Each month now for nearly 9 years I have provided this column predominantly about the CEP and the work we do. This month, I thought I would provide a little Q&A on the CEP for those who may not familiar with us.
What exactly is the CEP?
We are the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership or CEP for short. The CEP is the chamber and lead economic development organization for all of the Ocala Metro (Marion County). We do everything a traditional chamber does (but with a twist) along with leading efforts around Business Attraction (bringing new primary employers to the area), Business Retention (assisting existing businesses), and Business Creation (entrepreneurship). We have a staff of nearly 25 professionals who are working every day to deliver on these activities and help ensure this is a prosperous community for all of our residents. Continue reading
Dear Friends,
This comes to you from our desk in Tallahassee as committee meetings are in full swing. An informed person is an empowered person and so we hope to continue bringing some reports to our folks back home.
Most of the work being done, so far, is hearing reports from various state agencies regarding their operations and some forecasting about what next year will bring. On the financial side, Florida continues to rebound from a tough year 2020 where real GDP fell by 2.8% for the year. Thanks to strong conservative leadership from our Governor and Legislature, we have recovered those losses with an average growth of 7.2% over the first two quarters of 2021. Personal income growth rates for Floridians are anticipated to be above 4.0% for the 2021 year, which is excellent news considering that the national average for 2020 was in the negative by about 25%.
Every ten years, coinciding with the U.S. Census, each state will draw a new district map for their elected representatives and Senators. This process, called Redistricting, must be completed by the Florida Legislature in the upcoming Session. This process will take up much of the focus and energy this year. We have many talented and knowledgeable staff working hard to help us accomplish this mission and we are very confident that the final product will be fair and legal. The Senate website has some excellent information on this topic and we encourage everyone to utilize these resources and to be informed. Continue reading
Apparently, the Mayor and Commissioners of the Town of Lady Lake voted against a developer.
That would be a first if that developer was ‘The Villages’.
But it’s not!
The request was for 82 new residences on an 18 acre site located next to the ‘Lake Sumter Apartment Homes’ on the corner of CR 466 and Cherry Lake Road, called ‘Sumter Villas’.
This despite the fact that Lady Lake does supply water to the huge ‘Lake Sumter Apartments’ next door, and in Sumter County.
The Mayor of Lady Lake, Ruth Kussard was quoted “An important thing to remember is (that) this is in Sumter County. We would have absolutely no jurisdiction over this project. Why would we give our water to another county? We need to look out for the residents of Lady Lake.” Continue reading
Do Your Job, Enforce the Law,
Stop Incentivizing Illegal Immigration
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Instead of changing course to stop the crisis of mass illegal immigration occurring at the southwest border, the Biden Administration has taken yet another action to further weaken immigration enforcement, which will exacerbate the Biden Border Crisis. In a policy memo issued this week by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the Biden Administration directed immigration authorities to stop deploying worksite operations that enforce illegal immigrant employment laws, effectively greenlighting American employers to hire illegal aliens.
“This latest action by DHS should come as no surprise given that mass illegal immigration is this administration’s policy, but yet again, Florida will fill the chasm left by the Biden Administration’s refusal to enforce the law,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “State and federal law explicitly prohibit the employment of illegal aliens. In Florida, we will enforce the law, and we will protect the jobs and wages of Florida’s workers.” Continue reading
Nothing Bundt Cakes Ribbon Cutting with Lady Lake Area Chamber, 988 Bichara, Lady Lake, FL 32159
Dignity Memorial Ribbon Cutting and Open House with Lady Lake Area Chamber, October 11, 2021, 7134 Powell Rd Wildwood, FL 34785
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis visited Lee County to highlight the successes seen in Florida since the deployment of state-run monoclonal antibody treatment sites. Since opening these sites, the 7-day average of new adult hospital admissions has fallen 80%.
“Florida has administered over 130,000 monoclonal antibody treatments, saving thousands of people from being admitted to the hospital. There is no doubt that many lives have been saved as a result of making these treatments widely available,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Recently, the Biden administration decided to severely cut the amount of Regeneron monoclonal antibodies being sent to Florida and other disfavored states. That was concerning because there was a significant demand for the treatments and we wanted to make sure that if folks needed it, they were able to get it. I looked to see what other options were available for Florida. There was another very effective monoclonal antibody treatment called Sotrovimab made by GlaxoSmithKline that had recently received emergency use authorization. We went directly to GlaxoSmithKline, got Sotrovimab for Florida, and deployed it. It served as a bridge to get over the reductions, and fortunately, as a result of the success of early treatment, our infections are now so low that we have gone from thousands to hundreds of treatments per day. Florida is one of the only states in the country that currently has hospital admissions for COVID below pre-Delta levels and is also one of the five lowest states for daily infections.” Continue reading
Pictured is Diane Leaf giving a presentation with pictures on the video screen a the Ocala Business Leaders breakfast. It was about the Champions for Champions and the many activity’s they have been doing this year. It is very interesting how far reaching the events and contestants come from. China, Canada, and many other including the local group. I believe because of the COVID Pandemic they have not been able to fund raise effectively. So consider them in your contributions. I thought it appropriate to to print their mission statement.
MISSION STATEMENT:
Champions for Champions is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in Marion County, Florida to provide inclusion programs and services for those with special needs and their families.
Our Mission: Create ENDLESS PossABILITIES
We strive to enrich family lives and values by providing and facilitating programs for individuals with disabilities of all ages through life skills, educational, recreational and social activities.
Why Champions for Champions? Continue reading
Ocala, Florida (October 12, 2021) – Kevin T. Sheilley, CEO and President of the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership received the “2021 Executive of the Year” award from the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals (FACP). In addition, the CEP was again awarded the Certified Plus Chamber status.
The Executive of the Year Award annually recognizes one Chamber leader for outstanding contributions to the profession and their chamber. It is one of the highest awards presented statewide in the industry.
“The recognition from FACP was a great surprise and an incredible honor,” said Sheilley. “To be recognized by my peers is humbling. While the award was presented to me, it really is a team award. The CEP team is second to none and makes not only me look good but our community.”
The Florida Association of Chamber Professionals (FACP) recognized Florida’s top chambers of commerce for their outstanding achievements and dedication to the industry. The awards were presented at the FACP Annual Conference, held September 22-24, 2021, at the Wyndham Grand Jupiter Harbourside in Jupiter, Florida. Continue reading
HyperFocal: 0
(NAPSI)—There’s good news, bad news and better news about combating cancer in America these days.
The good news is there’s been an overall decline in U.S. cancer deaths since 1991.
The bad news is not all patients have benefited equally from advances in prevention, early detection and precision medicine. One study found that around 8.1 percent of cancer patients participate in a clinical trial. Of those, FDA data show that only 4 percent of clinical trial participants are Black and 5 percent are Hispanic.
What’s more, minority groups overall in the U.S. have both the highest death rate and shortest survival rate for most cancers. These inequities in cancer care have been ongoing for decades, due in part to socio-economic barriers, insufficient information about trials and their benefits, as well as other challenges.
The better news is a major funder of cancer research is working to tackle cancer disparities. Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C), which raises money to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now, began formalizing its Health Equity Initiative in 2017. The initiative aims to increase minority representation in cancer clinical trials and ensure new cancer treatments are effective for all. Continue reading
