NEWSLETTER - Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce

January 2016 Issue
Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce
NEWSLETTER
700 Main Street, Sebastian FL 3258
772-589-5969 | SebastianChamber.com
The Chamber Currents
Eva Chapman
Branch Manager
PNC Bank
Member Spotlight
772-589-5468 Work
772-783-5822 Cell
A Florida native, Eva started her banking career many
years ago in Orlando. After 22 years in banking she left to
pursue a common dream shared with her husband. They
sailed the high seas voyaging to places few see with adventures few encounter. Over three years they sailed approximately 20 thousand miles to include two Atlantic
crossings and spent over 100 days at sea between landfalls. Upon their return in 2001, they settled in Sebastian
where Eva returned to her banking career.
Eva is currently the Branch Manager of PNC Bank on US
One in Sebastian having been with PNC Bank for 4 years
following 2 previous bank acquisitions. For more than 160 years, PNC Bank has been committed to providing
their clients with exceptional service and powerful financial expertise to help them meet their financial goals.
PNC Bank is proud of its longstanding history of supporting not only their clients but also their communities,
employees and shareholders. Eva and her branch team are committed to continuing PNC Bank’s vision and
dedication to each and every client, both consumer and business.
Eva is a member of the Sebastian Exchange Club and fourth year running Chair of the Sebastian Exchange Club
Foundation Blue Water Open Charity Offshore Fishing Tournament. (Please go to www.bluewateropen.com
for further information)
Eva and Curt are routinely spotted walking their two Old English Mastiffs around the
Roseland shopping center where they are frequently stopped for children and adults
alike to enjoy a rare BIG DOG experience.
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!
January 2016
Beth L. Mitchell, President & CEO
Before we usher in the New Year, I wanted to show you some of the new business activity in the Sebastian River Area. We had
a banner year of ribbon cuttings, ground breakings, new construction and grand openings in 2015. Here’s a sample of the new
businesses and expansions that the Chamber celebrated with our members!
Barnyard Feed & Farm Supply
Blue Cypress Treasures (Florida Aquaculture Foundation)
Capt. Hiram’s 16 units
Cruz N Style
Fisherman’s Landing Historical Exhibits and Fish House
Florida City Gas
Florida Eye Institute
Hair Tiki
Halo Rescued Treasures
ORC Restoration Services
Pelican Landing ALF
Pelican Porch Visitor Center
SandCrest Residential Community
Seacoast Bank
Seaside Vapors
True Value Hardware
Vinny’s Family Auto
During the year we enjoy the benefit of many volunteers and their time. The Chamber has a great group of volunteers that
help fulfill the Chamber’s mission to support business, promote tourism and improve the quality of life in the community.
There are always unsung heroes that deserve recognition for their efforts. We want to shout out to our Chamber Ambassadors, our Board members and Committee Chairs. A very special thank you to Capt. Christy Lenz and her husband Gary for all of
their painting skills, and to Theresa Tolle for her skills, time and perseverance as the Chair of the Fundraising Committee for
the Pelican Porch Visitor Center. And many, many thanks to all of the businesses who contributed financially to make this project happen, it could not be done without everybody’s help!
The Porch door was open today, and staff all walked through it for the first time! We can’t say enough about Capp Custom
Builders and all of the work that has been completed. While the porch is 90% done, and the sidewalk is poured, still in front of
us is the north wall knock down, and interior improvements. We hope to schedule a grand opening sometime in early February, so look for the announcement and your special invitation in January.
Now onto 2016! January includes the 25th Anniversary of the Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival, the 17th Annual Concerts in the Park,
the Sebastian Fine Arts and Music Festival, and of course normal Chamber activities. Our first Chamber event of 2016 is the
monthly luncheon at Captain Hiram’s, featuring Michelle Napier and Marc Gingras, who will talk to us about an inaugural
event, the 1st Annual Shrimp Festival to be held in Fellsmere. Lunch is sponsored by the indomitable Mary Lou Ciambriello of
Coldwell Banker Paradise! Make sure you have reservations, we always have a full house the first of the year, and everybody’s
New Year Resolution is to be involved.
On behalf of all of the Chamber partners, members, board members and staff, we wish you a Happy New Year and a
prosperous 2016!
Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon
December, 2015
1. The Sebastian Inlet Sail and Power Squadron has nominated Lt. Cathy Mangold, as their nominee for the prestigious Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce “Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon”. Cat, as she is known, is
always there to help in ways both small and large. She volunteers to help setup and break down the PR booths at
festivals; works a shift where coverage is needed; assists our instructors with the ABC classes; setting up the class
room, organizing literature about SISPS and on safe boating in our area for distribution to the students.
Our squadron has adopted three spoil islands in the Lagoon and she is there for the quarterly island cleanups,
collecting refuse as well as assisting with the required reporting. Fearing the loss of the Islands to the wave action
from the boats using the channel, Cat initiated and is the lead in a project raising and planting Red Mangroves on
the Islands to help abate the erosion. Since our budget is tight, with a good portion going to the public Safe
Boating classes, she has managed to run this Mangrove project solely with donations. She starts off by going out
and collects the Red Mangrove propagules (young plants) floating on the lagoon. Then she seeks donations of the
required “1 gallon trade pots” for planting from local nurseries and landscaping firms. She does the same for the
sandy soil and containers needed to keep the potted Red Mangroves immersed in water. This allows her to delegate the care of the young Red Mangrove plants to several members of the squadron with no cost to them or the
Squadron.
As a volunteer at the Environmental Learning Center in Wabasso, Cat is the supervisor of their green house, propagating Florida native plants for sale in the gift shop as well as for use on the Center’s grounds. She is involved in
the Center’s programs for school children, teaching them about collecting & growing Florida natives.
2. The Exchange Club of Sebastian is proud to present Alan Harshman for our Volunteer of the Year for the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce Volunteer Appreciation luncheon.
Alan is always there to volunteer for fundraising events and community give-back activities. Alan has been a very
active member of the Sebastian Exchange Club Foundation’s Blue Water Open Charity Offshore Fishing Tournament committee for four years. He is 100% dedicated to every event that helps promote the Prevention of Child
Volunteer Appreciation (continued)
Abuse and building healthy futures for our youngsters.
Alan was a vital part of the recent Blue Water Open Kids Day Fishing
Tournament, held at Sebastian Riverview Park City Docks for Boys
and Girls Club kids in the area. He procured fishing tackle, assisted
in the assembly of the kid’s fishing rods and reels, was the “bait
man” who cut up and distributed the bait, along with many other
tasks. He even arrived very early that morning to chum up the fish
for the kids!
Alan also volunteers for many other charities, like the Autism Association and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Alan will be serving on the Board of Directors for the Exchange Club Yellow Umbrella Child Abuse Prevention Center in 2016.
Wherever Alan sees a need, he is ready to jump in and help. No
one is more deserving of this prestigious award than Alan Harshman. Alan cannot be present to accept this award, as he was recently paralyzed and is in Atlanta undergoing aggressive rehabilitation.
We feel certain that because of his amazing drive and positive attitude, as well as his excellent physical health, he will recover and
return to us to carry on the good works he has begun.
3. Keep Indian River Beautiful nominates is Vivian Mosshart for the
Chamber’s luncheon. Vivian has been a committed volunteer every
Thursday for nearly 20 years at the Keep Indian River Beautiful Reuse Exchange Center. She picks up donations from various locations
then sorts and prices donations for our store. During our recent renovations, Vivian came in every day for two weeks to help, then went
home and worked until 2am on Upcycled art for our new displays.
Vivian is dedicated to the cause of recycling and reducing waste,
constantly turning broken, torn, or tattered items into something
clever and more valuable. She was our inspiration for renaming the
store Upcycle It! as her creative efforts epitomize the concept and
definition of upcycling. From her hand crafted purses made from old jeans and belts to restoring old chairs with
hand woven, reused fabric seats, each creation is unique and truly a piece of art.
4. The Senior Activity Center of Sebastian is proud to nominate Mrs. Lana Williams as volunteer of the year for
2015. Lana is one of our Charter Members and was our first Activity Director from 2012-2014. Lana hit the
ground running and made it her mission to put a smile on everyone’s face who walked through our doors. For the
past year Lana has not been on the Board of Directors or serving in an official capacity but her need to serve others continues. She is the “go to” person if you need or want anything as well as the unofficial social director.
