Message from the CEO: Moving Business Forward

We are now just four days away from Season 3 of Truist’s Golden Bell Battle of the Bands! I hope you will join us as we cheer on our bands as they make their first official musical debut. The fun starts this Saturday at 6:00 pm at the Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRIC). Limited tickets are still available. In accordance with our partnership with BRIC, this year’s event will be limited to 400 participants and facial coverings will be required throughout the event unless you are eating or drinking. I look forward to rocking out with you Saturday!

Last week, the President announced three provisions in his Path Out of the Pandemic Plan that will have the most significant impact on businesses:

Employers with more than 100 employees must be vaccinated or receive weekly testing

Employers with more than 100 employees must provide paid time off for employees to get vaccinated and recover from any side effects from the vaccine

Federal contractors and employees of businesses that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding must be fully vaccinated

Additionally, as part of this plan, President Biden has directed the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration to file an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for the first two provisions listed above. At this time, there continue to be many questions regarding this plan and we will continue to share applicable information on a go-forward basis. Please share your thoughts by completing a brief, one-minute survey regarding the new mandate.

Florida’s unemployment numbers continue to hold according to the latest figures released by the Department of Economic Opportunity. The state’s unemployment rate was 5 percent in August, down 0.1 percentage point from July and below the national average of 5.3 percent. Out of the state’s labor force of 10.5 million, there were 529,000 jobless Floridians in August. The hard-hit industries continue to be the leisure and hospitality industry – down about 4,300 positions. The unemployment rate for Palm Beach County is 4.7 percent down from 8.1 percent this time last year.

Governor DeSantis announced a new proposal to recruit and retain law enforcement officers in Florida. Under this proposal, new law enforcement officers could receive a $5,000 signing bonus. This signing bonus would be for law enforcement officers new to Florida, including those who have recently entered the profession, along with veteran officers from other states who are relocating here. The cost of the State Officer Certification Exam and any necessary training programs up to $1,000 for out-of-state officers would be covered by the state under this proposal. The Governor is asking the Florida Legislature to take up the funding plan during next year’s Legislative Session, which is slated to run from January 11 to March 11.

The City of Boynton Beach is seeking qualified candidates to be part of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC). The AHAC has the responsibility to review the established policies and procedures, ordinances, land development regulations, and adopted comprehensive plan. Annually, the AHAC will recommend specific measures or initiatives to encourage or facilitate affordable housing in a report to the state and the City Commission. Click here to apply.

At our eleventh in-person Monthly Membership breakfast, the Chamber’s Golden Bell Education Foundation handed out $100,000 in grants to our local Boca Raton public schools, grades K-12. During this breakfast, Golden Bell raised over $3,000 set in motion by a generous matching gift from the Immediate Past Chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors and her husband – Susan and Jim Saturday. Thanks to the Saturdays and all who donated to support the mission of the Foundation.

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 activities by visiting us at bocachamber.com.

We continue to provide you with valuable in-person and virtual experiences. Most virtual programs 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 in-person and virtual experiences:

9/21 – 11:30 a.m. In-Person Pulse Luncheon
Speakers: Juliza Kramer, Marketing & Branding Manager, Health Care District of Palm Beach County
Daniel Marcus, App Developer, Website Beaver
Nicole Golemi, Business Development, Alison South Marketing Group
Topic: Speed Speaking Series – From Health to Tech to Action
Wyndham Boca Raton
1950 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL
Click here to register

9/23 – 11:45 a.m. In-Person Successful Women in Business Luncheon
Speaker: Amy Snook, Assistant Manager & Realtor Agent, Lang Realty
Topic: Women in Business – Authentic Leadership
Boca Raton Marriott at Boca Center
5150 Town Center Circle
Boca Raton, FL
Click here to register

9/25 – 6:00 p.m. In-Person Season 3 Golden Bell Battle of the Bands
Sponsored By: Truist
Topic: In its third year, Golden Bell Battle of the Bands will bring together three bands made up of South Palm Beach County business professionals. Bands will trade in their business suits for musical instruments and microphones to battle it out on stage in front of a live audience!
Boca Raton Innovation Campus
5000 T – Rex Avenue
Boca Raton, FL
Click here to register

Last evening, the Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRiC) and the Boca Raton Museum of Art celebrated a ribbon-cutting of the monumental Hubert Phipps sculpture titled Rocket. As one of the largest outdoor sculptures ever chosen for a public art initiative in Palm Beach County, the Phipps sculpture is valued at $1.5 million, stands 30-feet tall, weighs 9.8 tons, and took more than 2,200 square feet of stainless steel to construct. The Rocket was conceived at the intersection of art and since and celebrates the heroics of modern engineering, and towers alongside a waterfront panorama of the iconic BRiC building designed by famed
architect Marcel Breuer.

Let us continue to remain focused on maintaining those healthy and safe habits that we developed a year and a half ago. Be mindful of physical distancing when appropriate and keep a mask and hand sanitizer ready – just in case. Together, we continue to Move Business Forward in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and South Palm Beach County, making our region 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

1800 N Dixie Hwy | Boca Raton, FL 33432
p: 561.395.4433 | f: 561.392.3780