A 5-Star Accredited Chamber of Commerce |
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COMMUNITY NEWS
UF now ranked #6 public university by US News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report today named the University of Florida the No. 6 public university in the country, continuing the university’s upward trajectory and placing it on the cusp of reaching its top-five goal.
The announcement marks the fourth consecutive year UF rose in the rankings for public universities, advancing from No. 14 in 2017 to No. 6 today. During the same period, UF leapt from No. 50 to No. 30 on the U.S. News National Universities list, which includes both public and private institutions. Continue reading here.
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A Message from Mary Fox
As of mid-September, I am leaving the Greater Gainesville Chamber Team to move closer to family and I’d like to just say an overwhelming Thank You...
My time with the Chamber has been an incredible opportunity for me both personally and professionally. It has truly been my honor to help and to celebrate our amazing members as well as the Greater Gainesville community. The resilience of our businesses and nonprofits continues to inspire me daily, and I am so proud to have had the opportunity to work alongside so many of you.
I have been so fortunate to work with such a talented, caring, and hardworking Chamber Team—a team who believes wholeheartedly in our community, and a team who lives and breathes all that Greater Gainesville represents through our Chamber’s Core Values: Leadership, Integrity, Innovation, Collaboration, and Sustainability.
Thank you for making these last two years the best years of my life and career, Greater Gainesville.
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UPCOMING EVENT
Join us for Business Before Hours - Virtual Networking Event
Tuesday, September 22, 8:30 a.m.
Only a few spots left!
This virtual edition of Business Before Hours is a member event structured the same way as our past in-person events. Attendees will have opportunities to share in small groups who they are, what they do and who would make a good customer or referral for them. Come build lasting business and personal relationships at Business Before Hours.
Attendance is limited to 50 pre-registered attendees. Space is limited and available on a first come, first serve basis. Pre-registration is required.
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UPCOMING EVENT
Elevate is This Thursday - register now
Thursday, September 17, 2020
Moving Forward with courage is all about living in the present while being mindful of what we want in our future. This event is designed to help you focus on 2020 vision for your future in spite of the circumstances and challenges that surround us.
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Digital Advertising Opportunity
When searching for business, services and an overall feel to an area, people look to the Greater Gainesville Chamber. We are excited to now offer our members a limited number of Digital Advertising opportunities available on our website, newsletter and Chamber lobby display.
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UPCOMING EVENT
Leadercast Weekly Session tickets on sale now!
Every Wednesday from September 23 - November 18
Leadercast focuses on the leadership issues most relevant to today's leader. It is a pairing of inspiring messages and rich interaction with fellow leaders who are being intentional about raising their standard of leadership, through a creative, energetic and memorable experience. Leadercast exists to serve leaders across all industries and various career experiences so they leave this event better equipped to take on their next challenge.
Each week through November 18, 2020, a single speaker will be featured in a recorded session from Leadercast 2020. They are all trailblazers. They are people who face big ideas head on and take their teams to new heights. In these approximately 30 minute sessions, learn from leadership experts on how to purposefully interrupt organizational functions to bring new energy, ideas, processes and success to your team.
Presented as a weekly event, these individual sessions offer you the flexibility to choose only the ones you want or opt for them all and create a team leadership training schedule for 9 weeks.
Leadercast Weekly Session Schedule:
9/23/2020: DR. HENRY CLOUD, Psychologist, Author and Leadership Expert
9/30/2020: AMY JO MARTIN, Digital Media Pioneer and Best-Selling Author
10/7/2020: ANDY STANLEY, Leadership Author & Communicator
10/14/2020: RICHARD MONTANEZ, VP of Multicultural Sales & Marketing, PepsiCo North America
10/21/2020: BOZOMA SAINT JOHN, Chief Marketing Officer, Endeavor
10/28/2020: EARVIN "MAGIC" JOHNSON, Basketball Hall-of-Famer and Entrepreneur
11/4/2020: SANGRAM VAJRE, Author, Podcast Host and Chief Evangelist, Terminus
11/11/2020: RAHAF HARFOUSH, Digital Anthropologist and Executive Director, Red Thread Institute
11/18/2020: MATT WALLAERT, Behavioral Scientist and Chief Behavior Officer, Clover Health
Session access will begin at 8:00 AM EST the day of each event and will available for 36 hours.
