Message from the CEO: Moving Business Forward

This week, Palm Beach County became the first urban county in the stateto roll out the Publix COVID-19 vaccinationpartnership with all 67 Publix pharmacies in the County. Including Palm Beach County, this brings the statewide total to 181 Publix pharmacies in 15 counties. Officials estimate that 90% of Palm Beach County’s senior population lives within a mile-and-a-half of at least one Publix. Vaccinations are for seniors aged 65 and above and require an appointment. To make an appointment at a Publix in Palm Beach County, click here.


Senate Bill 72, which will provide COVID-19 liability protections for businesses that follow safety guidelines, will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, January 25th. If you have not already contacted your lawmakers, please do so before Monday’s hearing to show your support for this important piece of legislation. The Boca Chamber supports this bill and has placed it as a key issue on our Business Legislative Agenda. Florida has the fifth-worst legal climate in America, so House Bill 7 and Senate Bill 72 create protections for business entities, educational institutions, governmental entities, and religious institutions and its persons. As we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and get the economy back on track, liability protections are a necessary component to allow businesses to fully re-open, and advance commerce.

This month, we celebrate our second-year anniversary of the merger between the Boca Raton and Boynton Beach Chambers of Commerce. The merger has helped us expand the mission of Promoting and Sustaining Economic Prosperity in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, and South Palm Beach County. Connecting our two communities has proven to be extremely successful. Robert Manela, CPA had this to say about how the merger has helped his business, “After re-starting my accounting and tax practice in January, the Chamber and Leads Group has allowed me to keep in touch with what is happening in business and the community of Boynton Beach, Boca Raton and all of South County, especially in this difficult year of COVID. The Chamber adapted to using Zoom for meetings which made it convenient to attend meetings with my busy schedule and meet other like-minded business owners and professionals.”


Boynton Aerospace Science Academy students, located at Boynton Beach Community High School, were recently named a finalist in the Airport Design Challenge at a worldwide competition hosted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The competition included more than 12,000 students from 21 countries and was made possible through a special partnership with The Palm Beach County School District and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. This partnership allows students to learn Aeronautical science, maintenance, airport management, and drone flight. Many students graduate with their pilot’s license. Winners of the competition will be announced at 2 p.m. on Thursday during a live virtual FAA awards ceremony.
Looking for a quick way to find an event, register for an event, and receive pop-up 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 and in-person experiences:
1/26 – 5:00 p.m. Virtual Live After Five: Happy Hour Meet, Greet, Connect and Have Fun. Network with Chamber Members at this “after-hours” event! Click here to register

2/3 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Trustee Presentation Topic: The Global Health Crisis and Economy in Florida and – Where We Go From Here Speaker: Mark Wilson, President & CEO, Florida Chamber of Commerce Click here to register

2/5 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual Prime Professional Group Sponsor: Allegiance Home Health Topic: Can Employers Require Employees to Get a COVID Vaccine? Speaker: Ellen M. Leibovitch, Partner, Assouline & Berlowe Click here to register

2/9 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual From How to Wow Topic: Learn How to…Create an Endless Stream of Prospects, Network More Effectively, and Leverage Partnerships. Speaker: Greta Schulz, President & CEO, Schulz Business Solutions Click here to register

2/10 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Lunch and Learn Sponsor: iThink Financial Speaker: Megan Kossove, Director of Communication, Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County Click here to register

2/16 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual Business Workshop   Topic: How to Get the Competitive Edge in Today’s Marketplace Speaker: Omar Periu, Business Coach, Mentor and Speaker, Omar Periu International Click here to register

This past Wednesday, the Chamber’s Golden Bell Education Foundation held its 2021 Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) CEO Roundtable and Elevator Pitch Competition. Thank you to our six local CEO panelists: Robert Finizio, CEO of TherapeuticsMD; Leigh Hill, college student, YEA alumna and Founder and CEO of Piston Trainer; Olivia Hollaus, Founder and CEO of Protect My Shoes; Jennifer Jager, Founder and CEO of Plum Productions; Randy Nobles, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County; and Sam Zietz, Founder, and CEO of TouchSuite. The CEO roundtable presentation gives our YEA students the ability to connect with local business leaders, ask questions, and learn valuable lessons about their entrepreneurial/business journey. YEA is a 20-week program that teaches students in middle and high school to become entrepreneurs and the CEOs of tomorrow.  The winners of the YEA Elevator Pitch Competition are: Camila Spinosi from Don Estridge Middle School with her company Buddy Visits; Zachary Schiller from Pine Crest School with his company Social Share; and Jordan Herold from American Heritage School with his company Stericart. Congratulations to Camila, Zachary, Jordan, and all the students that participated! Great job!


As always, thank you for making Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, and all 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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