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NEWSLETTER Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber Currents 700 Main Street, Sebastian FL 32958 772-589-5969 | SebastianChamber.com
April 2017 Issue
Member Spotlight
If you would like to “make the front page” of our newsletter, make sure you schedule time this month at one of our networking activities, and maybe your name will be drawn for the monthly spotlight! Check out our calendar inside!
GFA International, Inc. 521 NW Enterprise Dr. Port Saint Lucie, FL 34986 (772) 924-3575 www.teamgfa.com
GFA International, Inc. is a full-service Engineering
and Geological consulting organization providing
Environmental, Geotechnical, Construction Materi-
als Testing, Inspections and Code Compliance Ser-
vices across a broad spectrum of industries.
As a professional and innovative firm with tradi-
tional work ethics, GFA International has been
quickly recognized by various private and public
sector clients for our effective performance, tire-
less workmanship and commitment to successful
completion of given tasks. GFA has established a
reputation as a trusted partner in delivering right
solutions through innovative approaches, quality
services, and engineering excellence.
Our Vision is to be recognized as the world-class
engineering firm of choice by our customers, em-
ployees, and our community.
Our Mission … To provide world-class engineering
services to our customers with a dedication to pro-
fessionalism, customer satisfaction, accuracy,
timeliness and unparalleled value.
Since 1988, we have established a solid reputation
of safe work, superior service, trustworthy business
practices and strict attention to detail. As Florida's
Leading Engineering Source, our goal is to provide
our clients with cost-effective, efficient services
that ensure the standard of performance of our
industry. Not only is our professional staff highly
experienced and technically skilled, but also our
hands-on management team is readily available –
anywhere – at any time.
Cheryl Jones, Business Development at GFA
International, Inc.
April 2017
Beth L. Mitchell, President & CEO
The revised bill for VISIT Florida, HB - 9 is still a bad bill. Extreme vetting is the same as extreme regulations for business.
While the intent is to punish Visit Florida for some activities that legislators deemed irregular, the most recent iteration cre-
ates a situation where Visit Florida will not be able to market the State with any creativity, or compelling messaging. Some
of the onerous requirements mandated to Visit Florida are simply disguised efforts to assure that the agency can’t do their
job. It’s designed to make Visit Florida fail. We are starting to see a drop in tourism numbers across the board. Some
blame it on new federal restrictions on international travel, others just the negative political climate and especially the state
level messaging. Our welcome mat should always be out there! Nicole Holbrook has some great information in her column
this month, and I urge you to contact our legislators and senators to express your concerns.
A new initiative from the Chamber is the creation of the Health and Wellness Committee. This committee is designed to
inform, educate and promote health care issues and to offer networking, referrals and public advocacy. We have had two
organizational meetings, led by Theresa Tolle, of Bay Street Pharmacy, and have had some awesome discussions. If your
business is involved in the health and wellness industry and you are interested in joining us, give me a call, and we can see if
you would benefit from participating! In the future we are thinking about creating a resource notebook, social media
“health chats” and perhaps an annual event.
Our golf tournament is coming up quick! The committee is working hard to get everybody signed up and ready to go. The
26th annual tournament is always held at Sebastian Municipal Golf Course, scheduled a little early this year due to renova-
tions on the course. Joel Stout, Dawn Biehl, Bob Morgan and Chuck Mechling have all been helping Britney organize this
year. We cannot say enough about our volunteers and the contributions they make to our organization. If you are interest-
ed, we still have slots open, usually we are sold out by now, but all you really need to do is fill out the paperwork! A lot of
great relationships are created on the course, and sometimes business is conducted on the greens!
We are wrapping up Concerts in the Park, with only three more to go! Many thanks to our sponsors this year, Orlando/
Melbourne International Airport, Sebastian River Medical Center, Oculina Bank, FPL, Bay Street Pharmacy, Waste Manage-
ment and Coldwell Banker Real Estate. After eighteen years the crowds have really grown, and when we look out from the
stage, there’s hardly any space to squeeze another lawn chair in!
Another favorite Chamber event coming back this summer is Grill Out Night! After eight successful years, in 2014 we had to
cease and desist, due to issues with food inspections, etc. No need to revisit those issues, but the good news is it’s been
cleared to go, we are bringing it back, so Mark Your Calendar for August 11, and buy your pineapple stock now!
April showers bring May flowers, and lots of Chamber events, we start the month with breakfast at Florida Eye Institute.
