Message from the CEO: Moving Business Forward

Last week, the Palm Beach County School Board gave the newest public school in Boca Raton its official permanent name – Blue Lake Elementary School. Previously named O5C Elementary School, it is locatedat 3300 North Military Trail in Boca Raton. The school is still currently under construction and is scheduled to open for the start of the 2022/23 academic year. Blue Lake Elementary School will feature a three-story building for classrooms, a two-story building for administration and media center, and a one-story building for the cafeteria. Also included in the one-story building are science and art labs and a full-time gifted program. Projected enrollment is estimated to be 750 students, helping to relieve nearby overcrowded Calusa Elementary School.

The School District’s Advisory Boundary Committee is currently drawing boundary lines for Blue Lake Elementary School to determine which students from which communities will attend there. To view the proposed boundary maps, click here. The Committee will hold a virtual public meeting on February 10 at 5 p.m. to review the proposed maps and receive input from the public.

The Golden Bell Education Foundation is accepting grant requests for the 2022-23 school year. Applications will be accepted until Friday, March 25. Grant applications are open to all teachers and educators throughout the Boca Raton public school system grades kindergarten through 12. Grants are awarded to innovative and deserving programs that promote business skills and workforce readiness. Grant applications and guidelines can be found on the Golden Bell’s new website, www.goldenbelleducationfoundation.org. For additional information about Golden Bell or the Grant process, contact Foundation Manager, Liz Branagh.

For 16 years, the Boca Chamber has selected a deserving recipient to receive the prestigious DIAMOND award. This female business leader is someone who has achieved success in her professional career and who continually makes a difference in our community. A DIAMOND is a Dedicated, Inspiring, Accomplished, Motivated, Outstanding, Noble and Driven businesswoman. We are excited to honor the 2022 DIAMOND Award recipient, Donna Biase, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officerof Best Foot Forward. Click here to learn more about Donna. 

In addition to the DIAMOND award, the Chamber created a second award in 2016 called the PEARL Award. This award recognizes an up-and-coming female leader and is given to a graduate of the Boca Chamber’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!), a program of the Golden Bell Education Foundation. This young woman is achieving success and shines bright as a rising star in the community. We are proud to recognize the 2022 PEARL recipient, Leah Gonzalez, Owner & Founder, Blue Baked Bakery. Click here to learn more about Leah. 

Make sure you plan to attend our special luncheon honoring these two recipients on Thursday, February 17 at Woodfield Boca Raton. To sponsor or purchase your tickets, click here.

The City of Boynton Beach’s Municipal elections are quickly approaching and are being held on Tuesday, March 8. The Chamber’s Business Leaders United Political Action Committee’s (BLU-PAC) priority is to elect pro-business candidates who understand what it takes to operate a business and support policy that allows businesses to be successful. After in-person interviews and additional screening, BLU-PAC has endorsed the following candidates:

·    Ty Penserga – Mayor

·    Angela Cruz – Commissioner, District I

·    Marit Hedeen – Commissioner, District III

These endorsed candidates are the RIGHT LEADERS for Boynton Beach. They are prepared to work hard to ensure that the City of Boynton Beach continues to move forward for significant job growth and economic prosperity.

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.

Below is a list of our upcoming in-person and virtual experiences:

2/9 – 11:45 a.m. In-Person Boynton Beach Lunch and Learn  

For more information and to register click here

2/10 – 7:45 a.m. In-Person Membership Breakfast

For more information and to register click here

2/10 – 11:30 a.m. Virtual Government Affairs Committee 

For more information and to register click here

2/15 – 8:30 a.m. In-Person Master Class Business Workshop

For more information and to register click here

2/16 – 8:30 a.m. In-Person South Health Care Advocacy Network (S.H.A.N) 

For more information and to register click here

2/16 – 11:45 a.m. In-Person Exclusive Trustee Luncheon 

For more information and to register click here

2/17 – 11:30 a.m. In-Person DIAMOND Award Luncheon

For more information and to register click here

Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Board of Trustees has approved a 10-year facilities use agreement with Bezos Academy. This agreement will open a tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschool for low-income families located adjacent to FAU’s A.D. Henderson University School on FAU’s Boca Raton campus. Opening in the fall of 2022, FAU is the first university in Florida and the second in America to host the academy. Bezos Academy preschool will feature six classrooms and will offer year-round programming, five days a week, for children from low-income families between the ages of 3 and 5. The preschool will follow a schedule that is beneficial for children’s learning and growth, while also making it easier for parents who need to work outside the home. All costs to deliver the program will be covered by the Academy. FAU’s colleges also will have opportunities to engage with the Academy’s programming on various levels. More information and an application to the lottery-based selection process will be posted at www.bezosacademy.org once the school’s specific opening date is set.

This afternoon, nearly 30 new member businesses gathered in the Board Room of the Chamber to attend the monthly orientation. These members represented indusrties that included digital marketing, credit card processing, non-profits and legal services. They heard from the Chamber Professional Team and learned the many ways in which the Chamber helps the business community and creates an environment where all businesses. large and small, can be successful. The support of these, and all members of the Boca Chamber, allow us to execute our mission to promote and sustain economic prosperity.

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

#movingbocaforward

#movingboyntonforward 

#movingdelrayforward

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