july 2007 chairman’s message - chamber of commerce
TRANSCRIPT
2007Community
Trustees
BankFIRST
Castle & Cooke
DeWitt Excavating
Embarq
First CommercialBank of Florida
GrayRobinson, P.A.
Health Central
Lowndes DrosdickDoster Kantor &
Reed, P.A.
Manheim’s Florida Auto
Auction of Orlando
McCree Incorporated
Miller, South & Milhausen, P.A.
Progress Energy
Regions Bank
Signature GMACReal Estate
Step2Techknowledgies
Group
SunTrust Bank
The MiddlesexCompanies
Veranda Partners
Walt Disney WorldCompany
West Oaks Mall
Chairman’s MessageRuss Salerno, 2007 Chamber ChairmanM&I Bank
July 2007
Committee Corner by Paul R. Sexton
Hometown Democracy/Community Polarization
Recently the Chamber’s Board of Directors voted to oppose the so-called “Hometown Democracy” petition drive. Privately initiated Hometown Democracy seeks the enactment of a state constitutional amendment that would require a public vote on all local comprehensive land use plan changes. Speaking on behalf of the Board, I understand that growth management policy in Florida is imperfect at best, the result of which has been much undesirable sprawl. That being said, there are a number of problems with Hometown Democracy that, in the opinion of the Board, render it counterproductive to our ongoing efforts to promote “smart growth” in Central Florida. The most basic of these problems is that, although Hometown Democracy’s stated goal of promoting greater public consensus in future development decisions is laudable, the unintended consequence of the proposed amendment will be to further polarize our communities on public issues that are already too contentious. More specifi cally, the proposed amendment would institutionalize an absolute veto that can be exer-cised at will by special interest groups less dedicated to public debate and true democratic participation than to reactionary NIMBYism (the “Not In My Back Yard” syndrome). As such, a handful of activists could just as easily defeat the development of badly needed hospitals, schools and job centers, as they could the construction of a poorly envisioned subdivision. On this issue, the Board encourages Chamber members to defeat – i.e., to not sign – the Hometown Democracy petition drive. As an alternative, we encourage you to join us in actively supporting the many ongoing consensus-building efforts of myregion.org, the Chamber’s West Orange Visioning process and other smart-growth initiatives. Please see the “Stop the Scam” insert in this newsletter for additional information.
Where has all the Water gone?
At the next West Orange Chamber Business & Breakfast which will be held at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church at 7:15 a.m. on August 8, 2007, we will be talking about a topic that has a major affect on every person and business in Central Florida, “Water.” As you all know, we are currently experiencing a huge shortage of rainfall. This shortage has continued to mount over the past 2 years and we are now approaching some critical times. Did you know that Lake Okeechobee the largest lake in Florida is at an all time low right now? Did you know that our own Lake Apopka is currently over a foot lower than normal? Did you know the aquifer is at an all time low? Have you ever thought what it would be like to be on “severe” water restrictions or even worse “be out of water”? These are just some of the questions that need to be addressed NOW and not later. The entire state’s water situation should have been addressed more aggressively 20 years ago. We should have been more pro-active and prepared with our water management. Can you imagine life with a permanent water shortage or even no water at all? Please plan on attending the August Business & Breakfast, sponsored by Orlando Utilities Commission and hear our panel of experts discuss our “water crisis.” We are very fortunate to have a panel of water experts lined up that will include Rob Teegarden, Chairman of the Florida Section American Water Works Association and its immediate past chair, Jacqueline Torbert. Be prepared to hear the “real story” and “real options” for our future. I hope all of you have been having a great summer so far. Your Chamber continues to grow, even over the sum-mer and be very active with our West Orange schools, businesses and civic organizations. We have a lot of things to be thankful for here in West Orange County and I want to take this time to just say “Thanks” for all that you do to contribute.
Dianne Southwell joined the Chamber board this year. She has been ve ry invo lved wi th t he Ambassador s , Member sh ip and Events Committees. Southwell is the President and owner of Plaudits!, one of the Chamber’s newest Supporting Trustees.
Mayor Kathy Stark has served on the Chamber board for fi ve years representing the Town of Oakland. She has served as Chairman of the WOCC Community Champion’s Gala for the past 4 years. In Stark’s spare time, she works for the Walt Disney World Company as Manager, of Cast Activities, Events and Recognition-Human Resources-Walt Disney Parks and Resorts-East Coast
Lynetta Tipton Steed has been on the Chamber board since 2004. She has been very involved with the Membership Committee serving as Retention Chairman and this year as the Committee Chair. Steed is the SR VP Central Florida Business Banking Manager for Regions which is a Community Trustee of the Chamber.
