In This Issue - October 2018 Newsletter
A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT / CEO

A Note from the President/CEO

The month of September was packed with Chamber activities, and our membership is fired up! We had a full house at our Annual Awards and Installation Luncheon, where we installed our new Officers and Board members for 2018-2019. That was followed up with a standing room only Media Auction at Pareidolia Brewing Company, and it was a smashing success! Many thanks to our sponsors, Sebastian River Medical Center, Bay Street Pharmacy and Florida Power and Light. Sandpiper Pest Control provided the beverage sponsorship and we all had a taste of Pete's brewskis! And of course our Auctioneer for the evening IRC Commissioner Peter O'Bryan lent his talents to the Chamber cause and we thank him! 

We will close out September with the Opioid Crises Summit, presented by the Chamber's Health and Wellness Committee, a more sober subject, but important to our community.

There's only thirty more days until Early Voting begins. That gives you some time to do your homework! If you would like to be informed on the Constitutional Amendments that will be on the ballot, this link is provided by the Indian River County Supervisor of Elections office, without comment or opinion:



Our Legislative Government Affairs Committee has decided to forego our traditional Candidate's Forum for the City of Sebastian Council elections, and instead will provide written questions to the candidates that will be posted on our website in the coming weeks. Early voting begins Oct. 22 and runs through Nov. 3, from 8a.m. to 4p.m. at Sebastian City Hall and Election Day is November 6. No excuses!

Chamber work continues in October, with committee meetings for Legislative/Government Affairs, Tourism and Ambassador meetings. We start out the month of October with breakfast at Jake Witt/State Farm. Jake is one of our newly appointed directors on the board, so make sure you meet him! Lunch is out at Marsh Landing Restaurant, with Champion Home Health Care as the sponsor. We will hear about SCORE, with our newly assigned counselor, Derek Stalhut. Derek has a lot to share with us about SCORE and it should be very informative. We close the month with a Business and Pleasure with the Senior Resource Association, a beautifully renovated facility providing resource to the seniors in our community.

On a personal note, I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to all of the Chamber members for your well wishes. I appreciate all of the kindness. 



Beth Mitchell
President/CEO


OCTOBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS



Chamber Breakfast


Chamber Luncheon

Chamber Business and Pleasure

  Date:  October 5, 2018
Time:  8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Sponsor:  Jake Witt State Farm
Location: Jake Witt State Farm    9360 90th Ave. Ste. 110
Sebastian, FL 32958








Date:  October 9, 2018
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Sponsor: Champion Home Health Care
Speaker: Derek Stalhut from Score
Location: Marsh Landing Restaurant
44 N. Broadway Street
Fellsmere, FL  32948



 
  

Date:  October 18, 2018
Time: 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Sponsor: Senior Resource Association 
Location: 815 Davis St.
Sebastian, FL  32958

COMMITTEE MEETINGS
EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
Thursday October 4, 2018
8:00 AM
Sebastian Chamber
700 Main St., Sebastian FL  32958
LGA COMMITTEE MEETING
Thursday October 4, 2018
4:00 PM
Sebastian Chamber
700 Main St., Sebastian FL 32958
TOURISM COMMITTEE MEETING
Tuesday October 16, 2018
4:00 PM
Sebastian Chamber
700 Main St., Sebastian, FL  32958
AMBASSADOR LUNCHEON
Wednesday October 17, 2018
12:00 NOON
Sebastian Chamber
700 Main St., Sebastian FL  32958
RIBBON CUTTINGS
 
 
 
ISLAND VIEW COTTAGES
Date: Thursday October 11, 2018
Time: 4:00 - 5:00 PM
11450 S. Indian River Dr.
Sebastian, FL  32958

 
KNEADY BY NATURE
Date: Friday October 26, 2018
Time: 9:00 - 10:00 AM
1201 Indian River Dr.
Sebastian, FL  32958

RSVP!