Access links will be provided for the session(s) you invest in. The access link can not be shared, however, attendees may have others view the session with them as a group. (Great option for team leadership training.)
Ticket Options
Package Option (available for purchase until 10/2/2020)
$ 140.00 (Chamber Members)
$ 170.00 (General Admission)
Individual Sessions: $25 per session (Chamber Members)
$35 per session (General Public)
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POLICY UPDATE
Join us September 21 for our Distinguished Speaker Virtual Lunch featuring
UF Chief Operating Officer Dr. Charlie Lane
We are delighted to welcome Dr. Charlie Lane, UF COO, as our September Distinguished Speaker on Monday, September 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dr. Lane will provide an update on UF’s plans and priorities. A Q&A will follow his remarks. This Zoom event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. These popular luncheons fill up quickly, register today!
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The Distinguished Speaker Luncheon Series is sponsored by: |
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CENSUS UPDATE
Census Countown:
15 Days!
The 2020 Census concludes September 30
Though the deadline to complete our Census for 2020 is a little in flux, one thing is certain: our once-in-a-decade count is almost completed. To capture every last one of the federal dollars and congressional representation to which we are entitled, everyone must be counted. Remember, Alachua County lost out on an estimated $390 million dollars this past decade, because of our Census undercount. Now more than ever, it is imperative we are all counted. In Alachua County, we are inching forward each week, with 65.2% counted, ahead of the state of Florida at 62.3% and about even with the nation as a whole at 65.6%.
Dedicated Census field operators are now out in the community visiting households who have not yet responded. If you haven’t had a chance to do your Census, there’s no time like now, and it is not too late to “avoid the knock.” Please continue to remind your employees, co-workers, friends and family, especially those in the Butler Plaza, Innovation Square, UF’s Sorority Row and Waldo areas, which are running behind the rest of the county. To wrap up the count, Census takers will work with administrators at colleges, senior centers, prisons, and other facilities that house large groups of people to make sure everyone is counted, and in December, the Census Bureau will deliver apportionment counts to the President and Congress as required by law.
Visit www.2020census.gov for all the information you need to complete your census. And, to keep track of how the completion numbers look in your neighborhood, click here.
Let’s close out this challenging year with a strong count—our hospitals, schools, fire departments, social service agencies and businesses depend on it. Remember, We’re Still Counting on You, Alachua County!
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VOTING UPDATE
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3
As you know, one key step to ensuring the business voice is heard is to become informed on the issues that matter to our community and to vote. Though the pandemic has necessitated a new way of doing many things, we are committed to helping you make your voice heard. Candidate interviews for local races will be updated and posted on our website in the coming weeks.
Your vote matters. Note these important dates for the November 3rd election:
- Last day to register to vote: Monday, October 5
- Early voting takes place: Monday, October 19 through Saturday, October 31
- Deadline to request a mail-in ballot: Saturday, October 24 by 5:00 p.m.
- Election Day: Tuesday, November 3
- Deadline to return mail-in ballots: Tuesday, November 3 by 7:00 p.m.
For more information about this election, a list of candidates on the ballot and voting procedures—including adjustments due to the pandemic—visit the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections website at www.votealachua.com or call the office at 352-374-5252.
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UPCOMING EVENT
2020 East Gainesville Initiative Forum
Thursday, September 24, 6 p.m.
Discussing EGI's Annual Report and updates on the college's recent and future outreach efforts in East Gainesville. Speakers include Santa Fe College leadership: Dr. Karen Cole-Smith, EGI Executive Director, Dr. Naima Brown, VP of Student Affairs and college President Dr. Paul Broadie.
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EDUCATION UPDATE
NHRA Youth & Education Services Program
In light of the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic and in accordance with the recommendation of state and local agencies, we will now offer a brand new digital curriculum to schools.
This “Virtual NHRA YES Program” digital curriculum will include a video containing the same discussion topics that schools are accustomed to seeing when they attend the NHRA Youth & Education Services Program in person. Students now have the ability to view the entire YES Program presentation directly in the classroom or in the comfort of their own home.
The 2020 NHRA Youth & Education Services Program (YES) digital curriculum is a FREE program that focuses on the importance of goals and continued education; additionally, it allows students to learn about and explore various career opportunities. Students are presented with career, educational, and scholarship opportunities from our official NHRA YES Program Partners: FORD, Dodge/Mopar, Universal Technical Institute, and SEMA/PRI.
