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Message from the CEO: Moving Business Forward

Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce

Good Morning Valued Chamber Member,

Over 233 years ago, our founding fathers came together to write our Constitution. Included in the Constitution was our right to have free and fair elections, and our ability and privilege to participate in those elections through our right to vote. As Abraham Lincoln said, “Elections belong to the people”. Your Voice is Your Vote – use the rights afforded to you in the Constitution and participate in our democratic process. Polling locations in Palm Beach and Broward Counties will remain open this evening until 7:00 p.m. 

Business Leaders United Political Action Committee (BLU-PAC) spent a lot of time vetting candidates running for office in the general election. Below is a list of BLU-PAC endorsed candidates in key races. These are pro-business candidates who understand what it takes to operate a business and support polices that will allow businesses to be successful. 

 The Palm Beach County Restart Business Grants application deadline has been extended to Friday, November 6th at 5:00 pm. Businesses that were negatively impacted by COVID-19 and did not previously receive a Restart Business Grant through Palm Beach County, can apply for grants up to $15,000. Businesses that have previously received a Palm Beach County Restart Business Grant are not eligible. 

The Federal Reserve has announced new changes to boost participation in the $600 billion Main Street Lending Program for small and midsize businesses. The new changes include the reduction of the minimum loan amount from $250,000 to $100,000, an overhaul of the fees banks can charge borrowers to encourage greater numbers of smaller loans, and updated guidelines for banks that will allow borrowers to exclude Paycheck Protection Program loans of up to $2 million under certain circumstances when determining the maximum loan amount. Currently, the Main Street lending program has made almost 400 loans totaling $3.7 billion. 

On Friday afternoon, the Palm Beach County School District announced a partnership designed to protect students and staff members during active shooter situations. The Active Shooter Hostage Event Response (A.S.H.E.R.) Agreement is a collaboration between all law enforcement and fire agencies in Palm Beach County and lays out each agency’s responsibility in the event of a security incident at a school. This collaboration is the first of its kind in Florida.

I am excited to announce the date of the 2020 Boca Raton Bowl! Returning to its traditional Tuesday-before-Christmas spot this year, the seventh annual bowl game will be played on December 22nd at 7:00 p.m. The game will be played at FAU Stadium on the campus of Florida Atlantic University and televised nationally on ESPN. For the first time ever, all teams from the Group of Five conferences, plus Army and Liberty, will be eligible to play in the Boca Raton Bowl. The game usually matches two teams from the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA or the Mid-American Conference. 

With a one stroke victory, Darren Clarke won the TimberTech Championship on Sunday, giving him his first PGA Tour Title. Clarke defeated Bernhard Langer (last year’s title winner and home-town favorite) and Jim Furyk, when he made a birdie on the final hole. Clarke earned $300,000 of the overall $2 million in prize money. Although spectators were not allowed this year due to the pandemic, Boca Raton and the Broken Sound Club were highlighted throughout the tournament on the Golf Channel.

Looking for an easier way to find an event, register for an event, and receive popup notifications of important Chamber, County, City of Boca Raton and City of Boynton Beach information? Download the Boca Chamber App – found on the App Store and Google Play Store. Keep your Chamber at the tip of your fingers! You can also stay up to date on all Chamber activity by visiting us at bocachamber.com. We continue to provide you with valuable educational webinars and virtual experiences, with most being 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: 

11/03 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual International Business Alliance Round TableTopic: Cross Cultural Communication Speaker: Armando Garcia-Sanchez, Independent International Human Capital Consultant Click here to register
11/06 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual Prime Professionals Group Round Table Sponsored By: Allegiance Home Health Topic: Prostate Cancer – Lies, Lies, and Damn LiesSpeaker: Jonathan Silberstein, MD, Chief, Urologic Oncology, Memorial Healthcare System Click here to register
11/10 – 5:00 p.m. Live After Five: Virtual Happy Hour Topic: Network with Fellow Chamber Members, Connect with Clients and Build Solid Relationships at the Boca Chamber’s Monthly After-Hours Networking Event! Click here to register
11/11 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Lunch and Learn Sponsored By: Ithink Financial Topic: How using Leading-Edge Technology Tracks Predators and How Your Support Can Help Rescue More Children Across the Globe. Speaker: Alex Ortiz, Director of Advancement & Sustainability at Child Rescue Coalition, Inc Click here to register
11/12 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual November Monthly Breakfast Sponsored By: FPLTopic: Looking AheadSpeaker: Pamela M. Rauch, Vice President, External Affairs and Economic Development, Florida Power & Light Click here to register
11/17 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Smart Talk for Women Topic: Using Your Talents: When is it Time to Outsource? Speaker: Nancy Proffitt, Founder and President, Proffitt Management Solutions Click here to register
11/17 – 5:30 p.m. PULSE: Tuesday Brewsday: Virtual Beer Tasting with Local Breweries Join Your Fellow PULSE Chamber Members for a Virtual Beer Tasting. This Event is Limited to the First 30 Members who Register Click here to register
11/19 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Successful Women in Business Luncheon Topic: Pandemic Recovery: Palm Beach County’s Job Creation Strategy Speaker: Kelly Smallridge, President & CEO Business Development Board Palm Beach County Click here to register

It has long been my practice to allow the employees of the Chamber to take time during the workday to vote in elections. If they have not voted early or mailed in their ballot because they prefer to vote on Election Day, they are fully supported to do so. If at all possible, I encourage any business – large or small – to allow their team members to vote during office hours today. It not only encourages them to get out and vote, but also demonstrates the employer’s serious commitment to the process. Thank you!

As the Chamber explores ways to have in-person events, please remember to continue 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

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