Chamber Connection - Central Pinellas Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Connection
November 2009
www.largochamber.org
Chamber
Chamber
Trustee Circle
Circle
Trustee
2009
Chamber
Cup
Champs!
Chairman
Centratel Services
Platinum
Congratulations
to
the winning team:
AXA Advisors
Dean Rosko
& Associates
Largo Medical Center
Progress Energy
Bright House
Networks
(Continued on
Pages 6 & 7)
Gold
McGill Plumbing
The Palms of Largo
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Silver
Diagnostic Clinic
USAmeriBank
Knology
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital
Midori Salon & Spa
Art Attack
Heron House Indian Rocks
Hampton Inn & Suites
Spencer International Advisors, Inc.
Moss Feaster Funeral Homes
No
on
Amendment 4
To prevent anti-business, anti-growth extremists from dictating the
future of Florida, the Chamber has joined other leading business organizations in a fight against Amendment 4, the “Vote on Everything” initiative
that has made it to the 2010 ballot.
Amendment 4, if approved next November, would require that all local
comprehensive land use plan changes meet voter approval eliminating a
well-established, open, accessible and democratic planning process. With
the “Vote on Everything” amendment, citizens - not the representatives
they elected - are forced to regularly decide thousands of intricate landuse planning issues.
(Continued on Page 2 - Special President’s Report)
Coffee An‛Networking - Nov. 5 at 8:00 am at Beef O‛Brady‛s West Bay
Chamber Business Luncheon - Tuesday, Nov. 10 at Regal Palms, 2nd Floor - BRING CANNED GOODS!
Business After Hours - Thursday, Nov. 19 at Sam Seltzer‛s Steakhouse
Chamber Connection
Page 2
Chamber
Connection
The Official Newsletter of the
Largo/Mid-Pinellas Chamber
of Commerce
Phone: 727-584-2321
www.largochamber.org
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Laurie Bunce, Chairman
Centratel Services
Gene Evans, Chairman-Elect
Colonial Bank
Derri Davisson
Immediate Past Chairman
Realtor
Ricky Satcher, Treasurer
Largo Medical Center
Jim England, Vice Chairman
England Brothers Construction
George Glover, Vice Chairman
Bay Star Hotel Group
David Puckett, Vice Chairman
Allstate Insurance
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Denine Barham, Old Harbor Bank
Peri Craven, Moss Feaster
Elaine Ebaugh, Health South
Debra Jones, Regions Bank
Robin Katchuk, The Palms of Largo
Steve Markiewicz
Luis Ordaz, Progress Energy
Dr. James Rivenbark, Diagnostic Clinic
Doug Rohloff, Art Attack
STAFF
Tom Morrissette, President
Teri Flynn, Finance Manager
Janet Kerry, Office Receptionist
Cindy Paquin, Communications & Events Dir.
Sheryl Rodgers, Membership Director
Chairman’s Report
November 2009
Greetings! Are you aware of all of the networking opportunities that are available to you through your Chamber of
Commerce?
Each month there is an early morning, lunch-time and
evening networking event available to you. Just about
everyone can accommodate at least one of those events in
their schedule. The early morning event is our Coffee
An’Networking event held on the first Thursday of each
month at Beef O’Brady’s on West Bay Drive. The lunchtime event is our monthly luncheon (locations vary) typically held on the second Tuesday of each month. Our Business After Hours is your chance to network after work and
they are held at various member locations each month.
You can always find these event times and locations listed on both the front and back
of your monthly newsletter. In these economic times networking is more important
than ever, and the upcoming holiday season will provide many chances for you to lay
the groundwork for next year’s business opportunities.
I hope to see you at an event soon. And remember ... always do business with a
Chamber member!
Laurie Bunce
President’s Report
(Continued from front page)
Much is at Stake for All Businesses & Families in
Florida!
• The DISRUPTION to local communities and the
daily lives of Floridians will be extraordinary. It will
not be unusual for the voters to have to decide on 200 to
300 comprehensive plan changes every year.
• The DISORDER will further disenfranchise Florida’s already-fatigued electorate.
Lines at voting booths will grow as Floridians attempt the virtual impossibility of
voting on hundreds of separate and often confusing ballot questions.
• The COST will be astronomical. Every city and county in Florida will be
burdened with the time and cost of holding additional elections and local taxpayers
will have to pay the bills.