With the exception of a part time cleaning lady, the Senior Center relies totally on volunteers for all its day to day
operations. The programs and activities are self directed by the seniors and no one gets paid a salary. This year,
more than 10,000 people will come to the Center to have a good time, socialize and make new friends. Without
volunteers like Lana our activities would not be possible. Who sets up the room for the various games and activities? Lana does. Who makes the coffee? Lana does. Who re-stocks supplies? Lana does. Who makes sure the
room is cleaned before leaving? Lana does. Lana does it all with a smile and we are very grateful for her service
to our organization!
Volunteer Appreciation (continued)
5. Ms.Toni Krinski has been nominated by Riverside Church. Toni has been volunteering for the church for over four
years. She and her husband moved to Sebastian a number of years ago, after living on a farm and working as a restaurant manager. She has many free hours because her children and family are still in New York. She has been the
driving force behind the church’s feeding program for the homeless. She helps the Salvation Army and the St. Sebastian Catholic church in their kitchen. She helps organize and prepare a weekly Brown bag lunch on Wednesdays for
seniors. On Thanksgiving Day she helped to feed over forty people. She cooked for over seventy people for the community Thanksgiving dinner, prior to the holiday. Toni travels around the Sebastian area seeking the homeless families in order to lend them a hand up and a hot meal. On a monthly basis she helps with the Church’s Senior monthly
luncheon. She also plans the outings for the Churches seniors to get out and about, including places like the Holy
Land experience in Orlando and the Plant City Strawberry Festival. She definitely goes above and beyond to help us
as well as anyone she meets who is in need. We really appreciate Toni and thank you for honoring her as one of the
volunteers.
6. The American Red Cross of Florida’s Coast to Heartland Chapter would like to recognize Brian Cook as our outstanding volunteer. Mr. Cook has been volunteering with the American Red Cross since 2007 and he has been deployed in several occasions to participate in disaster relief operations. Brian has shown what a true leader is in times
of distress and his continue support and commitment keeps serving as an inspiration for other volunteers.
Brian is from the Sebastian area, he is a local businessman whose company Unified Technology Solutions serves all o
Indian River County. Mr. Cook has been volunteering with the American Red Cross of Florida's Coast to Heartland
Chapter since 2006 and he has been deployed in several occasions to participate in disaster relief operations. Brian
has shown what a true leader is in times of distress and his continue support and commitment keeps serving as an
inspiration for other volunteers. For the past ten years, Brian has worn many hats including serving as the Government Liaison for Indian River County, as an active Disaster Action Team member, technology guru and event presenter extraordinaire. Brian attends many community events, educating our community about preparedness using technology to do so. Any time we need something done, we know we can call on him.
The Chamber of Commerce would also like to recognize a person who has contributed many, many hours of volunteer time to the community, Mr. Bruce
Zingman. Bruce and his wife Barbara are well known in the Sebastian community for their great big hearts! Bruce has been working on behalf of the Ecumenical Food Pantry for many years. He has been the President of Sebastian Property Owners Association for the last five years and he and Barbara cook every year
at the Clambake Festival. He was involved with the Natural Resource Board for
the city and works on Earth Day at the Park. He has even volunteered for the
chamber, helping out at Concerts in the Park, and coming into the Visitor Center
to print, fold, staple, and do mail and sometimes just to take a break. He claims
Barbara makes him sign up for everything to get him out of the house, but truth
be told they both are very involved. Since its inception, he has been the Top
Dog organizer of the City of Sebastian Christmas parade, while Barbara has
dressed and marched as the clown. An interesting choice of volunteering, two
nice Jewish kids from New Jersey, running the Christmas parade in Sebastian!
One thing that I particularly appreciate with Bruce, he is not afraid to go to City
Council meetings, but always with a positive attitude and a happy message, promoting whatever event he is currently working on! We need more people in
our community like Bruce and Barbara!
Fabian Cruz
For Immediate Release
Contact: Penny Chandler at 772-567-3491 or Beth Mitchell at 772-589-5969
County’s Chambers Partner for Peru & Machu Picchu Adventure
The Indian River County and Sebastian River Area Chambers of Commerce are in their fourth year of a series of travel
opportunities to their members and area residents. The first 2016 trip is Peru & Machu Picchu scheduled for April.