Community Event Calendar


HURRICANE INFORMATION

Hurricane Season is here and as always we want to make sure that you have access to all of the information available to us.  Click here to be directed to our Hurricane Preparedness section of the website that will be continually updated as information for BEFORE, DURING 
and AFTER a storm becomes available. As always, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to call the Chamber offices at  
772-589-5969

OCTOBER MEMBER SPOTLIGHT





Eric Ponce opened his second State Farm office on the northwest corner of Main Street and US 1 in Sebastian on December 1st, 2017.
As a 28 year agent he divides his time between work and family. Eric met his wife, Sandy, in college and they have been married for 34 years. He is blessed with 4 children, Kaitlin lives in Atlanta and runs her own State Farm agency, Joseph helps run Eric's State Farm office in Melbourne, Hannah is an internal auditor for State Farm in Tempe, Arizona, and Christina teaches first grade at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Melbourne.

State Farm is one of the strongest financial insurance companies in the United States, and Eric ensures his teams in Melbourne and Sebastian represent just that. The team in Sebastian is well staffed with a blend of experience and youth. Dave, the team lead, has worked in insurance for over 25 years and with Eric for 14. Dave has all of his insurance licenses as well as his mortgage and Series 6 license. Krystal is a Sebastian local who has dedicated the last 3 years to State Farm, previously under the late Lois Kennedy agency. She is licensed in banking, life, health, and property and casualty. Jasmine graduated from Florida Institute of Technology with a Bachelor's in International Business, she speaks Spanish, French, and Portuguese. She has worked with Eric's team for 2 years and is licensed in banking and property and casualty. Alex is a graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor's in Risk Management, notably he was part of the professional sales program. He is fully licensed and currently studying for his Series 6 license.

As an agent, Eric does what he can to help all his clients and utilizes his knowledge and expertise in the process. He is licensed in property and casualty, banking, life and health, and mortgages as well. Eric keeps up with his Law Degree from Mercer College along with his Series 6 and series 65 licenses.

As a company, State Farm has a lot to offer. It is recognized not just for Home and Auto, but Commercial Insurance, Life Insurance, Health Supplemental Insurance, Banking, Retirement Planning and College Savings Plans as well.
As a Good Neighbor, Eric and his team would be pleased to answer any questions or help in any way.



SEPTEMBER NETWORKING EVENT PICTURES


Sebastian Chamber September Breakfast on September 7th Sponsored by Florida Eye Institute!!



 

SEBASTIAN RIVER AREA CHAMBER AWARDS AND INSTALLATION LUNCHEON
SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 - SPONSORED BY KIRB AND HELD AT CAPT HIRAMS!

Read Full Press Release

            





25TH ANNUAL LIFESTYLE AND MEDIA AUCTION
HELD AT PAREIDOLIA BREWING COMPANY!! 





                                   
       
 
   
Check out our Facebook Page to view all pictures from past networking events.
MEMBERSHIP MEMO BY VICKI WILD

  
    CHAMBER NETWORKING SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE IN  2019

          
  • Good Morning Networking Breakfasts are held the 1st Friday of every month at 8 am and are free to attend. To sponsor a breakfast, there is no cost from the Chamber; the sponsor provides the breakfast, drinks, and supplies needed. Location can be at our SRACC or at a facility in the area that can hold up to 50 people. Dates still available to sponsor: 4/5/19, 5/3/19, 8/2/19, 9/6/19 and 10/4/19.
 
  • Chamber Speaker Series Luncheons are held the 2nd Tuesday of each month and cost only $15 to attend with reservation. They rotate between Capt Hiram's and Marsh Landing. To sponsor a luncheon the cost is $150 which gives you 10 minutes reserved on the agenda to speak about and promote your business; exclusive rights to the luncheon tables for brochures, handouts, and other promotional materials; business advertising in all promotions for the luncheon; 2 lunch admissions and the business cards collected from all who attend. Dates available to sponsor: 4/9/19, 6/11/15, 7/10/19, 8/13/19, 9/10/19, 10/08/19 and 11/12/19.
 
 
  • After Hours Business & Pleasures are held the 3rd Thursday of each month at 5:00 PM, are free to attend and provide great networking, raffle prizes, and refreshments. To sponsor a business and pleasure there is no cost from the Chamber; the sponsor provides the appetizers, drinks, and supplies. The location can be held at the Sebastian Chamber or a chamber member's business in the area. Dates available for sponsorship: 1/17/19, 3/21/19, 4/18/19, 5/16/19, 6/20/19 and 7/18/19.
 
