Good Afternoon Valued Chamber Member,
The School District of Palm Beach County has voted to make Mike Burke the District's permanent Superintendent. Board members will vote on his official contract at their October 20 meeting. Before joining the District, Burke was a Budget Analyst for Broward County Public Schools and has been with the School District of Palm Beach County since 1998, most recently as its Chief Financial Officer. Congratulations Mike! We look forward to our continued partnership in providing the best education to our children in Palm Beach County.
Additionally, the School Board members announced that once the following conditions are met, the district’s mask policy will become voluntary.
- The COVID-19 vaccine is available to children 5 to 11 years old, allowing parents the choice to vaccinate their kids
- Palm Beach County's average new cases per week per 100,000 people reach a "moderate" level of community transmission
- Both indicators for community transmission are maintained at "moderate” status for at least four weeks
In other COVID news, Drugmaker Merck has asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to authorize its promising antiviral pill against COVID-19. If cleared by the FDA, it would be the first pill shown to treat the virus.
If you are a business that relies on Trade, Logistics, Manufacturing and Rural Economic Development, please take a minute and participate in this short survey in partnership with our friends with The Florida Chamber. This information will be used to develop a strategy to continue to position Florida as a global hub for trade, logistics, manufacturing, and related services.
Dig out your leather jackets, pencil skirts and Chuck Taylors for a night of celebration and Rockabilly Culture at the Chamber's Annual Gala on Saturday, October 23 at The Boca Raton. Join us in recognizing the past two years of leadership provided by outgoing Board Chair, Michael Daskzal, and welcoming our incoming Chair of the Board, Jackie Reeves. For additional information or to purchase a table or ticket, click here.
As the economy continues to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses continue to struggle to find qualified candidates to fill open positions in a cross-section of industries. The Chamber recognizes this ongoing challenge and is taking action. We are holding a Virtual Career Fair on Wednesday, November 3rd from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Participating businesses will have their own virtual booth with the ability to showcase their brand and work culture by adding images, documents, videos, unlimited job postings and access to live reporting and post-event reports. In addition, each business will be able to view exactly who has visited their booth, view all attendees' resumes and invite attendees to speak in a private chatroom or video to conduct on-the-spot interviews. For more information or to register, click here.
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 activities by visiting us at bocachamber.com.
We continue to provide you with valuable in-person and virtual experiences. Most virtual programs are 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 in-person and virtual experiences:
10/13 – 11:45 a.m. In-Person Boynton Beach Lunch and Learn
Sponsored By: iThink Financial
Speaker: Erick Solms, President, Simplitfy
10/14 – 7:45 a.m. In-Person Membership Breakfast
Sponsored By: Boca Raton Regional Hospital
Speaker: Dr. Heather M. Johson, Preventive Cardiologist, Christine E. Lynn Women's Health & Wellness Institute, Boca Raton Regional Hospital
Topic: How Your Heart Health Connects to Your Breast Health.
Boca Raton Marriott at Boca Center
5150 Town Center Circle
Boca Raton, FL
10/14 – 11:30 a.m. Government Affairs Committee - Virtual Event
Topic: Recruiting, hiring, and workforce training through CareerSouce
Speaker: Michael Corbit, CareerSouce PBC
10/19 – 3:00 p.m. Economic Development Committee - Virtual Event
Topic: The Future of Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRIC)
Speaker: Angelo Bianco, Managing Partner, CP Group
10/20 – 8:30 a.m. South Healthcare Advocacy Network (S.H.A.N) - Virtual Event
Sponsored By: Memorial Healthcare System
Topic: Women’s Health Care Month: Issues Facing Women
Speakers: Dr. Inbar Saporta, Cardiologist, Memorial Healthcare System
Dr. Reem Raafat Qbeiwi, Medical Director/Pediatric Kidney Transplantation, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital
10/20 – 1:00 p.m. In-Person Boca Chamber Open House
You are invited to the Boca Chamber’s Open House in celebration of Chamber of Commerce Appreciation Day
10/21 – 11:45 a.m. In-Person Successful Women in Business Luncheon
Topic: Linking Hearts between Ghana and Boca through the Akoma Ntoso Foundation
Speakers: Dr. Celeina Moore, Pediatrician, West Boca Medical Center
Boca Lago Country Club
8665 Juego Way
Boca Raton
10/23 – 6:00 p.m. In-Person Boca Chamber Rockabilly Gala
Let’s get “All Shook Up” for the Boca Chamber’s 1950’s Rockabilly Gala
The Boca Raton
501 E. Camino Real,
Boca Raton
The 2022 Annual Magazine has arrived at the Chamber! If your business is interested in displaying this marquee publication, please contact Firdaus Dotiwala. Magazines come 20 to a box, and we would be happy to set aside as many as you would like.
I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming Wine & All that Jazz event on November 5 at The Boca Raton. For the first time, this premier Boca Raton party will be combined with the Chamber's Annual Holiday Auction. Not only will you be able to enjoy an extensive array of wine, spirits, beer and dinner by the bite from some of Boca’s top restaurants, you will also have the opportunity to bid on exciting auction items from wine baskets, resort stays, spa packages and more right from your phone using BidPal! To ensure a successful auction, please consider donating an item to the event. Please contact Chasity Navarro to participate. During all of this, you will enjoy live Post- Modern Jazz music. As the event heats up, the music will transition from tunes from yesterday and today offering the perfect setting for a dance party. Whether you are a wine connoisseur, shopping for the holidays, or are just looking to enjoy a great party in South Florida, start your holidays off right! For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.
This Saturday, the Boca Raton Museum of Art opens the world premiere exhibition of Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru! In honor of this, the museum has created a special Gold Corporate Membership which includes free timed tickets to the exhibit, free general admission to Art of the Hollywood Backdrop (opening April 2022), recognition on the museum’s public listings, invitations to special events and opportunities to provide discounts and special promotions to employees and clientele. To participate in the special corporate membership, click here.
For more information and to purchase admission tickets, click here.
The highly coveted Leadership Boca program is officially open for applications. Leadership Boca is designed to elevate the awareness and knowledge of civic-minded individuals regarding local issues that drive the economy, education, and overall success of our community. This nine-week comprehensive program includes seven themed sessions in the areas of Economic Development, Education, Government, Culture & Tourism, and more. Enrollment is limited to 20 participants for the 2022 class. The deadline for preliminary application is November 19. For more information about this impactful program, click here.
Let us continue to remain focused on maintaining those healthy and safe habits that we developed a year and a half ago. Be mindful of physical distancing when appropriate and keep a mask and hand sanitizer ready - just in case. Together, we continue to Move Business Forward in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and South Palm Beach County, making our region the best place to Live, Work, Learn and Play.
Moving Business Forward,