They are in the renovated bank building near the Roseland Publix. And they know how to put on a spread! Looking forward
to hearing from Jason Nunemaker, City Manager of Fellsmere, who is our guest speaker at lunch in April. There are some
great things happening in Fellsmere and we always learn something from Jason! It is sponsored by White Glove Moving and
Storage. Anna, then Jason, how dynamic is that? The Business and Pleasure this month is at TD Bank. Sandi Gerhke and her
team will provide a special after hours event for networking and information, and we appreciate Sandi as a great ambassa-
dor for our entire community. Look forward to seeing you at one of the events!
Have a very prosperous month!
Chamber Networking Events
This month our luncheon was held at Capt Hirams Tiffany Room and was sponsored by Bianca’s Cleaning Service. Our guest speaker was Bart Gaetjens from Florida Power and Light. (left to right: Bart Gaetjens with Eric Flowers, County Sheriffs office.)
An impressive crowd at the March Chamber Breakfast held at Marine Bank & Trust—the newest bank in Sebastian. Thank you all for attending.
This month our Business N’ Pleasure was held at Holiday Builders’ model home center in SandCrest. Delicious food and refreshments supplied by The Blue Lion. Great food, great crowd, great fun!
Lunch sponsor Bianca Lewis (center) of Bianca’s Cleaning Service, with her team.
Click here to see Sebastian River Exterminating’s
Banner Ad on the Sebastian Chamber website. Email [email protected] for
information on how to increase online exposure
for your business.
DON’S ALUMINUM IS
CONVERTING TO
A WEB BANNER AD
March 2017 Chamber of Commerce Calendar of Events
Tuesday, April 11th Noon—1PM Sponsored by: White Glove Moving & Storage Lunch Speaker: Jason Nunemaker, Fellsmere City Manager
At Marsh Landing Restaurant 44 N Broadway St. Fellsmere Reservations requested, $15.00 with reservation, $20 at the door
Friday, April 7th 8AM—9AM Sponsored by Florida Eye Institute 13397 US Hwy 1, Sebastian
26th Annual Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament Saturday, April 22nd Sebastian Municipal Golf Course
Thursday, April 20th from 5PM—7PM TD Bank 13633 US Hwy 1, Sebastian
Committee Meetings Executive Committee Meeting Thursday, April 6th From: 8AM—9AM Chamber Office 700 Main St., Sebastian Full Board Meeting Wednesday, April 12th From: 8AM—9AM Chamber Office 700 Main St., Sebastian Tourism Meeting Tuesday, April 18th AT: 4PM Chamber Office 700 Main St., Sebastian
Concerts in the Park at Riverview Park, Sebastian
Friday, April 7th 5:30PM—8PM Blue Cypress Bluegrass (Bluegrass)
Upcoming Events
Tourism Spotlight
So many treasures and ways to enjoy them in our backyard - Skydive Sebastian being one of them. A world-class skydiving facility with a spectacular repu-tation for safety and making jumpers feel welcome; attracts vacationers and jumpers from all over the world creating a melting pot in our magnificent tropi-cal location. Whether skydiving is on your bucket list; you are planning a bachelor or bachelorette party; graduation celebration; birthday; anniversary; create lifetime memories with your family and friends - visit Skydive Sebastian or book your reservation on line. Don’t let the fear of the unknown hold you back. A fear of heights is irrelevant from 14,000 feet and there is no falling sensation. (Two of the most com-mon misconceptions.)
Amongst being a world renown training facility; Sky-dive Sebastian sponsors and hosts world champions. The current two time world champion canopy pilot, Curt Bartholomew, frequents the swoop pond for training. CORE, a world-champion team that com-petes in vertical formation skydiving, is co-sponsored by Skydive Sebastian bringing teams from the UK, Russia, and South America for coaching. Clean Air, a world-champion canopy relative work team, trained and brought teams from Egypt, Qatar, Russia, and Canada for coaching.
SkyDive Sebastian
In March of 2017, female skydivers from across the US gath-ered with the common goal to set a Florida Women’s For-mation Record. They patiently waited through weather until their chance came where the clouds parted and the winds calmed presenting a small window of opportunity. On the first attempt, these determined women successfully complet-ed the state record over Skydive Sebastian. On April 29, 2017 the Florida Canopy Piloting Association will hold a competition at Skydive Sebastian at the swoop pond. Competitors will gather to compete for speed, accuracy, and distance. The competition is structured with rules that allow intermediate canopy pilots to safely experience competition by flying a safe distance off the ground; while the pro com-petitors have rules requiring competitors to drag a toe across the water. This is a fantastic competition for spectators. There is always something to see and spectators of any age are welcome at the Zoo Bar Cafe and Grille. Enjoy food, beer, wine, and an expresso or coffee that they are famous for. We look forward to having you jump or visit. Check Fa-cebook for discounts and promotions.