Jane Tebbe-Shemelya joined the Chamber board in 2004. She has served as the Membership Committee Chairman for two years. Jane has worked very hard in helping the Chamber produce quality membership literature. Jane is the Director of Merchandise Global Planning & Growth Initiatives for the Walt Disney World Company.
Jim Thomas has served on the chamber board for 3 years representing Friends of Lake Apopka (FOLA) and the Oakland Nature Preserve (ONP). He has participated in the Community Involvement and Governmental Affairs Committees. Thomas is the president of Biosphere Consulting, Inc. and a tireless advocate for environmental issues.
West OrangeChamber
Board of Directors
Joe Alarie
A. Kurt Ardaman
Kay Behrens
Mike Bollhoefer
Ward Britt
Mayor Gary Bruhn
Alan Byrd
Debbie Clements
Jim Densmore
Louis Fazio, Jr.
Rob Frank
Ron Garrison
Bob Gosselin
Pamela Gould
John Hussey
Comm. Teresa Jacobs
Julie Kleffel
John McReynolds
Jim Neumayer
Linda Osterberg
Dan Petro
Stephen Precourt
Dr. Jenny Reeves
John Rinehart
Russ Salerno - Chairman
Tracy Seebach
Paul Sexton
Dianne Southwell
Mayor Kathy Stark
Lynetta Steed
Jane Tebbe-Shemelya
Jim Thomas
Dr. Diane Trees
Meet the Board - 2007 Board of Directors
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The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Committee has been very busy during the fi rst part of this year. With the monitoring of our 2007 Legislative Position paper, keeping tabs on the proposed property tax legislation and the scheduling and planning of our topical lunches, it is easy to say that this is one of the hardest working committees. As of press time for the WOCC Chamber Matters Newsletter, the Florida Legislature has just started its second special session for the year. In this session, there is a promise to secure a new plan for Property Taxes. We are looking forward to seeing what kind of plan will be devised. Until then, please take the time to review our 2007 Legislative Position Paper online at the offi cial WOCC web site at www.wochamber.com. This will you give you an overview of what important issues passed and which ones did not. If you are interested in participating in the Governmental Affairs Committee, please contact Krista Compton at [email protected].
MAY TRUSTEE LUNCHEON
The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Community Trustees and Supporting Trustees were treated to an incredible meal at The Palm and enjoyed a presentation about Island One Resorts. Pictured from l-r are; Stina D’Uva, President WOCC, Russ Salerno, Chairman of the WOCC, Deb Linden, President and CEO of Island One Resorts, Michael Martin, General Manager of The Palm, Pam Gould, Vice President of Community Development and Chef Larry Sinibaldi, The Palm
Legislative Position Paper
2007 Good Living Magazine Show
Be sure to check out the offi cial West Orange Chamber website www.wochamber.com for detailed information of the 2007 Good Living Magazine.
New Members
ARCHITECTURAL MATERIALSamaZulu, Inc.Claire Evans
(407) 395-0442www.amazuluinc.com
BUSINESS CONSULTINGDetailed Solutions
Beth Wincey(407) 339-3001
COMPUTER - SALES/SERVICE/CONSULTANT
Hughes I.T. Solutions, Inc.Gary Hughes
(407) 284-1192www.hughesitsolutions.com
CONTRACTOR - GENERALStirling Construction
Tony Evans(407) 948-3235
FITNESS TRAINING - PERSONAL
Go For Fit! Training Co.Theresa Felton(407) 625-6808www.goforfi t.net
FURNITURE STOREPalm Casual
Stuart Marshall(407) 905-0078
www.palmcasual.com
GARAGE ORGANIZATION SYSTEMSHouseOrg
Carl Trainer(407) 668-3688
www.houseorgnow.com
ICE CREAM SHOPPETwistee Treat
Royetta Ginther(407) 877-6888
INSURANCE - LIFE & DISABILITY
Fay Financial GroupTerry Fay
(407) 347-2019
KID’s GYMParallel Play
Candice Ricketts(407) 342-5035
www.parallelplay.biz
OFFICE EQUIPMENT - COPIERS/FACSIMILE
Canon Business SolutionsKevin Davis
(407) 242-6090
PHYSICIANS - OPHTHALMOLOGIST
Eye Physicians of Central FloridaVictor Thomas(407) 398-7730
www.eyephy.com
RESTAURANTSShane’s Rib Shack - MetroWest
Ken Farley(407) 582-9984
RETAILWal-Mart - Turkey Lake Rd.