The nine day trip travel price of $4,295 per person (double occupancy) includes roundtrip airfare from Miami to Lima,
Peru. In addition to accommodations, the trip includes 16 meals, 2 inner country flights, expert guides, a professional
tour director, and all other transit, sightseeing and attractions admission costs per the itinerary.
Chamber Explorations, a group travel provider specializing in working with Chamber’s of Commerce throughout the
United States, will oversee the planning and arrangements for this unique trip. Among places visited will be the three
UNESCO World Heritage Sites Machu Picchu, Cuzco and Lima.
The trip includes visits to The Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo Fortress, Pisac, Qenqo, and the Sacsayhuaman Ruins.
You will enjoy local village markets known for the sweaters and ponchos and a visit to Awanakancha Breeding Center
where Llamas, Alpacas, Guanacos and Vicuns are bred.
The Chambers will be providing a presentation of the highlights of this “once in a lifetime trip” to Machu Picchu and Lima, Peru, at the North County Library in Sebastian on Oct. 13, 2015 at 6:30 pm. Chamber Explorations representatives will be available to respond to inquiries and provide information. The presentation is open to the public and admission is free.
For more information about this unique travel opportunity contact the Indian River County Chamber at 772-567-3491 or
the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce at 772-589-5969. Or, visit www.indianriverchamber.com or
www.sebastianchamber.com for details along with a schedule of activities and additional highlights of the trip.
Chamber Networking Events
Kashi Church Foundation served up an
outstanding breakfast in December. We had a
nice crowd and delicious food. Thank you!
Congratulations to this years Light Up Night winners
This year's winners are:
First Place Christmas Fantasy Indoor - 10596 Salon & Boutique
Second Place Christmas Fantasy Indoor - Radiance by Misty
Dawn
First Place Christmas Fantasy Outdoor - Beyond Useless Boutique
Second Place Christmas Fantasy Outdoor - Sebastian Center
First Place Traditional Indoor - GFWC Sebastian River Junior
Woman's Club
Second Place Christmas Traditional Indoor - Florida Eye Institute
First Place Traditional Outdoor - Laporte Farms
Second Place Traditional Outdoor - Sebastian Center
This event has become quite a tradition and we thank
everyone who participated this year.
Top left: 10596 Salon & boutique, top right: GFWC Sebastian River
Junior Woman’s Club, Bottom: Florida Eye Institute
January 2016 Chamber of Commerce Calendar of Events
January 1 & 2
Chamber closed for the New Year
Friday, January 8th
Concerts in the Park—First of the season
5:30Pm—8PM
Riverview Park, Sebastian
Featuring Crooked Creek (country)
Tuesday, January 12th
Noon—1PM
Lunch Sponsor: Mary Lou Ciambriello of
Coldwell Banker
Speaker: Michel le Napier & Marc Gingras
on behalf of the Shrimp Festival
At Capt. Hiram’s
1606 Indian River Drive
Sebastian, FL
Reservations requested, $15.00 with
reservation, $20 at the door
January 16th & 17th
Sebastian Fine Arts and Music Festival
Riverview Park, Sebastian
January 21st—24th
25th Annual Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival
On the grounds of the Historic Old School
Downtown Fellsmere
Committee Meetings
Executive Committee Meeting
Thursday, January 7th
8AM—9AM
Chamber Office
700 Main St., Sebastian
Full Board Meeting
Wednesday, January 13th
8AM—9AM
Chamber Office
700 Main St., Sebastian
Tourism Committee Meeting
Tuesday, January 26th
4PM—5PM
Chamber Office
700 Main St. Sebastian
Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce
Monthly Networking Opportunities
Fill out this form and fax it to 772-589-5993
Check the networking activities you will be attending
and tell us how many will be joining you.
No Chamber Breakfast
________________
Chamber Luncheon – Tuesday, January 12th at Noon
Hosted at: Capt. Hiram’s
________________
Lunch Sponsor:
Mary Lou Ciambriello of Coldwell Banker
Guest Speaker: Michelle Napier and Marc Gingras
On behalf of the Shrimp Festival
Business Name: _________________________________________________
Contact Person: _________________________________________________
Contact Number: ________________________________________________
Email: ________________________________________________________
Phone: 772-589-5969
Fax: 772-589-5993
Twenty four hours in advance of all functions the Chamber must notify the host of the number of
reservations, and must guarantee that number. We can accept calls or faxes for reservations up
until 24 hours prior to the event. If, for some reason, you are not able to attend a function for which
you have made reservations, please call us at 772-589-5969. Your reservation for any function or event is
considered a commitment to pay.