After the completion of the online curriculum, all students, teachers, parents, and chaperones will be eligible to receive a free race ticket for the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals event held in Gainesville, Florida at Gainesville Raceway on Friday September 25, 2020. This ticket will give students the opportunity to observe the same real world scenarios discussed in the videos applied live and in person. ***Please note that for schools that cannot attend the NHRA Gatornationals in Person, you still have the ability to participate and watch the NHRA Virtual YES Program online at any time at your convenience.
In order to sign up and watch this Virtual NHRA YES Program, simply go to https://www.nhra.com/virtualyesprogram or click on the “CLICK TO SIGN UP” button above. You will then be prompted to the registration page with the same registration questions that you are accustomed to seeing in previous NHRA YES Program events. You will then gain access to this digital curriculum. After you have viewed the Virtual NHRA YES Program presentation, you will then be eligible to receive a free race ticket to the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals event held in Gainesville, Florida at Gainesville Raceway on Friday September 25, 2020. This ticket will be emailed to you on the week of the raceafter you have completed the virtual program. You will find the parking pass attached. Simply print one parking pass out for each vehicle being driven to the event.
In addition, there will be a series of supplemental videos released periodically covering various subject matter that will show students how S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) principles work in real world situations such as the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. So please keep an eye out for email alerts as those videos are released!
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UPCOMING EVENT
Gatornationals is back
September 25 - 27
Gainesville Raceway
11211 N County Road 225, Gainesville
The 51st Annual NHRA Amalie Oil Gatornationals are officially rescheduled at Gainesville Raceway and will take place from September 25 – 27.
As one of the sport’s most prestigious events, the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals has been host to record- and barrier-breaking passes in its five-decade run, including the first 300-mph Top Fuel pass in 1992 and the first 200-mph Pro Stock Motorcycle pass. An all-concrete racing surface debuted in 2019, further cementing the facility as one of the best in the country.
This event, usually held in March but moved to September this year, is still one of the sport’s most revered, has entertained wherefans for decades with such notables as the first 260-mph Top Fuel and Funny Car runs in 1984 and the first 270-mph and 300-mph Top Fuel passes, in 1986 and 1992, respectively.
Click on nhra.com/fans for rules, requirements, and guidelines for spectators.
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UPCOMING EVENT
BBVA Thought Leader Series featuring Mark Zinder
Thursday, September 17, 2 p.m.
This virtual event will feature information from Mark Zinder, futurist and leading trend forecaster in finance and economics on how the economy got to where it is today, and where we go from here.
You'll learn:
- How the Federal Reserve caused the Great Depression and how they are determined not to have another by using "new tools"
- How the government flooded the market with money, a harbinger for future inflation. But inflation is nowhere in sight. Where is it and when is it coming back?
- How millennials were "counted out" because of their heavy scholastic debt burdens, but they have been opening online investment accounts in record numbers
- How this crisis/revolution will forever change the way we purchase goods, conduct business, and educate our children.
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
UF Innovate | Tech Licensing celebrates best year yet
University of Florida researchers made more discoveries and licensed more technologies than ever in the fiscal year just ended, despite the coronavirus pandemic influencing the third and fourth quarters.
Researchers disclosed 393 new discoveries and UF Innovate | Tech Licensing signed a record 132 licenses and options, up from 331 disclosures and 122 licenses last year. Faculty also earned a record $900.7 million in research funding this fiscal year. Read more here.
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
Gainesville Foodies: We need your help!
The 19th Annual Guest Chef Gainesville benefiting Peaceful Paths is short on Gift Cards from local restaurants for our auction. We have survived on their generosity for years, and in this time we hate to ask for donations of them.
So here is an opportunity for a win-win: We are asking for chamber members to purchase gift cards in increments of $10-$50 from local restaurants (which helps them) and donate them to Peaceful Paths for our event (which helps survivors and their children). Members can also make donations directly to us if that is easier at www.peacefulpaths.org/donate and simply note it is for Guest Chef Auction.
Thank you for your support!
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
Heritage Health Wellness Clinic: Providing the Best Direct Primary Care
Danielle Dodds is on a mission to make a significant change in healthcare. By providing direct primary care service at a flat fee rate through her company Heritage Health Wellness Clinic and taking on a trailblazer role in telemedicine, the nurse practitioner and her clinic are quickly rising in the healthcare industry.