Debbie Martin(407) 351-2247
SCHOOLS - CHRISTIANWest Oaks Academy
Tom Parlier(407) 292-8481
www.westoaksacademy.com
SCHOOLS - PRIVATEStarChild Academy
Danny King(407) 929-5653
STAFFING COMPANYWest Point Commons, LLC
Karam Duggal(407) 363-4718
TITLE INSURANCE SERVICESPCS Title Co.Lori Freeman
(407) 447-9100www.pcstitle.com
ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITIESGolden Pond Communities
ATTORNEYSAkerman & Senterfi ttLevin, Morgan & Longo, LLCLowndes Drosdick Doster Kantor & Reed, P.A.Ronald W. Sikes, PLLCSawyer & Sawyer, P.A.
BANKSRegions Bank
BOWLING CENTERCarter Family Bowl
BUILDERS/CONTRACTORS/DEVELOPERSExclusive Homes
CATERINGFlo’s Catering
Port-A-Pit Bar-B-Que of Orlando, Inc.
CHIROPRACTORSLerner Family Chiropractic Center
COFFEE SHOP/BAKERY GOODSBarnie’s Coffee
COMPUTER - SALES/SERVICE/CONSULTANTExpetec of West Orange
CONCRETE CONTRACTORSKelzer Concrete Cutting, Inc.
CONSTRUCTION - COMMERCIALThe Robins & Morton Group
CONTRACTOR - GENERALMulligan Constructors, Inc.
ELECTED OFFICIALSOrange County Property Appraiser
EMPLOYEE BENEFITSThe Crowne Group, Inc.
EMPLOYMENT SERVICES - TEMPORARY SERVICESLabor Finders
ENGINEERS - PLANNERSUniversal Engineering Sciences
FINANCIAL PLANNINGMorgan Stanley
FITNESS TRAINING - PERSONALThe Fitness Studio of Orlando
FURNITURE STOREKanes Furniture
GOLF CENTEROrange County National Golf Center and Lodge
HOME BUILDERS/DEVELOPERD. R. Horton, Inc.
HOTELSThe Ritz-Carlton
INSURANCEPatrick S. Gray Insurance Agency, Inc.
INTERIOR DECORATINGInteriors by Decorating Den
INVESTMENT SERVICETalbot Asset Management
KID’s GYMBee Kidz, LLC
LAWN CAREPrecision Landscape Management, Inc.
MORTGAGE LOANSMortgage Solutions of Central Florida
ORGANIZATIONS - CIVICRotary Club Of OcoeeWest Orange Kiwanis Club
ORGANIZATIONS - NON-PROFITAmerican Red CrossGirl Scouts of Citrus CouncilWest Orange Habitat For Humanity
PERSONAL CHEFThe Dinner A’fare
PET BOARDING/GROOMINGPuppy Dreams
PHYSICIANS - INTERNAL/PREVENTIVE MEDICINECentral Florida Internists
POOL SERVICE AND SUPPLIESPinch A Penny
REAL ESTATESouthern Heritage RealtySouthern Realty Group - SRGStirling Sotheby’s International Realty
REAL ESTATE BROKERAGEGMA Construction & Development
RESTAURANTSHoney Baked Ham CompanyVines Grille & Wine BarWinter Garden Pizza Company
SCHOOLSLakeview Middle SchoolOrange County Public SchoolsPalm Lake Elementary School
SCHOOLS - CHARTEROakland Avenue Charter Elementary School
SEPTIC TANK INSTALLATION & REPAIRSauer Septic Systems
SIGNSSign A Rama
STORAGE UNITSChampion Self Storage #1
SUPERMARKETSPublix
TITLE INSURANCE SERVICESFirst American Title Insurance Co.North American Title Co.
Renewed Members
CHAMBER CHATTER
The West Orange Chamber Annual Team Building
Bowling Tournament 2007
Join the West Orange Chamber for a “Disco on Down” evening of fun!
We will boogie on back in time to a “Staying Alive”-best ball-bowling tournament.
For $325, your team of eight ($225 for a team of four) will knock down the pins and
“Do the Hustle” to Disco tunes, food, beverages, contests and prizes!!
Shake off that old three piece suit and Danskin Skirt, and “Fly, Robin Fly” over to
Carter Family Bowl! Best Team Costume wins a PRIZE!!!
Sponsored by:ACE Hardware& Talbot Asset Management
Beverage Sponsor: DRB Benefi ts GroupPrize Sponsor: Plaudits!
Wednesday, July 25, 20075:30 -8:30pm
Reserve your lane NOW!!!Contact Lauren at the Chamber at 407-656-1304 or
Come network and celebrate summer at the July Business After Hours
Salt Island Chop House and Fish Market7500 International Drive
Orlando, FL 32819
Thursday, July 19, 20075:30 – 7:00 pm
PetsFirst Pet Sitting Service is celebrating their 10 year Business Anniversary. Congratulations!!