Tourism Spotlight
Mel Fisher’s Treasure Museum
Nichole Fisher Abt
We welcome you to discover the fun, romance, and adventure of Mel Fisher’s TreasJosh Fisher Abt worked on the Atocha for many years in Key West. Josh currently co-manages Mel Fisher’s Treasures here in Sebastian. He has a replica line of
jewelry called Taffi’s Treasures and also specializes in custom jewelry mounting.
Mel Fisher was a dreamer, a visionary, a
legend and most importantly the World’s
Greatest Treasure Hunter. He got his
start in treasure hunting salvaging off of
the 1715 Fleet Shipwrecks right here on
the Treasure Coast in the early 60’s. With
the winters being too rough to salvage up
here, he decided to move his operation south to search for a very wealthy shipwreck called the “Nuestra Senora de Atocha.” After many personal losses, struggles with debt, ridicule, doubt, and 16 years later, the $450 million dollar treasure
cache or “Atocha Mother Lode,” was finally his. The immensity of the Atocha's
treasure was staggering. What was only a dream instantly became an undeniable
reality. He did what many have not - he realized his dream during his lifetime.
Even though we sold our admiralty claims of the 1715 Fleet Shipwrecks in 2009,
our search continues down in Key West. Every day my grandfather Mel insisted,
"Today's the Day"! His mantra continues to inspire our team to search for the
missing $200 million in treasures from the Nuestra Senora de Atocha and her sister ship the Santa Margarita as well as another shipwreck we have been looking
for off of Cape Canaveral which we’ve named “The Lost Merchant.” We have some
new cutting edge equipment that we affectionately call the “Dolores,” named after Mel’s wife, my grandmother, and our
anchor through every storm. We are confident that our Hybrid Autonomous Underwater Vehicle will help us discover the
treasures we are searching for.
I encourage everyone and anyone to visit our treasure museum. If you haven’t been yet, then “Today’s the Day!” When you enter our museum you will
witness a spectacular collection of Spanish artifacts. We have displayed a
little bit of everything such as rigging, medical tools, cooking utensils, and
weaponry to some of the most unique items you will ever see as well as glistening gold and silver chains and bars. You will be granted the opportunity
to feel the weight of a solid gold bar recovered from the ocean depths of
the Atocha wreck site. A visit to our Gift Shop affords you the distinct opportunity to own an authentic “piece of history”, unique gold escudos or silver
reales in fine jewelry settings, museum quality recreations as well as other
nautical gifts. We have products for every size wallet, from $1-$25K and
everything in between.
Josh Fisher Abt
1322 U.S.Highway One
Sebastian, FL 32958
772-589-0435
[email protected]
Admission:
Adults-$7
Seniors 55+-$5
Children 6-12-$3
Active military, student, and
local rates available with ID.
Hours:
Monday-Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Sunday-12PM-5PM
CLOSED Major Holidays
Tourism Tidbits
By Nicole Capp Holbrook
Pelican Porch Visitors Center Enhancements
The inside of the visitor’s center is coming along nicely! In
addition to the fresh paint (thanks Capt Christy & Gary), the
60” TV and Frame have been installed and it looks beautiful! The TV will loop several area videos highlighting our
areas history, things to do and more!
2014-2015 Bed Taxes
Tourist Taxes were up $22,880 or 25.6% for the month of
September, and up $367,912 or 19.2% for the 2014-2015
fiscal year. Tourist Taxes exceeded budgeted figures by
$356,703 or 18.5% for the year. What an awesome year for
tourism in Indian River County! We look forward to a successful 2016!
Hotel Booking Engine
Regatta, the new Hotel Booking Engine will be launching
this month and it’s not too late to sign your property up!
