Trends Chamber
The Official Publication of The Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral
SURFSIDE SUNSET MARKET EVERY TUESDAY AT THE SHOPS OF SURFSIDE YEAR ROUND 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM CAPE CORAL FARMERS’ MARKET AT CAPE HARBOUR EVERY SATURDAY 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM
To Promote and Serve Business and Community
September 2017
SEPTEMBER 2017 SEPTEMBER 3 CHAMBER OFFICES AND WELCOME CENTER CLOSED SEPTEMBER 7 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM FOOD FOR THOUGHT LUNCHEON CAPE CORAL TECHNICAL COLLEGE 360 SANTA BARBARA BOULEVARD N, CAPE CORAL, FL SEPTEMBER 13 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM GENERAL MEMBERSHIP LUNCHEON CAPE CABARET 4725 VINCENNES BLVD, CAPE CORAL, FL SEPTEMBER 15 6:00 PM - 12:30 AM SEMINOLE CASINO TRIP DEPARTING BIG JOHN’S PLAZA 5:45 PM SEPTEMBER 21 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM BUSINESS AFTER HOURS FULLER METZ CREMATION AND FUNERAL SERVICES 3740 DEL PRADO BLVD S, CAPE CORAL, FL SURFSIDE SUNSET MARKET | THE SHOPS AT SURFSIDE TUESDAYS YEAR ROUND FROM 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM CAPE CORAL FARMERS MARKET | CAPE HARBOUR OPEN SATURDAYS FROM 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Publisher & Editor
Stephanie Roberson Technology Director stephanie@capecoralchamber.com
Contributing Editors
Donna S. Germain President/CEO donna@capecoralchamber.com Claudia St. Onge Business Manager cso@capecoralchamber.com Annette Siner Special Events Director annette@capecoralchamber.com Michelle Cherwaty Membership Sales Director michelle@capecoralchamber.com Doug Clark Membership Sales doug@capecoralchamber.com Lori Marlowe Welcome Center Specialist lori@capecoralchamber.com Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral P.O. Box 100747, Cape Coral, FL 33910 2051 Cape Coral Parkway, Cape Coral, FL 33904 Phone (239) 549-6900 Fax (239) 549-9609
CHAIR REPORT
OUR CHAMBER MISSION - CHAMPION FOR BUSINESS & ADVOCATE FOR COMMUNITY Trish Lassiter, Lee County Electric Coop 2017 Chamber Chair
We are committed to bringing local businesses together in a single voice to promote business and community prosperity. From our primary employers to our home grown small businesses, we are here to help businesses succeed. The Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce is the primary forum for the local business community which seeks to strategically contribute to a vibrant economy through leadership, education and advocacy in order to preserve the integrity and quality of life in Cape Coral. The business community faces many on-going challenges. The Chamber of Commerce, which holds the express goal of promoting and furthering business interests in Cape Coral, is the unified voice of businesses, large and small. We provide our members with support to help them develop and market their business, resources to connect them to new business opportunities, and we educate them on important policy changes and political advocacy to champion their growth. We are always working for you. We understand that a prosperous business community is at the heart of a strong community. Local business drives jobs and sales taxes generated by business contribute to valuable city services. I believe strongly in this mantra: “People do business with those they know and trust.” A Chamber membership is an investment in the future of your business and is the perfect way to build stronger relationships in the community, promote your business, gain greater access to business contacts, enhance exposure for your business, and ensure representation on local, state and federal issues. As a Chamber member, you are also helping to strengthen our local economy, promote the community, provide networking opportunities, represent the interests of business with government and take political action. Together we are creating a stronger local economy. A growing economy brings more jobs, which bring more consumers. By bringing visitors and new residents to our community we create new job opportunities and new growth. Working together, we will continue to ensure a strong economic future for Cape Coral. There is also a direct relationship between a business’s bottom line and the decisions made by elected leaders - at every level of government. With elections right around the corner, I want to encourage everyone to vote if you have not already done so. Every vote counts. Your vote will have a direct influence on the future of Cape Coral. The Primary Election is September 12, 2017 and the General Election is November 7, 2017.
