Welcome to our e-newsletter from

THE MERCHANT STRATEGY

Our offices are at 1804 North Dixie Highway,

Suite B, West Palm Beach, FL 33407

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF PIONEERING PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH - SEGMENT 1

Two decades ago, a transformative journey began after eight years of dedicated service in the Florida House of Representatives. It all started with a phone call from an esteemed former colleague, Lois Frankel, who was the Mayor of West Palm Beach at the time and is now a respected U.S. Congresswoman. The newly elected Mayor inherited the challenge of pressing traffic-related issues involving both Olive Avenue and Dixie Highway – the city’s primary north and south roadways. Mayor Frankel sought my assistance in communicating with the residents and business owners in the corridors and rebuilding a positive relationship with the Florida Department of Transportation. She needed a systematic approach to foster trust and provide transparency to the community through an initiative that we now refer to as the "Public Involvement Plan" or P.I.P.

From these collaborative efforts, The Merchant Strategy was born. Today, we celebrate two decades of unwavering commitment to delivering Public Involvement and Community Outreach Services. Our journey began long before these services became a standard requirement for engineering and construction activities, especially in the realm of local and state government projects. The Merchant Strategy has consistently been at the forefront, setting the standard for public involvement and community outreach, shaping the industry, and contributing positively to countless projects. As we mark this significant milestone, we look back on our legacy of excellence, and we look forward to a future filled with innovation and continued dedication to serving the needs of our community. Thank you for being part of this remarkable journey. Here's to 20 years of visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to making a difference in the world of public involvement and community outreach.

Check back in November for Segment 2!

PRESERVING LAKE OSBORNE ESTATES

The TMS team wants to thank the Lake Osborne Estates Civic Association in the City of Lake Worth for entrusting TMS with guidance on how to manage a bridge replacement in their community with the Palm Beach County Commission and administration. Lake Osborne Estates is a historic residential community of over 450 single-family homes located on the shores of Lake Osborne. This peaceful community is minutes from Lake Worth Beach and borders John Prince Park.

The Association is encouraged by the recent meeting with Palm Beach County and appreciates the staff’s efforts to address the residents’ concerns regarding property rights, public safety, and mobility along the corridor. After submitting responses to the long-term consecutive plans for the new Lake Bass bridge in March of 2022, the Association looks forward to the opportunity to continue partnering in evaluating design elements that avoid or minimize, and appropriately mitigate environmental and community impacts.

TMS is Expanding into South Carolina

TMS applied for and received the South Carolina Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification from the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT). With that in hand, we started reaching out to engineering firms that might need Public Involvement services. We are on the Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering (ICE) team for both a county and an SCDOT pursuit and have been invited to provide Lunch and Learns for several other SC firms. Colleen and Sharon will take the lead on the SC meetings. A Lunch and Learn offers the whole team an opportunity to look at your past work history and ask questions. We bring a PowerPoint with work examples and treat lunch in their conference room. This is the best business development tool for TMS and we enjoy meeting each team.

WHERE HAS SAMMIE BEEN?

Sammie recently attended the Grand Opening of the Pink Queen Foundation's brand-new office location, situated within the Extraordinary Charities Building in the City of West Palm Beach. The Pink Queen Foundation, initially founded by Tencia Burton, started its journey as a breast cancer awareness and support organization. Over the years, this organization has shown phenomenal growth and transformation, expanding its mission to serve not just those affected by breast cancer but anyone battling various types of cancers and support services for their families. The new office space will undoubtedly serve as a hub for hope, a source of strength, and a center of compassion for countless individuals in our community.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To learn more about The Pink Queen Foundation and their impactful work, please visit their website at https://www.thepinkqueens.com/.🎗️

PAW-TECTOR IN CHIEF - GUEST APPEARANCE

Editor’s note:

TMS colleagues will highlight their security dogs until we find a full-time Chief of Security replacement for our dear Sally.

Hi, I’m Coral! My parents are Rebecca and Alan Shirkey and my Mom works at TMS. We live in West Palm, and I think about them alllll day and dream of meeting new friends with new adventures, especially water and boating adventures. If you live downtown, I probably swam in your building's fountain. They are the perfect size for me and my friends on a hot day. The word on the street is TMS makes dreams come true, so I had to reach out. Aunt Sharon says I can come to visit anytime I want. Turns out they have aaaaa lotttt of friends which means aaaa lotttt of treats, scratches, and snuggles. Oh, how I loooove to snuggle. Did you know that Florida was recently ranked the most dog-friendly state in the U.S. I don’t know what the U.S. is, probably a big playground, but I do love Florida. Did you know that Florida has 300 springs and Florida is 18.5% water? My Dad taught me that. He is an engineer and works on those structures that shoot out fish. He’s cool. I learned all about boat safety from him. Well, I can’t wait to meet you in person. Maybe we can meet up at the Green Market. It’s the best place to meet new friends and get ‘puppy ice cream.’ It tastes like flavored dirt, but I still like it. I just have a few more hours before my parents get home. They are taking me to the pumpkin patch. I loooove it there because of all the little people. They smell so good, and they always have food. Yum!

Happy Halloween my new friends!

Love you!

Coral

Email Sally Here