  • Community Festivals anytime the Sebastian Chamber has a booth! We share our booth with our members, for FREE! You can sign up for a designated time to work at our Chamber booth, pass out your business information along with our Chamber Intel. Festivals include:
    The Sebastian Riverfront Fine Art & Music Festival, Fellsmere Frogleg Festival, Shrimpfest,
    Pelican Island Wildlife Festival, Fourth of July Celebration, Sebastian Clam Bake Festival, and the Lionfish Festival.
To sponsor a Breakfast or Business Social the only cost to you is the food and drinks you provide.
To sponsor a Lunch cost only $150 and offers your business 10 to 15 minutes to speak about your business, make announcements, introduce employees and staff, or to utilize the time in any way appropriate to promote your business. Additionally, your business has exclusive right to use the luncheon table tops for brochures, handouts, etc., plus 2 free entrees for lunch.  
 
We are here for you and want your business to succeed. To book a date or for additional information call Vicki Wild, the Membership Director at 772-589-5969 or email membership@sebastianchamber.com.  
 
 


WELCOME NEW MEMBERS FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER

FIRST LIGHT HOME CARE
Misty Grasman
1627 US Hwy 1 Suite 214
Sebastian, FL  32958
772-925-0015

KNEADY BY NATURE
Kristine Fleming
1201 Indian River Dr.
Sebastian, FL  32958
772-202-7777
www.kneadybynature.com 

PILOTS PARADISE
Oli & Stephen Fisher
300 Airport Dr. W
Sebastian, FL  32958
772-589-0800
www.pilots-paradise.com 
TLC PRESCHOOL OF SEBASTIAN, INC
Juelie Perry
1899 Barber St.
Sebastian, FL  32958
772-589-1335
www.tlcpreschool.com   
PARADISE HOME FINDERS
Bonnie Heck
311 Barefoot Blvd. Suite 6
Barefoot Bay, FL 32976
772-202-4085
www.paradisehomefinders.info 
BLUEDOG
Ron Dichter
1701 Highway A1A, Suite 220
Vero Beach, FL  32963
772-360-4646
http://yourbluedog.com 

CALIBER HOME LOANS
Tiffany Battle
2095 Indian River Blvd.
Vero Beach, FL  32960
772-226-6300
www.calibertreasurecoast.com  
GADDIS PROPERTIES
Perry Stamos
Treasure Coast
954-565-8900
 




MEMBER NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Tell us your good news and
we'll share it with the business community! 

Email your news to pwilliams@sebastianchamber.com

TOURISM TIDBITS BY NICOLE CAPP HOLBROOK
Anthony DeMalia, Nicole Holbrook & Mark Lewis
Tourism Award

The Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce would like to recognize Mark Lewis & Anthony DeMalia of Tight Line Productions for their efforts in tourism promotion over the past year.
 
In January, we sent out a request for proposal to several local businesses to create a new Sebastian River Area destination video as our existing video was 10 years old. Tight Line Productions out of Melbourne submitted a fantastic proposal that perfectly aligned with our vision and budget!
 
Fast forward through a few months of script writing, filming, and editing and we ended up with two amazing videos; a 6 minute scripted video and a 1-minute sizzle video. The videos beautifully tell the story of the Sebastian River Area and Indian River County while highlighting the nature based and recreational activities that our area has to offer including boating, fishing, kayaking, paddleboarding, airboating, surfing, beachcombing, hiking, biking, birding, horseback riding, state parks, dining, local landmarks, skydiving, treasure museums, festivals and more!
 
It was a pleasure working with Tight Line Productions on this project and we would like to thank Mark & Anthony for their amazing talent in bringing our vision to life! We are so proud of the finished product and encourage our members, residents, and visitors alike to share our new destination videos with friends and family so they too can experience the Simple Pleasures and Authentic Treasures of the Sebastian River Area!




Florida Governor's Conference on Tourism

Commissioner Susan Adams & I had the pleasure of attending part of the Florida Governor's Conference on Tourism last week. We heard from some great speakers about Bleisure Travel, Crisis Management, Gen Zers, Creating a Sense of Place, Online Reviews and more! Florida's tourism industry and economy continue to flourish. After having record-breaking tourism in 2017, Florida welcomed 65.5 million visitors to the Sunshine State in the first six months of 2018, up almost 6% from last year according to Visit Florida. To date, tourist taxes are up 11.1% in Indian River County for the year.