400 Airport Drive West, Sebastian, FL 32958 772-388-5672 | 800-399-JUMP (800-399-5867)
www.skydivesebastian.com
Tourism Tidbits By Nicole Capp Holbrook
April Tourism Committee Meeting
Our next Tourism Committee Meeting is Tues-
day, April 18th at 4 p.m. at the Chamber. For
those of you that are new to the Chamber, we
have a Tourism Committee that meets on a
quarterly basis and it is comprised of Chamber
members that are in the tourism industry
(hotels, restaurants, attractions, shops, boat
tours, fishing charters, etc). The purpose of the
committee is to create new ideas on how to
promote tourism in the Sebastian River Area
that will benefit our community. The meetings
are also an opportunity to brainstorm ideas
and network with other tourism businesses
throughout the community. We will be discuss-
ing Summer Campaigns, National Tourism
Week, a Tourism Committee Familiarization
Tour, the proposed VISIT FLORIDA cuts, &
more! At the end of the meeting, we will be
drawing the Tourism Spotlights for June, July &
August. You must be present to win this FREE
advertising opportunity which is featured in
the Chamber Currents and in the Chamber
Tourism E-blast which is distributed to our da-
tabase consisting of over 6,500 email address-
es. I encourage all of our Tourism Partners to
attend and I look forward to seeing everyone
on the 18th!
VISIT FLORIDA Cuts
The Florida House of Representatives passed HB 9, a
house bill that would cut Visit Florida's budget by 67
percent, cap salaries at the agency and increase
transparency of the DMO's spending. According to
the Office of Economic and Demographic Research,
for every $1 the state invests in VISIT FLORIDA, $3.20
in tax revenue is generated. VISIT FLORIDA facilitates
tourism industry participation in domestic and inter-
national travel trade and consumer shows, as well as
media missions to the top global visitor markets. VIS-
IT FLORIDA also works closely with travel agents,
tour operators, meeting and event planners, and is
responsible for operating Florida’s five Official Wel-
come Centers. Tourism Works for Florida! Please
write a letter, make a phone call or send an email to
show your support for VISIT FLORIDA & the im-
portance of tourism to our area. To find out how to
get involved & become a Tourism Advocate,
visit tourismworksforflorida.org
2017-2018 TDC Budget Request
We are working on our 2017-2018 Indian River
County Tourism Development Council budget
request which we will be submitting in early April.
Upcoming Festivals & Events
2017 Concerts in the Park- March 24th – Heart of Oak (Celtic & Sea Songs) April 7th – Blue Cypress Bluegrass (Bluegrass) May 12th – Bobby Owen Band (Country, Blues, and Oldies)
Chamber Golf Tournament- April 22nd National Tourism Week—May 7th-13th
ALL-RITE & CLARK WATER
ARE CONVERTING TO
A WEB BANNER AD
Communications Corner By Britney Melchiori
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, if that’s the case, then the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce
could write a novel or two with all of the beautiful pictures submitted for the 6th Annual SRA Snapshots Photo Contest.
This year’s photo contest theme was Simple Pleasures and Authentic Treasures. Folks were encouraged to take pictures of any-
thing from a walk in their favorite park to pictures of their favorite land marks and anything in between.
The 6th Annual SRA Snapshots contest yielded 50 photos of the area; each one capturing the unique beauty of our slice of paradise.
A new feature to the contest this year was that we opened it up to youth in addition to just adults. Prizes for the winning photo
included a tour with Indian River by Air for adults, and a family membership to the Environmental Learning Center for youth.
Running December through March, the SRA
Snapshots started 6 years ago with the intent of
increasing engagement on our tourism Facebook
page in addition obtaining striking digital images
of the area to use in promotional materials, both
print and online.
Not a single stock photo can be found on our
website, or in our printed publications. This pho-
to contest has proved to be a fun way to engage
with our Facebook fans and capture some amaz-
ing pictures of the area.
Who better to help tell the story of the area than
the locals and visitors who are here appreciating
its natural splendors?!
Snap. Share. Win.