The Chambers have partnered with Regatta to offer hotel
and attraction booking engines on our sites. There is no
cost to participate! We would like all of our lodging properties to take advantage of this great opportunity. It will be
going live on our sites soon! In addition to being on our
websites and the mobile app, Regatta will be driving additional traffic to our sites by using Tripadvisor, Kayak and
Travelzoo, encouraging travelers to book through the DMO
instead of the OTA's. The amount of data that you will have
access to is unbelievable. It's also a great way for you to
track the bookings you receive from the Chamber sites and
best of all, there are no commission fees! So that we can
get your property online and without delay, simply send an
email to [email protected]. Upon signing
up with Regatta, you will be able to log-on and set up your
property in just minutes. After completing the brief setup,
you will receive access to Regatta's system within (3) three
business days. Once activated, you will be able to
set your own rates, instantly launch your own promotions,
putting you in complete control of what the consumer
sees. Regatta's system is extremely easy to use and manage, Regatta also offers their booking technology for use
on your own websites. If you have any questions or need
help, please feel free to contact me at 772-589-5969.
Tourism Committee Meeting
Our next Tourism Committee Meeting is Tuesday, January
26th at 4 p.m. at the Chamber (please note it was moved
from January 19th). 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 brain-
storm ideas and network with other tourism businesses
throughout the community. We will be discussing upcoming events, our Pelican Porch Visitor’s Center enhancements, the Regatta Travel Solutions Hotel Booking Engine, 2016 Advertising and Co-Op Opportunities,
and more! At the end of the meeting, we will be drawing
the Tourism Spotlights for March, April & May. 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
database consisting of over 5,000 email addresses. I
encourage all of our Tourism Partners to attend. Hope
to see you there!
Upcoming Festivals
We will be attending the following festivals and there
are opportunities to volunteer at our Chamber booth to
promote your business. Call us to sign up!
Sebastian Riverfront Fine Art & Music Festival- January
16th & 17th- www.sebastianartshow.com
th
25 Annual Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival- January 21st24th -www.froglegfestival.com
st
1 Annual Shrimp Festival
February 27th & 28th -www.shrimpfestfl.com
50th Annual Grant Seafood Festival
March 5th & 6th- www.grantseafoodfestival.com
24th Annual Pelican Island Wildlife Festival
March 12th- www.firstrefuge.org
Concerts in the Park
We’re excited to kick-off our 17th Annual Concert in the
Park Series. It’s not too late to provide gift certificates or
giveaways to be raffled off and promote your business
during intermission. If you’re interested, please provide
us with 9 giveaways. We’ll be happy to pick them up,
just give us a call!
We have a lot of new bands performing this year!
Here’s the 2016 Concert Series Schedule:
January 8th – Crooked Creek (Country)
February 5th – Nikki Talley (Folk / Americana / Singer
Songwriter / Country / Indie)
February 19th – Wit’s End (Classic Rock & Fusion)
March 18th – Heart of Oak (Celtic & Sea Songs)
April 8th – SRHS Jazz Ensemble & Steel Drum Band
(Jazz & Steel Drum)
April 29th - Professor Pennygoode’s Mighty Flea Circus (Swing, Rockabilly, Jump)
May 13th - SoulJam (Rock, Blues & Funk)
May 20th – Relayer (Cover Rock/Dance Band)
Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday Season, a very
Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous
New Year!!
Member News
Communication Corner
By Vicki Wild
By Britney Melchiori
Welcome 2016! Looking forward to a wonderful,
exciting, and fun new year. We are so proud of
all our wonderful members and want to say thank
you for making our Sebastian River Area Chamber
of Commerce such a great group and success.
Get ready, because we have a full calendar of
events all planned to help increase your revenue
and exposure to consumers and visitors.
We have planned many networking opportunities, such as monthly breakfast, lunch, business
and pleasures, along with ribbon cuttings & grand
openings. Plus we have our 8 concerts in the
parks, Annual Golf Tournament, Restaurant
week, Media Auction, and Light up Night. We still
have a few opportunities available for hosting an
event. If you are interested, please let us know.
We thank all of our members for being part of
our organization and are looking forward to seeing you at our events which are designed to help
get you in front of people and help promotion of
your business. If you want to learn more visit our
website calendar at www.sebastianchamber.com
or reach out to me, Vicki Wild, Membership Director at [email protected]
or by calling 772-589-5969.