Tourism Committee Meeting
Our next Tourism Committee Meeting is Tuesday, October 16th at 4 p.m. at the Chamber. For those of you that are new to the Chamber, we have a Tourism Committee that meets on a quarterly basis and it is comprised of Chamber members that are in the tourism industry (hotels, restaurants, attractions, shops, boat tours, fishing charters, etc). The purpose of the committee is to create new ideas on how to promote tourism in the Sebastian River Area that will benefit our community. The meetings are also an opportunity to brainstorm ideas and network with other tourism businesses throughout the community. Brandy Hastings from VISIT FLORIDA will be attending to present information on VISIT FLORIDA'S programs, projects, opportunities and more! We will also be discussing upcoming events, the mural project, plans for the new fiscal year and more! At the end of the meeting, we will be drawing the Tourism Spotlights for November, December, January & February. You must be present to win this FREE advertising opportunity which is featured in the Chamber Currents and in the Chamber Tourism E-blast which is distributed to our database consisting of over 8,100 email addresses. I encourage all of our Tourism Partners to attend and I look forward to seeing everyone on the 16th!
     
Upcoming Events 
  • Mural Meeting- Thursday, September 27th at 10 a.m. at the Chamber
  • Next Tourism Committee Meeting- Tuesday, October 16th at 4 p.m. at the Chamber
  • Mural Field Trip- Wednesday, October 24th- All day **please contact me for more info**
     
  

OCTOBER TOURISM SPOTLIGHT
Riverside Theatre
3250 Riverside Park Drive
Vero Beach, FL 32963  
 (772) 231-6990 



Built in 1973 on a 54-acre tract of land designated by the city of Vero Beach as a cultural park, Riverside Theatre was erected with $1.5 million solely raised from private donations. For the first few years of its existence, it was called the Vero Beach Community Theatre and served as the home to the Vero Beach Theatre Guild, touring shows, travelogues, and orchestras. The name was changed in 1976 to Riverside Theatre. As programs continued to grow, the Theatre added education and programming for children to these activities in 1980.
 
 
 
The most pivotal moment in the history of the Theatre, whoever, took place in 1984 when the Theatre's Board created and set in motion a plan to make Riverside a professional producing theatre. The hiring of Allen D. Cornell as artistic director was its first step and soon Riverside established itself as the first and only Equity theatre company on the Treasure Coast. Starting its forty-fifth season, Riverside is not only the largest regional theatre in the state, but is also the largest professional theatre in a small town in America.
 
 
 
In 1999, Riverside's Next Stage Campaign began when a Board Committee survey identified the Theatre's future facility needs and discovered that renovation of the audience chamber and the addition of a lobby were most important. Impassioned pleas by Mr. Cornell added a second stage to the program and very quickly the Theatre had a blueprint for a new expanded, state-of-the-art facility.
 
 
 
After years of architectural drawing revisions and permitting by the city, construction of the new building began in April 2006. In March 2007, the NEW Riverside Theatre opened its doors to an enthusiastic audience.
 
As a professional producing theatre, Riverside creates and builds its own productions of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. The Stark Stage serves as the home of for the large, lavish, musical productions as well as the Distinguished Lecturer Series, which brings nationally renowned speakers. The Waxlax Stage is home to modern, contemporary plays, The Comedy Zone, and Howl at the Moon performances.  
 
  
 
The 2018-2019 season begins in October with a musical journey through the Leiber and Stoller songbook with Smokey Joe's Café followed in January by Andrew Lloyd Webber's first mega-hit, Evita. The Last Romance, Joe DiPietro's engaging comedy about finding love near the end of life's rainbow takes the stage in February followed by two Broadway musical hits, the classic My Fair Lady and the energetic Legally Blonde. Two distinctive theatre pieces play the Waxlax Stage - the award-winning musical Next To Normal in January and Ghostwriter in March.
 
 
 
From a desire of local residents to have a great theatre to showcase the performing arts, Riverside Theatre has grown tremendously serving Florida's entire Treasure and Space Coast with over 100,000 patrons and students using the facilities annually. For more information on Riverside Theatre, please visit www.riversidetheatre.com

 

COMMUNICATION CORNER BY BRITNEY MELCHIORI

It's not just an homage to HBO's Game of Thrones; it's a friendly reminder of one of the most direct benefits of your Chamber membership - your business information on display and available to the 12,000 people per year that walk through our doors. 