Heritage Health Wellness Clinic is a direct primary care provider catering to individuals and businesses. Direct primary care is a health care model founded on a membership with a monthly fee not connected to any insurance plans. Patients do not need insurance to avail of the company’s health care services. The clinic provides affordable, high-quality, and same-day primary care and serves as a wellness clinic for employers.
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
Waldo Drive-Thru Trick or Treat Candy Drive
September 21 - October 13
Waldo City Square
14450 NE 148 Ave, Waldo
Donate Halloween candy Mon-Thu 8am-4pm
Please bring your candy to Waldo City Square 14450 NE 148 Ave in Waldo.
All Donations will go to the City of Waldo Drive-Thru Trick or Treat event.
For more information contact the City of Waldo at (352)468-1001.
The event will take place on October 17 from 6:30 - 8 p.m.:
- A fun, Safe Halloween event for families
- Face covering are required during entire event
- Children must be present to receive treats Participants must remain in vehicles
- Join us by dressing up & decorating your vehicle for a chance to win spooky prizes
- Event subject to change or cancellation due to COVID—19 guidelines
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
Florida Museum's refurbished Megalodon exhibit opens September 19
Florida Museum
3215 Hull Road, Gainesville
The world’s largest shark returns to Gainesville Sept. 19! Florida Museum of Natural History visitors can marvel at Megalodon, the gigantic prehistoric shark that once cruised the planet’s oceans, and walk through the full-scale jaws of a 60-foot-long replica of this apex predator. Guests can also learn about other ancient and modern sharks with teeth, fossil specimens and life-size models. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for Florida residents and $5.50 for ages 3-17. Museum members and UF students with a valid Gator 1 card receive free admission. For more information, visit www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/exhibits/megalodon or call 352-846-2000.
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MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
Haven Continues to Treat COVID-19 Patients, Community Rallies to Provide PPE
Healthcare facilities continue to face personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Haven included.
Gainesville’s Queen of Peace Catholic Church learned of a gown shortage and donated a large quantity of used sheets through a recent outreach event. The sheets would later be converted into gowns for Haven’s clinical staff and visiting family members to wear.
Greg Hollingshead, who oversees outreach ministry at Queen of Peace, said, “When the COVID pandemic became acute in March, we got in contact with our ministry partners and asked, ‘How can we help?’ This question turned into an expansion of our monthly food program. But in May and June, in talking to other organizations, we realized they had non-food missions we may be able to help with. To respond to specific needs, we made a wish list. We learned that Haven was experiencing difficulty getting gowns so we put sheets on the wish lists for Haven’s volunteer seamstresses.”
Haven’s volunteers are not currently able to visit patients due to COVID-19, but have been searching for ways to continue serving. When Queen of Peace donated sheets, volunteers in each of Haven’s service areas offered to sew the sheets into gowns.
The volunteers used a CDC-approved gown pattern to convert the sheets into safe, usable PPE. “I’m a retired nurse so I know how important protective equipment is. I didn’t know clinical staff at Haven were still having difficulty getting them,” said volunteer Joan MacLeod. “I’ve been sewing since I was a little girl and have a nice machine. I’ve got it down to where I can make one gown in three hours. I just finished the eighteenth gown. As long as Haven needs them, I’ll keep making them and am happy to do so.”
Joan, who is a long-time Haven Advance Care Planning volunteer, said that she is sewing gowns for the Gainesville area and that seamstresses in Haven’s other service areas have also volunteered to continually make gowns.
Haven proudly continues to serve patients, including those who are COVID-19-positive, across the state. Various challenges have arisen as a result of the pandemic and Haven is thankful for those who have helped creatively address these obstacles.
“Haven is grateful that Queen of Peace quickly and graciously donated sheets to be made into gowns in a time of need,” said Haven Director of Clinical Operations Brigid Doherty. “In a time where personal protective equipment is hard to come by, the community and our volunteers have stepped up to serve our clinical staff, as well as our patients and families, in unique ways.”
In regard to continued partnership, Queen of Peace’s outreach ministry leader Greg Hollingshead said, “We were told that we far exceeded Haven’s expectations. As far as sheets are concerned, we had people clean out their entire linen closet and donate. We’re happy to do it. Hopefully this is the beginning of a long-term relationship between us and Haven.”
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