NEWSLETTER Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber Currents 700 Main Street, Sebastian FL 32958 772-589-5969 | SebastianChamber.com

February 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

I am a native Floridian, originally from West Palm Beach.

I started working with Tupperware nearly 40 years ago

when I wanted to be able to work from home so that I

did not have to utilize child care for my 4 kids. Being my

own boss allowed me to set my own work hours and also

gave me the opportunity to give myself a raise when I

had the need! I loved being home with the kids during

the daytime and then being with “grown ups” in the eve-

nings when I went to do my Tupperware Parties! We

both appreciated each other more and I was able to also

be the math superstars mom in their class, the field trip

mom, Brownies and Girl Scouts Leaders, cheer leading

coach, etc. for all of their years in school and I am SO

grateful to the person who introduced me to Tupperware

because had I not left my dental career and gone full

time with Tupperware, I would have never been able to

spend nearly as much time with my kids while they were

growing up!

I joined Tupperware for the flexible schedule and the

income and I have remained with Tupperware be-

cause of that and also the friendships, the travel, the

always innovative new products and the personal

growth that I have experienced by being in the

“Company of Friends”! All of our products are BPA

free and have a Lifetime Warranty. We are a world-

wide family and in over 100 countries and we all share

the same experiences even though we speak different

languages. Our latest product just released, the Micro

Pro Grill, allows you to Grill in your Microwave things

like fish, chicken, burgers, veggies and it also lets you

“bake” in your microwave using the casserole position

of the cover things like ziti and cobblers! You can also

reheat things like pizza or Cuban sandwiches using the

casserole position and it will re-crispen the bottom

like it was just made!

My passion now is helping people to save money on

groceries and produce and also to save time on meal

preparation so they have more time for what or who

is important to them. With many of the latest prod-

ucts, some have been out for 15-20 yrs, you can do

that! I am also always looking to help people who

want More…More Time, More Money, More Free-

dom. Owning your own business is The Best and alt-

hough it is not for everyone, I feel everyone should

have the opportunity to “give it a try” because like

me, you may just find “it works for you” and that You

Love It! I REALLY Love What I Do and am happy to

share it with anyone, whether it be hosting a Tupper-

ware Party to earn Free Products or Joining My Team!

The training is free and can be done locally or via

Zoom online! I do give referral Gifts if you know

someone who would like to start their own Tupper-

ware business (less than $100) or who would like to

get some friends together and invite me to show

them What’s New in Tupperware!

772-913-2010 myTupperware.com/SueSkirvin

Sue Skirvin of Tupperware

February 2017

Beth L. Mitchell, President & CEO

Synergy – the combined power of a group of things, when they are working together that is greater than the total

power achieved by each working separately. I think they should change the name of ShrimpFest & Craft Hullaba-

loo to Synergy ShrimpFest! Just kidding, the name is great, but the concept of synergy is awesome. And when

two unique service clubs come together to get the job done, it’s even better! The Exchange Club of Fellsmere and

the Rotary Club of Sebastian have joined forces to address the needs of the children in North County, and serve

up delicious shrimp at least 8 different ways. First year out this two day event presented a fabulous taste testing

of shrimp and beer, and the crowds were phenomenal. We wish them greater success this month as they come

back for another go around.

Concerts in the Park, 2017 got off to a rocking start with the Ladies of Soul, and the Series has more to shake it

up. We are pleased that our sponsors have all returned, and we have added a new sponsor, Orlando/Melbourne

International Airport. As a premier sponsor, MLB is providing two round trip tickets to Toronto, which we will be

giving away to some lucky concert attendee, at the end of the series. The crowds at our first concert were very

excited about this!

You asked for it, we got it! We had a lively discussion at a recent Board meeting about service dogs, and how

everybody seems to have one! As a business, you have certain rights and obligations in allowing dogs in your es-

tablishment. L.A. Bykowsky, a veteran and service dog trainer, will be with us at lunch this month to explain the

rules. She also will be educating us about Dogs for Life, a not for profit dedicated to training dogs for veterans to

assist with hearing and mobility challenges, as well as post traumatic stress disorder.

