Message from the CEO: Moving Business Forward

Good Morning Valued Chamber Member,

On Tuesday, Palm Beach County Commissioners directed the Executive Policy Group (EPG) to review the county’s incremental Phase 2 reopening plan. Commissioners expressed interest in possibly moving up the timeline for certain types of businesses to reopen. Additionally, Commissioners requested County staff to look into using a portion of unallocated CARES Act funding to assist Phase 2 businesses and cultural interests in the county. Recommendations will be brought back before the Commission and we will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

On Monday, Palm Beach County Schools will welcome nearly 70,000 students back to campuses for in-person instruction. Click here for important re-opening information from the School District. Boca Raton’s Verde K-8 school located at 6590 Verde Trail is also scheduled to open Monday. This brand new elementary and middle school will accommodate 614 students initially, which is approximately 58% of its total capacity. The new Verde K-8 replaced the old Verde Elementary School and was rebuilt in the same location. The Broward County Public Schools Superintendent has recommended that in-person learning begin on October 5th. The Miami-Dade Superintendent has recommended a reopening date of mid-September instead of the district’s original date of September 30th.

Over the past several weeks, the Chamber’s Business Leaders United Political Action Committee (BLU-PAC) spent significant time virtually interviewing and vetting candidates running for office. A priority of BLU-PAC is to elect pro-business leaders, who understand what it takes to operate a business and support policy that allows businesses to be successful. Below are the BLU-PAC Endorsements in key races in the upcoming general election:

Brian Norton – Florida State Senate (District 29)
Kelly Skidmore – Florida State House (District 81)
David Silvers – Florida State House (District 87)
Michael Caruso – Florida State House (District 89)
Joseph Casello – Florida State House (District 90)
Sayd Hussain – Florida State House (District 91)
Joseph Abruzzo – Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller
Ric Bradshaw – Palm Beach County Sheriff
Anne Gannon – Palm Beach County Tax Collector
Dave Kerner – Palm Beach County Commissioner (District 3)
Maria Sachs – Palm Beach County Commissioner (District 5)
Mack Bernard – Palm Beach County Commissioner (District 7)

Florida Senators, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, introduced a bill that was placed on the Senate calendar Wednesday which would eliminate daylight savings time in Florida. The Senators believe that the extra daylight would allow for restaurants to expand outdoor seating options for diners, reduce the number of car accidents and decrease energy usage. Currently, only two states, Arizona and Hawaii, have received Congressional approval to opt out of daylight savings time. 39 states have proposed state legislation that would also allow them to take the next step of requesting Congressional approval to opt out of daylight savings time. Florida, Washington and Tennessee residents have already voted to approve the change.

We continue to provide valuable educational webinars and virtual experiences. The majority of these presentations are recorded and available for you to access on the Boca Chamber’s YouTube Channel.
Hit the subscribe button now to become the first to know when new content is posted on our channel. Please see below for a list of upcoming virtual experiences:

09/22 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Smart Talk for WomenTopic: Overcoming Adversity in BusinessSpeaker: Nancy Proffitt, Founder & President, Proffitt Management Solutions Click here to register

09/22 – 5:00 p.m. Virtual Live After Five Hours NetworkTopic: Connect with Your Fellow Chamber Members, Network, Have a Drink and Have Fun Click here to register

09/23 – 11:00 a.m. Boynton Beach First Responders Virtual Awards Presentation – Sponsored by Baptist HealthTopic: Join Your Fellow Chamber Members as We Honor Our First Responders from Boynton Beach Click here to register

09/24 – 8:30 a.m. Boynton Beach: Government Affairs CouncilTopic: Update on Distance Learning and In-Person LearningSpeaker: Erica Whitfield Palm Beach County School Board MemberClick here to register

09/25 – 8:30 a.m. Boynton Beach: Women’s Business CouncilTopic: Business Etiquette: What to Wear, What Not to Say and More!Speaker: Martine Pierre-Paul, Founder & CEO, Modern Etiquette and Leadership AcademyClick here to register

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!

Let us take a moment to think of our fellow Floridians in the Panhandle and neighbors in Alabama who have been directly impacted by the effects of Hurricane Sally. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.

We welcomed back our first small group to the Board room this week for an in-person meeting. The feedback from the members was positive and they appreciated the opportunity to see one another. Attendees respected the safety protocols and members who were not ready to return to in-person meetings participated virtually. We look forward to offering more in-person meetings with the option to participate virtually.

With the start of on-campus learning on Monday, we recommend the business community allow flexibility for those parents of children returning to the classroom. In addition to vehicle traffic that we have not experienced in quite some time, drop off and pick-up procedures may take longer than normal to follow proper safety protocols. We are all in this together, and this is one more step closer in Moving Business Forward.

Let’s all continue to do our part to help slow the spread – by avoiding Closed space, Crowded places, and Close- contact settings. And remember – Wash your hands, Wear your mask and Watch your distance. It’s working!

Moving Business Forward,

Troy M. McLellan, CCE, FCCP
President & CEO
Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce

#movingbocaforward #movingdelrayforward #movingboyntonforward