Now is the time to make sure we've got plenty of your information on hand for visitors. We have (3), two-tiered, double sided brochure racks, a 6ft tall rotating brochure tour, and a 5ft x 8ft business card display wall just for your information!  Additionally, our visitors are now browsing for you on a very sleek touchscreen kiosk in our visitor center, so it's also important to make sure we've got the right information for your online business listing. 

We encourage you to stop in, restock your goods, and enjoy the view from a very comfortable rocking chair overlooking the lagoon. We want your business cards, your brochures, your pamphlets and publications! 
Season is coming...

Business to Business Member Discounts
Shop Chamber Members First!

Be sure to take advantage of great savings and discounts from your fellow Chamber members. 
Here are this weeks highlighted discounts.

The Italian Cousin
buy one get one desert, appetizer or drink
480 US Hwy 1
Sebastian, FL 32958
772-589-1412
Penwood Lodge
10% off rooms, picnics, parties, reunions
9295 N US Hwy 1
Sebastian, FL 32958
772-589-3855

Boost Mobile by Life Essentials Wireless
10% off accessories for phone
971 Sebastian Blvd. #6
Sebastian, FL  32958
305-934-7030
 
Wabasso Beach Shop
10% off products
4880 87th St
Wabasso, FL  32958
772-388-4077


See all of our member discounts  here 
Are you Hiring?
Whether your business is growing, hiring for season, or filling an empty position, we are here to help you get the word out. 
 
Submit your employment opportunity to us and we'll post it on our 
Have you worked with SCORE?
Wondering where to start when it comes to marketing your small business? We've brought together experts from the community to talk about the basics of small business marketing, and to share what's worked for them...and what can work for your business.



SCORE offers FREE confidential one-on-one business mentoring and advice for existing and start-up businesses.  

For over 50 years, SCORE has served as America's premier source of free business mentoring and education.

To make an appointment or sign-up for a workshop visit www.treasurecoast.score.org

Download Treasure Coast SCORE Client Engagement Results


BOARD OF DIRECTORS / STAFF / AMBASSADORS
Executive Team
Bob Morgan - Marine Bank & Trust - Chair
Michelle Napier - Napier & Rollins, PLLC - Vice Chair
Joel Stout - Sandpiper Pest Control  - Treasurer
Dawn Biehl - Tiki Bar and Grill - Immediate Past Chair
 
Elected Directors
Pete Anderson - Pareidiola Brewing Co.
Capt. Christy Lenz -  "Casual Cruisin"
Ben Maffitt - Oculina Bank
Sue Skirvin - Tupperware
Theresa Tolle - Bay Street Pharmacy
 
Appointed Directors
Ophelia Angelone - Action Realty
Nancy Flickinger - Florida Power & Light
Francoise Pelletier - Highland Homes Roofing
Jake Witt - Jake Witt State Farm

Ex Officio
Susan Adams - Indian River County Commissioner
Linda Kinchen - Vice Mayor, City of Sebastian
Jason Nunemaker - City Manager, City of Fellsmere
 

Chamber Staff
Kimberlee Armstrong, Accounting
Nicole Capp Holbrook, Tourism Director
Beth L. Mitchell, President/CEO
Britney Melchiori, Marketing & Communications Dir
Vicki Wild, Membership Director
Patti Williams, Information Specialist
 
Chamber Ambassadors
Opey Angelone, Action Realty            772-633-8617
Terry Gardner, Seacoast Bank            772-581-1341
Nancy Johnson, Plan B Laughing       772-713-6030
Lady
Sandi Gehrke, TD Bank                      772-581-1490
Cindi Green, Florida Eye Institute       772-569-9500
Jackie Hart, Hart Escapes                   772-646-4828
Isabel Marron, Oculina Bank               772-571-1400
Michael Natale, MN Worldwide, Inc.    772-664-0525
Sue Skirvin, Tupperware                      772-913-2010
Cynthia Williams, Primerica                 772-713-1991
Kristie Woodward, Oculina Bank         772-581-3199
Brittany A. Beatty, VanDeVoorde          772-589-4353
          Hall Law, P.L. 
Anna Valencia Tillery, White Glove       772-232-7843
          Moving, Storage & Delivery
Jason Snellenberger, Captn Hirams     517-944-8152
Georgia Irish, Marine Bank & Trust       772-646-7242