Another new initiative from the United Way of Indian River County could put money in your pocket! Pelican Is-

land Elementary, and the Sebastian Chamber offices are the only two locations in North County where you can

receive free tax assistance with the IRS/Vita Program. You must have an appointment for this service, but that’s

easy, just call 772-203-5766. This program has helped Indian River County residents for many years, and we are

pleased to offer the space for our locals!

The Indian River County Commissioners recently moved forward with a septic to sewer project, slated for North

Sebastian and the unincorporated area of North County. This project will bring sewer services to the area, and

has two goals. One is to help with economic development by providing infrastructure to areas that are vacant,

and need these services for future development. The second reason is the potential benefits to the Indian River

Lagoon. As the County moves forward with the bid process, we will learn more about the benefits and expenses.

The potential completion date for construction is sometime in 2018.

So the line up for February will be chock filled with activities, check out our calendar, and hopefully we will see

you sometime during the month. Make sure to add the ShrimpFest to your bucket list! And congratulations to all

of the volunteers who make these events so successful!

Have a profitable month!

Chamber Networking Events

Began the new year with a great Sebastian Chamber Of Commerce breakfast at Mikamar Dog Training. Enjoyed the demonstrations and delicious food. Thank you for a great time.

Great networking lunch at Capt Hirams Resort. Thank you to our Gracious sponsors, Bob Morgan, Georgia Irish and Bill Penney of Marine Bank & Trust and Thank you to Eric S. Flowers for sharing such valu-able information with us.

(above) Bob Morgan, Georgia Irish & Bill Penney (right) Eric Flowers, IRC Sheriff’ Office

It was a full house at the Treasure Coast Community Health Ribbon cutting. What a beautiful facility. Thank you all for attending.

February 2017 Chamber of Commerce Calendar of Events

Tuesday, February 14th Noon—1PM Sponsored by WQCS Lunch Speaker: Dogs For Life At Marsh Landing Restaurant

44 N Broadway Street, Fellsmere Reservations requested, $15.00 with reservation, $20 at the door

Friday , February 3rd 8AM—9AM Sponsored by Mark’s Mobile Computer Service Held at the Sebastian Chamber Office 700 Main Street, Sebastian

ShrimpFest & Craft Brew Hullabaloo 2017 February 25th from 9am—9pm and February 26th from 9am—5pm 22 S Orange St., Fellsmere

Thursday, February 16th from 5PM—7PM KASHI 11155 Roseland Rd., Sebastian

Committee Meetings Executive Committee Meeting Thursday, February 2nd From: 8AM—9AM Chamber Office 700 Main St., Sebastian

Concerts in the Park at Riverview Park, Sebastian Friday, February 10th 5:30PM—8PM

Z Street Speakeasy Band (3-Piece Swing Band) Friday, February 24th 5:30PM—8PM Relayer (Pop/Rock/Dance Band)

Upcoming Festivals

Click here to see Sebastian River Exterminating’s

Banner Ad on the Sebastian Chamber website. Email bmelchiori@sebastianchamber.com for

information on how to increase online exposure

for your business.

DON’S ALUMINUM IS

CONVERTING TO

A WEB BANNER AD

ALL-RITE & CLARK WATER

ARE CONVERTING TO

A WEB BANNER AD

Hart Escapes

1621 US Hwy 1 Sebastian Florida

772-646-4828 www.HartEscapes.com

Tourism Spotlight

Jackie Hart owner/ operator of Hart Escapes has an extreme passion for traveling. Starting from the time Jackie was a child, she has en-joyed learning about and collecting information on different destinations. Jackie began her true travel experiences in 1999 after she married her high school sweetheart Adam. After their daughter was born in 2004, Jackie added cruis-

es to their travel adventures. After dreaming of a career in travel for years, Jackie was discussing her dream with her grandmother and realized there was also a need to bus trips. With the support of her husband and other family members Jackie's dream came true in 2015, when she opened a small office on US 1 in Sebastian. In 2016 Jack-ie moved her travel agency to a bigger office, at 1621 US Highway One where she cur-rently fulfills your travel dreams and needs.

Jackie is an active member of the Sebastian Area Chamber of Commerce and a mem-ber of the tourism committee for the chamber. Jackie is also a certified member of CLIA, which is Cruise Lines International Association.

