poll workers were courteous, professional and informed. Thank you and congratulations Supervisor Sartory-Link for delivering an efficient and successful primary election.
Yesterday marked the beginning of classes for Florida Atlantic University (FAU). This past Friday, FAU President, Dr. John Kelly, shared with our Chamber members FAU’s 2020-2021 reopening plan. Included in the plan, FAU will hold 20% of its classes as in-person lectures and 80% as online courses. Additionally, residence halls will be limited to 80% of their occupancy. The dining hall, as well as other common student areas, have been reconfigured to allow for social distancing and other safety precautions. Dr. Kelly stressed that FAU will strive to keep campuses open so students can remain on target and on time for completion of their studies. Thank you, Dr. Kelly, Stacy A. Volnick, M.Ed., Vice President, Administrative Affairs & Chief Administrative Officer, and the entire team at FAU for your comprehensive approach to keeping the students and the Boca Raton community safe through the FAU’s reopen plan.
Also, this past Friday the Palm Beach County Commission issued Executive Order 2020-19, which now allows for short term and vacation rentals within Palm Beach County. Click here to read the full order. Yesterday, Palm Beach County Mayor Kerner, School Superintendent Fennoy and School Board Chairman Barbieri met to discuss details of what a return to brick and mortar classes will look like once the County enters Phase 2. As we get more information, we will bring it to you.
If you find value in the content from our weekly communications, such as our CEO messages, upcoming virtual experiences, restaurant or non-profit showcase emails, and would like others within your organization to receive these emails, please send their name and email address to Firdaus Dotiwala at fdotiwala@bocachamber.com
We are continuing to provide you with the latest in valuable educational webinars and virtual experiences for you and your employees. The majority of these presentations are recorded and are available for you to access on the Boca Chamber’s YouTube Channel. Hit that subscribe button now to become among the first to know when new content is posted on our channel.
Please see below for a list of upcoming virtual experiences:
08/25 - 12:00 p.m. Virtual Smart Talk for Women
Speaker: Nancy Proffitt, Founder and President, Proffitt Management Solutions
08/25 - 5:00 p.m. Live After 5 Virtual Network
08/27 - 8:30 a.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Government Affairs Council
Speaker: Woodrow Hay, District II, City of Boynton Beach City Commissioner
08/28 - 8:30 a.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Women’s Business Council
Speaker: Jordana Foster, Founder, Ready Set Go Beyond, LLC
08/31 - 2:30 p.m. Virtual Trustee Event with Jimmy Patronis, CFO, State of Florida
Speaker: Jimmy Patronis, CFO, State of Florida
TRUSTEE MEMBERS ONLY
09/01 - 12:00 a.m. Virtual International Business Alliance
Speaker: Luis Mago, Chief Innovation Officer of XB1X
09/02 - 1:30 p.m. Virtual Presentation: PPP Loan Forgiveness
Speaker: Jacqueline M. Grosso, CPA, Manager – Tax, Daszkal Bolton, LLP
09/04 - 8:30 a.m. Virtual PRIME Professional Group
Speakers: Rosie Inguanzo-Martin, President & CEO and Joe Martin, Vice President, Allegiance Home Health
To stay up to date on all Chamber activity, visit bocachamber.com or download the Chamber App on your phone or tablet and stay connected!
Six months into COVID-19 and the Chamber continues to deliver on its core pillars: Connecting Members, Advancing Commerce, Protecting Business and Enhancing the Community. We remain vigilant in generating fresh content to educate and inform you, ranging in topics from education, to young professional interests, to arts and innovation.
As we are an organization that thrives on making connections, we want to encourage everyone who has not attended one of our Live After Five, Coffee Plus, Professionals Under Forty or Successful Women in Business virtual networking experiences to join us. In fact, tonight is our Live After Five networking event! Take advantage of those same interactions you had huddled around a bar stool at an evening after hours or the coffee station at our Monthly Breakfast. With our ability to bring participants into and out of Zoom breakout rooms - networking can be conducted in small groups of five, or even as intimate as a one-on-one meeting. In this virtual business environment, we are still connecting our members!
We all crave in-person networking like we used to, but until it is safe for us to do so, let’s continue to do our part to help slow the spread - by avoiding Closed spaces, Crowded places, and Close-contact settings. And remember - Wash your hands, Wear your mask and Watch your distance.
Moving Business Forward,
