Message from the CEO: Moving Business Forward

Good Morning Valued Chamber Member,

We are now 17 days away from the November 3^rd Election. Remember, Your Vote is Your Voice! Early voting is still underway and will be open until Sunday, November 1^st at 7:00pm. Here is a list of early voting locations, secure drop boxes and mobile ballot drops. Our Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, Wendy Sartory Link, has created a quick video to educate the public on voting procedures and frequently asked questions. In addition to the candidates on the November ballot, it will also contain six Constitutional Amendments. Click here for a breakdown of those amendments.

A priority of the Chamber’s Business Leaders United Political Action Committee (BLU-PAC) is to elect pro-business candidates, 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)

Governor Ron DeSantis announced that 60,000 testing kits that can diagnose COVID-19 within 15 minutes or less are being sent to school districts throughout the state of Florida this week. The Governor said Florida is currently receiving its initial shipment of rapid COVID-19 antigen testing kits from the Federal Government. The BiNax NOW test from Abbott Laboratories uses a nasal swab to determine if someone is infected with COVID-19. The Governor hopes that these tests will help School Districts avoid “healthy quarantining,” in which students are forced to quarantine even if it’s undetermined if someone in their class has a confirmed case of COVID-19. Palm Beach County’s Department of Emergency Management has begun the process of distributing these tests to the School District and nursing homes.

In a positive sign for our local economy, the 38-acre project on Glades Road just east of U.S. 441, Uptown Boca, has completed phase one construction ahead of schedule and will welcome their first 50 residents on October 29^th. Uptown Boca is slated to have 180,000 square feet of retail space and 456 apartments. This project will be the first mixed-use development located in West Boca in 20 years.

We continue to provide you with 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 to find out when new content is posted on our channel. Below is a list of our upcoming virtual experiences:

10/20 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual PULSE Panel Presentation Topic: Pivoting During a Pandemic – How Local Businesses Prevailed During the Covid-19 Pandemic Speaker: Danielle Rosse, Oceans 234, Ken Lebersfeld, Capital Lighting and Giana Pacinelli, Crocker Partners Click here to register

10/21 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual South Healthcare Advocacy Network (SHAN) – Sponsored by Memorial Healthcare System Topic: Who Takes Care of the Caregiver?Speaker: Lynn Lessell, Owner & Founder, Itz Why Click here to register

10/21 – 1:00-4:00 p.m. Prospective Member (Physically Distanced) Open House Boca Chamber Office1800 N. Dixie Highway, Boca Raton, FL
RSVP’s are Required click here to make your appointment

10/22 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Government Affairs Council Topic: Committee Discussion: Finalizing Boynton Beach Legislative Business Issues Click here to register

10/23 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Women’s Business Council Topic: State of the City Speaker: Lori LaVerriere, City Manager – City of Boynton Beach Click here to register

10/23 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Business Awards Celebration Topic: Business Awards Celebration of Excellence Click here to register

10/27 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Smart Talk for Women Topic: Do’s and Don’ts of Effective Networking Speaker: Nancy Proffitt, Founder and President, Proffitt Management Solutions Click here to register

10/27 – 5:00 p.m. Virtual Live After Five Network Network with Fellow Chamber Members, Connect with Clients and Build Solid Relationships! Click 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!

For the past 30 years, we have held an annual Business Awards Luncheon. At that event, we recognize and highlight three very deserving recipients: Business of the Year, Business Leader of the Year and Small Business Leader of the Year, all who represent the very best in business! The recipients of these awards join an elite group of business leaders who have been selected before them, and like them, have displayed an impressive commitment to our region’s economic growth and dedication to enhancing the mission of the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce.

We are just one week away from honoring these 2020 Business Awards Recipients:
Small Business Leader of the Year: Ahnich Khalid-Maggiano’s Little Italy
Business of the Year: Therapeutics MD
Business Leader of the Year: Pastor Bill Mitchell-Boca Raton Community Church

In addition to these impressive award recipients, we will recognize the tremendous leadership of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, under the strong and steady leadership of Chairman Michael Daszkal. We also look forward to welcoming our newest members to the Board of Directors who will begin their term on November 1^st:

Ed Boylan, Boynton Beach Mall
Daniel Cane, Modernizing Medicine, Inc.
Robert G. Finizio, TherapeuticsMD
Scott Gunnell, JM&A Group
Jennifer M. Jolly, Boca Grove Golf and Tennis Club
Ethan Shapiro, Saint Andrew’s School
Jordan Sherwood, ESPN West Palm Beach
Ron Wichowski, Boca Raton Marriott

For more details about the Chamber’s 2020 Business Awards Celebration, click here.

As you can see from the Business Awards recipients to the new members who will join the Board of Directors, the Boca Chamber is in greats hands! We are so fortunate to have the highest caliber of thought leadership and intellectual capital leading our organization. In our current challenging environment, we value that leadership more than ever.

As we continue to Move Business Forward – let’s remember to be Responsible, Safe and Respectful. And as always, thank you for making Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and all of South Palm Beach County the best place to Live, Work, Learn and Play!

Moving Business Forward,

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