Jackie is happy to help you with one airline ticket, tickets to the various theme parks, all the way up to booking your cruise or hotel needs.

Please follow Hart Escapes, Inc. through social media on Facebook, and Instagram. We also have a website WWW.HartEscapes.com.

Our phone number is 772-646-4828 or email is JackieH@hartescapes.com.

So how can we feed your travel bug?

Tourism Tidbits By Nicole Capp Holbrook

2017 Photo Contest It’s time to submit your beautiful photos for our annual photo contest! This year’s photo contest theme is “From Simple Pleas-ures to Authentic Treasures” which really encompasses any and everything in our area! We are so excited to expand our catego-ries to include kids this year! We will have an Adult, Teenage & Youth category. We look forward to the different perspectives that the teenager and youth participants will bring to our photo contest! The contest runs through March 15th. Be sure to sub-mit your photos! We have some great prizes lined up. Please see the flier included in the newsletter.

2017-2018 VISIT FLORIDA Grant Every year, we apply for a VISIT FLORIDA Advertising Matching or Small Business Grant. This grant helps us expand our annual TDC advertising budget and get more bang for our buck throughout the year! In prior years, we’ve used it for print and online ads in various publications that we normally wouldn’t be able to afford alone. This year, I would like to apply for funds to create new destination videos to promote our area digitally through social media, YouTube, our website, etc. Our current destination video is about 9 years old and about 6 minutes long. We would like to create shorter clips to highlight various activities and use drone footage to capture the beauty and di-versity that our area has to offer. VISIT FLORIDA CTIC Summit Last April, our Visitor’s Center was designated as a VISIT FLORI-DA Certified Travel Information Center, at the time, one of 30 in the state. This program puts us on the map (literally, we are listed as a Visitor’s Center on the free Florida state map)! This is a new program with many advantages and advertising opportu-nities available to us. VISIT FLORIDA is holding its 1st annual summit for Certified Travel Information Centers in February and Britney and I will be attending to learn more about the program and the opportunities available. I’ll give you an update on what we learned next month! Social Media We are actively posting on Facebook & Instagram and building a great following. Please follow us:

www.Facebook.com/SebastianChamberVisitorsCenter www.instagram.com/visitsebastianriverareafl

The next meeting is Tuesday, April 18th at

4 p.m. at the Chamber. We look forward to a great season ahead!!

Thank you to those that attended our January Tourism Com-mittee Meeting. For those of you that missed it, here’s a quick recap: Tourism Director Report- Advertising

We are currently running a “Food Festival Frenzy” Campaign on Facebook to promote the Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival, ShrimpFest, and the Grant Seafood Festival.

We placed an ad in the 2017 Florida Fishing Magazine which is a Florida Sports Association product that is being support-ed by Visit Florida Channels. In addition to the print ad, we will also be running a website content campaign later this spring/early summer to promote summer fishing as well as fishing tournaments in our area.

We are participating in a 2017 Undiscovered Florida Maga-zine co-op with Visit Indian River County and other local partners to promote nature and culture in Indian River County. The publication comes out in May and will also be included in the May issue of Smithsonian Magazine.

VISIT FLORIDA & Undiscovered Florida Leads Mailings Upcoming Festivals & Events

2017 Concerts in the Park-

January 27th – Crooked Creek (Country) February 10th – Z Street Speakeasy Band (3-Piece

Swing Band) February 24th – Relayer (Pop/Rock/Dance Band) March 10th – Sebastian River High School Jazz En-

semble & Steel Drum Band March 24th – Heart of Oak (Celtic & Sea Songs) April 7th – Blue Cypress Bluegrass (Bluegrass) May 12th – Bobby Owen Band (Country, Blues, and Oldies)

*Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival- January 19th-22nd

*Opportunity to promote your business at our Chamber booth

Sebastian Riverfront Fine Art & Music Festival- January 21st & 22nd

ShrimpFest & Craft Brew Hullabaloo- February 25th & 26th

*Opportunity to promote your business at our Chamber booth

Pelican Island Wildlife Festival- March 18th *Opportunity to promote your business at our Chamber booth

Communications Corner By Britney Melchiori

Welcome New Members

We’re always thinking of ways to help our members in-

crease their exposure in the marketplace. We do our best

to offer as many avenues of advertising and promoting as

possible from working festivals, sponsoring luncheons,

advertising in the Directory or Visitors Guide, to pro-

moting member news in our weekly Intel email blast (just

to name a few).