StarChild Academy announced the groundbreaking of their newest school in Winter Garden. The Winter Garden school, a 2-building 25,000 SF project, is scheduled for completion by December of 2007. The new school is located at 1324 Winter Garden Vineland Road (CR 535). The owners of the StarChild Winter Garden are Anil & Varsha Sant and Danny King & Stephanie Tsang. The school will be open from 6AM to 7PM, Monday through Friday. Parents are encouraged to call (407) 877-0345 for more information or to enroll.
Congratulations to our very own Board Member and Orange County District 1 Commissioner Teresa Jacobs on her recent election as Chairman of the Association of Counties.
WINTER GARDEN VILLAGE CAREER FAIRAugust 21-22 at Tanner Hall29 W. Garden Ave., Winter Garden, FL 347879am – 4 pmMeet Retailers Hiring for a Variety of PositionsFor more information visit:www.wintergardenvillage.com
HKS Architects has been chosen to design a 141-unit time-share building for a new Hilton Grand Vacation Club project in Orlando.
Congratulations to Tracy Seebach of Veranda Partners, who was recognized as an outstanding 40 under 40 at a luncheon hosted by the Orlando Business Journal.
Pastor Gary Shockley of HopeSpring United Methodist Church, a new church in West Orange County, has published a book titled “The Meandering Way.” The book recounts one pastor‛s story of his journey from a success-oriented drivenness to a signifi cance-oriented, meandering style of life. For additional information, or to contact Gary, please visit www.hopespringl.org or www.garyshockley.com
Wednesday Leads GroupIncrease your customer base by using other Chamber
members as your FREE sales force. This Leads group meets the fi rst and third Wednesday of everymonth at the West Oaks Mall Community Room from 8-9 am.
(Exclusive to one person per industry.)
Call Anette Luck for more info: (407) 832-LUCK
Tuesday Leads GroupExpand your contacts by networking with other
businesses and receive referrals from clients with related interests. This group has leads meetings
every Tuesday of the month at the Best Western Turnpike West-Orlando
in the Perkins Restaurant from 8-9 am. (Exclusive to one person per industry.)
Call Will Royall for more information: (386) 747-1964www.tuesdaymorningleadsgroup.com
Lead and Feed Network with fellow Chamber members while enjoying lunch
at a different Chamber member restaurant each month! Lead and Feed is the second Thursday
of the month from 12:00-1:30pm. (Exclusive to three people per industry.)
Call Heather Weidenbruch for more information (407) 859-7123 x 115
DISCOVER
The West Orange Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Village Profi le will once again produce our Community Profi le and Business Directory, Discover 2008.
As a Chamber member, you will have an opportunity to promote your company in one of the Chambers’ most in-demand publications.
If you would like to be a part of this valuable and informative publication, call the Village Profi le representative, Steve Gimbut, at the Chamber offi ce at 407-656-1304 to set up an appointment.
Please be sure to check your business listing on our website and contact us if you’ve had changes or corrections on your contact information.
Please remember it‛s best to RSVP to any events you‛d like to attend, as some of them have limited space. If you send a Quick RSVP via our website, you should receive an email confi rmation back from us. If you do not get a confi rmation within a day or two, we did not receive your email and you will need to contact us again.
2007Supporting
Trustees
Ace Hardware
Alarie DesignAssociates
AT&T
Bright FutureElectric, LLC
Dyer, Riddle, Mills& Precourt, Inc.
Fishback, Dominick,Bennett, Stepter,
Ardaman, Ahlers & Bonus, LLP
Plaudits!
Shutts & Bowen LLP
The Huber Group
The Robins & Morton Group
The Sembler Company
The West OrangeTimes
Universal Orlando
University of Central Florida
Waste Management, Inc. of Florida
West Orange Chamber of Commerce12184 W. Colonial DriveWinter Garden, FL 34787Ph: (407) 656-1304 Fax: (407) 656-0224Web site: www.wochamber.com
Presorted StandardU.S. Postage
PAIDPermit No. 257
Winter Garden, FL
JULY
Thursday, 19thBusiness After Hours
Sponsored and hosted bySalt Island Chophouse and Fish Market
5:30pm - 7:00pmCost: FREE
AUGUST
Wednesday, August 1stWest Orange Chamber Bowling Tournament
Sponsored by Ace Hardware and
Talbot Asset Management Carter Family Bowl
Time: 5:30pm – 8:30pmCost: $225.00 for a team of 4
$325.00 for a team of 8
Wednesday, August 8th Business & Breakfast
Sponsored byOUC
St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Ocoee7:15am – 9:00am
Cost: $12.00 Members- $17.00 Non-Members
Thursday, August 16th New Member Orientation
Sponsored byLocal Advantage Directory
Chamber Offi ceTime: 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Cost: FREE
Thursday, August 16th Business After Hours
Sponsored and hosted byAggressive Appliance and
Saving Young HeartsAggressive ApplianceTime: 5:30pm-7:00pm
Cost: FREE