Winning Photo for Adult Age Group (Above)
Archie Smith Fish House by Skip Murphy
Winning Photo for Youth Age Group (Below)
Flowers by 6 year old Hank Miller
To view all of the photos submitted,
visit our Facebook page:
Facebook.com/SebastianChamberVisitorsCenter
Membership Memo By Vicki Wild
New Members, “Welcome” to the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce
Indian River Hauntings, LLC. “Lawrence Lawson” www.indianriverhauntings.com
ReMax Crown Realty “Chris Junker” www.sverosebastian.com
Rhoades Air & Heat, LLC “Dustin & David Rhoades” 772-571-5734 www.sebastianchamber.com
Lewis Family Auto “Lev & Amanda Lewis www.lewisfamilyauto.com
ReMax Crown “Gary Malone” [email protected]
Colonial Life “Kim Melzer & Jason Young” [email protected]
Virtual Insurance Bureau “Brian Biesiadecki” www.virtualinsurancebureau.com
Danny’s Pizza “Daniel Ramirez, Jr.” 772-571-6703
Colonial Life Insurance “Billie Austin” [email protected]
JD’s Corner Diner “ George Palucgi” 772-581-9137 www.sebastianchamber.com
Kroegel Homestead Produce “Tim Timinski” 772-633-0992 www.sebastianchamber.com
50% OR MORE BASED ON TOURISM? IF SO, WE HAVE A DEAL FOR YOU!
Call 772-589-5969 or email Vicki Wild at [email protected] to find out more
Join us for Food, Fun, Events and Networking!
Colonial Life Insurance 321-302-9377 615 Shrine Cir. SE Palm Bay FL 32909 Sales & Services
JD’s Corner Diner 13600 US Hwy 1 Sebastian, FL 258 772-581-9137 Breakfast/Dining
Kroegel Homestead Produce 11200 S US Hwy #1 Sebastian, FL 32958 772-925-2768 Produce
Welcome New Members
Convert Your Ad to a Chamber Web Banner Ad and Increase Your Exposure
This program is designed to provide advertising opportunities to our Members who are looking to
increase their online exposure. We offer exclusive ad space: No rotating banners! Track the number
of impressions and clicks your ad receives. Strategic placement and 4 ad sizes to choose from.
Click here to see Sebastian River Exterminating’s Banner Ad on the Sebastian Chamber website. Email [email protected] for more information on becoming part of the program.
REMAX
CROWN
has joined
the many
other
members
converting
to a web
banner ad
Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors, 2016-2017
Executive Team
Dawn Biehl, The Tiki Bar and Grill – Chair
Michelle Napier, Napier & Rollins — Vice Chair
Bob Morgan, Marine Bank and Trust — Treasurer
Kim Ellis, Vintage to Vogue — Immediate Past Chair
Elected Directors
Capt. Christy Lenz, “Casual Cruisin”
Theresa Tolle, Bay Street Pharmacy
Sue Skirvin, Tupperware
Joel Stout, Sandpiper Pest Control
Anna V. Tillery, White Glove Moving and Storage
Appointed Directors
Jim Belanger, Live Now Team/ReMax Associated Realty
Nancy Flickinger, Florida Power & Light
Theresa Kannapes, VNA
Ben Maffett, Oculina Bank
Chuck Mechling, Insite Solutions
Ali Qizalbash, Cemco Construction
Robin Raiff, Robin Raiff Real Estate Team
Ex Officio
Susan Adams, Indian River County Commissioner
Andrea Coy, Councilwoman, City of Sebastian
Jason Nunemaker, City Manager, City of Fellsmere
Chamber Team
Kimberlee Armstrong, Accounting
Gail Cavallo, Administrative Assistant
Nicole Capp Holbrook, Tourism Director
Beth L. Mitchell, President/CEO
Britney Melchiori, Marketing & Communications Director
Vicki Wild, Membership Director
Chamber Ambassadors
Opey Angelone, Action Realty 772-633-8617
Sandi Gehrke, TD Bank 772-581-1490
Cindi Green, Florida Eye Institute 772-569-9500
Jackie Hart, Hart Escapes 772-646-4828
Gina Melton, LF Staffing 772-564-8777
Theresa Kannapes, VNA Hospice 772-480-7771
Isabel Marron, Oculina Bank 772-571-1400
Michael Natale, M N Worldwide, Inc. 772-388-0044
Mori Serpa, KE Insurance 772-589-1800
Angie Schepers, Signs By Tomorrow 772-633-3777
Sue Skirvin, Tupperware 772-913-2010
Cynthia Williams, Primerica 772-713-1991
Kristie Woodward, Oculina Bank 772-581-3199
Anna Valencia Tillery, White Glove 772-232-7843 Moving, Storage & Delivery
The Chamber Currents Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce 700 Main Street,, Sebastian, Florida 32958
Ph:772-589-5969 | Fax: 772-589-5993
www.SebastianChamber.com
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Local Honey, Preserves, Sauces,
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