But we don’t stop there… We also want to help increase

your exposure online at SebastianChamber.com which is

proving to be the go-to-place for information on visiting

and relocating to the Sebastian River Area. That’s where

our Chamber Web Banner Program comes in!

The opportunity to invest in a web banner is available to

our members year round. What’s so great about a web

banner ad? Take a look:

Track Ad Success: You will have the ability to monitor

the success of your ad by tracking the number of im-

pressions (views) and clicks on your banner. This re-

port is available to you at any time!

Brand Awareness: Your banner ad will also help to

create improved top-of-mind-awareness for your

product/service while establishing credibility with

your affiliation as an advertising Chamber member.

Strategic Placement: With over 100 pages on our

website, we will be able to strategically place your

banner ad on Chamber website pages that are in line

with what your business offers.

Exclusive Ad Space: This means no rotating banners!

The space you purchase is yours, and yours alone.

There are various banner ad sizes and prices to meet eve-

ry budget and if you need help designing a banner, we

can do that too! Advertise your business, a service, or

product and get the word out to the many visitors that

use SebastainChamber.com as their go-to spot for area

information and business referrals.

If you’re ready to increase your exposure on our website,

build brand awareness, and take advantage of our online

activity, give us a call today!

We look forward to promoting your business and ramp-

ing up your online presence with your new web banner!

The Guardian Group of Sebastian, Inc. Dawn Biehl 709 Washington Street Sebastian FL 32958 Dawn@theGuardianGroupof Sebastian.com 772-589-0055 Elder Care Polish American Social Club of Vero Beach Fl USA, Inc. Gloria Fleming 226 43rd Ave Vero Beach, FL 32968 772-538-1703 www.PASCVBUSA.org Non-Profit Social Club Nightingale Private Care, Inc. E. Michael Stutzke 3201 Cardinal Drive Vero Beach, FL 32963 772-360-3610 www.NightingalePrivateCare.com Private Duty Nursing/Home Health Care Everthink TV, LLC Tom Schaefer 305-942-8038 Everthink.TV.com Photography & Video Production Representative Erin Grall Florida House of Representatives Ed Barenborg 1801 27th St. Suite B2-203 Vero Beach, FL 32960 772-778-5005 Government Jennifer Goodall—Re/Max Crown Realty 1603 US Hwy 1 Sebastian, FL 32958 772-321-2978 www.JenniferGoodall.remaxagent.com Real Estate

Membership Memo By Vicki Wild

The highest compliment you could give to our SRACC would be, if you know of any other companies who are wanting to do business in our area and need help with promotion and networking; then you send them our way. We love working with people like you, who do you know similar to you that we should be working with? If you get us in con-tact with that person or have that business contact us letting us know they came from you; when they become a SRACC member, you will be awarded a “FREE SRACC lunch” on us as a Thank You. Remember, we are the “411; The Front Porch to the Community”

What is the Highest Complement you can give to the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce “SRACC”?

If you know of a business, like yours that could benefit from our SRACC, please let Vicki Wild know about them membership@sebastianchamber.com or by calling 772-589-5969.

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 bmelchiori@sebastianchamber.com 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

Sandi Gehrke, TD Bank 772-581-1490

Cindi Green, Florida Eye Institute 772-569-9500

Gina Melton, LF Staffing 772-564-8777

Theresa Kannapes, VNA Hospice 772-480-7771

Isabel Marron, Oculina Bank 772-571-1400

Patrick McGillicuddy, Seacoast Bank 772-581-2430

Michael Natale, M N Worldwide, Inc. 772-388-0044

Mori Serpa, Hart Escapes 772-589-5229

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

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

46 North Broadway St. Fellsmere, FL 32948

Wednesday thru Monday 10am—6pm

(772) 918-8467 | ditch13galleryandgifts.com All major credit cards accepted