• The RESULT will be a system that is far worse, not better. That’s why respected
environmental leaders refuse to support the amendment.
If you don’t believe that Amendment 4 will have a major impact on our lives, look
at how a very similar anti-growth measure is strangling the community of St. Pete
Beach. Since approved by voters in 2006, the city is dealing with more than
$500,000 in legal fees alone.
To learn more about the serious impact of Amendment 4, visit our website at
www.largochamber.org and click on the Floridians for Smarter Growth link.
During the year ahead, we will be looking to you - our valued members - to help us
spread the word “No on 4!”
Best wishes for a prosperous month and a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
Tom Morrissette
Page 3
Chamber Connection
November 2009
Welcome New Members!
Renewals
Cheddar’s Casual Cafe
2655 Roosevelt Blvd.
Clearwater, FL 33760
Andy Dennis 536-7770
Orbit Professional Packing
13732 W. Rena Drive
Largo, FL 33771
Bill Williams 507-7447
Sunshine Motocross
9675 Bardmoor Blvd.
Seminole, FL 33777
Casey Thomas 481-8162
Focus Graphix
1025 West Bay Drive
Largo, FL 33770
Valerie Wahl 216-6757
Rumba Island Bar & Grill
Corner of Gulf to Bay and Keene
Jennifer Simon 446-7027
The People’s Medicine
1890 West Bay Drive
Largo, FL 33770
James Lugo 455-7362
Government Contracting
& Marketing Services
3634 Doral St.
Palm Harbor, FL 34085
Peter Grotsky 204-8798
Sam Seltzer’s Steakhouse
18409 US 19 N.
Clearwater, FL 33764
Harry Davis 519-7267
The Solutionz Group
630 Brooker Creek Blvd. #310
Oldsmar, FL 34677
Chicki Fitzgerald (813) 925-0789
Indigo Joe’s Plaza
Jen Carter (813) 960-8154
John Dunphy/Colliers Arnold
(Real Estate)
311 Park Place Blvd. Suite 600
Clearwater, FL 33759
John Dunphy 442-7184
Just Add Power Cardware Co.
P.O. Box 1064
Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785
Edwin Qualls 517-4053
KTC Integrated Systems
3174 8th Ave. SW
Largo, FL 33770
Kyle Cole 492-5821
Mavericks High School, 1197 East Bay Drive, celebrates its
grand opening with a ribbon-cutting.
Mandalay Solutions Inc.
675 182nd Ave. E
Redington Shores, FL 33708
Fritz Kloepfel 374-7060
Mass Mutual/Eric Coyner
4830 W. Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33609
Eric Coyner 424-3205
The Palms of Largo
Spencer Intn’l Advisors
APG Electric
AXA Advisors
Bayshore Health Services
Belleair Towers
Business & Family Insurors
Ciminelli Real Estate
Colonial Bank
Columns at Allen’s Creek
Cross Components
Curtis Pools
Enhanced Performance
Francis Wilson Playhouse
Freedom Square
HealthSouth Rehabilitation
Lake Seminole Square
Massage Envy
New Life Solutions
Pinellas Co. Teachers Assoc.
Profit Gate
Prudential CRES
St. Paul’s Methodist Church
St. Petersburg College
Shettle Eye Center
Smith & Nephew
Steve’s Windows & Doors
Tampa Bay Rays Baseball
Toga Pools
Vacation Village
Verizon Plus
Village Inn
West Shore Urology Assoc.
Peter Wittwer, NA
Yellow Book
Mavericks High
1197 East Bay Drive
Largo, FL 33770
Rick Wolfe 474-8836
My Bingo
1756 N. Missouri Ave.
Largo, FL 33770
Mark Fish 724-4272
Nature’s Food Patch
1225 Cleveland St.
Clearwater, FL 33755
Cheryl Rosselle 443-6703
Silver Streak One LLC, 10623 117th Drive North, celebrates
its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting attended by Vyda
Van Emburgh of CPS Promotional Products, Dan Beaver of
Padgett Business Services, David Puckett of Allstate Insurance, Laurie Bunce of Centratel Services, Sandra Loitiere,
Bittney Mikus and Shantel Linden of Silver Streak One,
Jenee Mendillo of Bayshore Health Services and Angela
Duncan of Old Harbor Bank.
“Elvis” promotes Silver Streak One.