Welcome New Members!
Yellow Dog Café
Richard Tominsky
905 US Hwy 1
Malabar, FL 32950
321-956-3334
Dining
Win Treasure for your Treasured Moments! Our
5th Annual SRA Snapshots Photo Contest is underway; this year the theme is Treasured Moments
in the Sebastian River Area.
Our annual photo contest takes place between
December and March on the Sebastian River Area Chamber’s Tourism Facebook page and is
open to anyone who wants to participate (ages
18+). Participants are entered to win a grand
prize that is also themed around treasure – an
authentic Silver Reale (ree-all) from the 1715
Spanish Fleet shipwreck that sunk off of our
shores 300 years ago. The prize is valued at $200!
We’re looking for striking digital images that capture your Treasure Moments. It could be a walk
on your favorite trail, dolphin spotting on a boat
tour, enjoying one of the many festivals, the view
from your favorite local restaurant, fishing with
your buddies, kayaking along your favorite local
waterway, etc.
The photos we collect are used throughout
Chamber publications such as our Annual Directory and Visitors Guide, online at SebastianChamber.com and www.IndianRiverLagoonByway.com,
and through our social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. You will
never find a stock photo on anything we produce!
For more information on this community-wide
photo contest, visit us on Facebook or check out
the flyer in this month’s issue of the Newsletter.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and
yours!
Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors, 2015-2016
Executive Team
Kim Ellis, Kim Ellis Insurance Services – Chair
Michelle Napier, Napier & Rollins — Vice Chair
Dawn Biehl, The Tiki Bar and Grill — Treasurer
Theresa Tolle, Bay Street Pharmacy—Immediate
Past Chair
Chamber Ambassadors
Sue Skirvin, Tupperware
772-913-2010
Cynthia Williams, Primerica
772-713-1991
Theresa Ooley, VNA Hospice
772-480-7771
Michael Natale, M N Worldwide, Inc.
772-388-0044
Sandi Gehrke, TD Bank
772-581-1490
Isabel Marron, Oculina Bank
772-571-1400
Gloria Fleming, Treasure Coast Realty 772-538-1703
Kristie Woodward, Oculina Bank
772-581-3199
Angie Schepers, Signs By Tomorrow
772-633-3777
Mori Serpa, Seacoast National Bank
772-589-5229
Chuck Mechling, Insite Solutions
Anna Valencia Tillery, White Glove
Moving, Storage & Delivery
772-232-7843
Ali Qizilbash, Cemco Construction
Brittany A. Beatty, Esq., Napier & Rollin 772-388-4447
Elected Directors
Capt. Christy Lenz, “Casual Cruisin”
Joel Stout, Sandpiper Pest Control
Anna V. Tillery — White Glove Moving and Storage
Appointed Directors
Mark Rogers, Walmart
Kelly Enriquez, Sebastian River Medical Center
Bob Morgan, Marine Bank & Trust
Sue Skirvin, Tupperware
Jim Finoche, Sebastian Lions Club
Nancy Flickenger, FPL
Ex Officio
Wesley Davis, Indian River County Commissioner
Jason Nunemaker, City Manager, City of Fellsmere
Andrea Coy, Councilwoman, City of Sebastian
Chamber Team
Beth L. Mitchell, President/CEO
Nicole Capp Holbrook, Tourism Director
Britney Melchiori, Marketing & Communications
Vicki Wild, Membership Director
Kimberly Armstrong, Accounting
Gail Cavallo, Administrative Assistant
Place Your Ad Here
Call 772-589-5969
DITCH 13 GALLERY AND GIFTS
National Elephant Center T-shirts
Local Honey, Preserves, Sauces,
Ceramics, Pottery, Coasters,
Leather Wallets, Belts, Purses
Intarsia Wood Carvings
Alligator Memorabilia
Unique Signs
Stained Glass
Bird Houses
Jewelry
Calendars
Postcards & Notebooks
Children’s Books & Cards Games
Framed Paintings, Photos, Prints
CD’s & Books on Local FL History
And More...
46 North Broadway Street | Fellsmere, FL 32948
Wednesday thru Monday 10am—6pm
(772) 918-8467 | ditch13galleryandgifts.com
All major credit cards accepted
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