2017 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair Trish Lassiter, Lee County Electric Coop. Chair-Elect Joseph Francioni, The Smart Companies Treasurer Ed Bolter, Lamar Advertising Past Chair Brett Bisbe, B2 Technology Solutions, Inc Financial Advisor Tony Constantino, Constantino, Nelson and Werlin Barb Adams Keith Banasiak, Waste Pro of Florida Beverly Black, Black Business Solutions, LLC Dana Brunett, City of Cape Coral Matthew Connar, Boost Creative Angela Davis, Merrill Lynch Diane Everhart, Blue Chip Financial Julie Ferguson, Cape Coral Caring Center Cynthia Gallagher, The Breeze Newspapers Tom Hansen, Boat House of Cape Coral Tim Hauck, Fuller Metz Cremation and Funeral Services Bill Jacob, CenturyLink Bill Johnson, Jr, Cape Coral Construction Industry Assoc Jay Johnson, Bubba’s Roadhouse and Saloon Laura Koehn, CapeCoral.com Ed Ramos, Ramos Builders, Inc Michelle Whitlock, Siesta Pebble Pool Interiors Zachary Zeis, Storm Smart
CHAIRMAN EMERITUS
Annette Carrasquillo, LAI Design Associates, LLC Wayne Kirkwood, Kirkwood Electric, Inc. Thomas Giles, Avalon Engineering Michelle Lewis, B-2 Solutions Heather Mazurkiewicz, BJM Consulting, Inc. Joseph Mazurkiewicz, BJM Consulting, Inc. Donna Meola, South Cape Hospitality Entertainment Assoc Don Schnell, Regions Bank Thomas Shipp Jr, Attorney Christopher Spiro, Spiro & Associates Elmer Tabor, Wonderland Realty/Cape Coral Town Center
TRUSTEES
Bonnie Brett, Cape Coral Charter School Brandon Deaver, B-2 Technoloy Solutions Lissa Craig Ford, The News-Press Rana Erbrick, City of Cape Coral Keith Lewis, All Power Electric & AC Mike Noone, Goldberg, Racilla, D’Alessandro & Noone, LLC David Owen, BB & T - Oswald, Trippe & Co. Steve Sanabria, The Westin Cape Coral Sarah Sheffield, Massage Envy Molly Wright, Suncoast Beverage
CHAMBER STAFF
Donna S. Germain, President Claudia St. Onge, Business Manager & Farmers’ Market Director Stephanie Roberson, Technology Director Annette Siner, Special Events Director Michelle Cherwaty, Membership Sales Director Doug Clark, Membership Sales Lori Marlow, Welcome Center Specialist
SPECIAL STORM REPORT
With the approach of Hurricane Irma, we wanted to reach out to all of you with insurance provisions. some safety tips as you prepare your business and home for the storm. Note: Flood damage requires separate coverage and is not covered under other insurance programs. Safety comes first, so please review the resources below when creating or executing your plan. Your Chamber will be in contact with our local agencies Know where to get help including the city’s Emergency Operations Center, we will send you the most up to • Local, state and federal resources are available to help you plan for date information as it becomes available. Thank you all and please call or email disasters, as well as help fund purchases of backup generators, storm shutters the chamber staff with any questions or concerns you may have. and other facility-hardening measures. LCEC Customers Follow our Facebook page and emails for updates. Link To Storm Center https://www.lcec.net/reliability/storm-center Thank you, Donna LCEC Hurricane Guide https://www.lcec.net/pdf/LCECHurricaneGuide.pdf To report an LCEC power outage, call: 239-656-2300 or 1-800-599-2356 If a storm threatens, secure your building FPL Customers • Cover windows. https://www.fpl.com • Cover and move equipment/furniture to a secured area. Link to Storm Center https://www.fpl.com/storm.html • Protect data with backup files Other Important Phone Numbers and Online Resources • If dependent on data processing, consider an alternate site. Cape Coral Emergency Operations Center http://www.capecoral.net/fire_ • Make provisions for alternate communications and power. department/emergency_management/hurricane_preparedness.php • Make plans for supplies and services Lee County Emergency Management: http://www.leeeoc.com/pages/ • Be prepared to work with limited supplies of cash, and be without default.aspx water, sewer or power for at least two weeks. Store emergency supplies at the Medical and Safety emergencies, call: 911 office. United Way 211, Lee County: 239-433-3900, Hendry and Glades Counties: 800-887-9234 Protect employees Federal Emergency Management Agency: http://www.fema.gov • Employee safety comes first! Prepare, distribute and exercise your American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org business hurricane plan for recovery. National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov • Consider providing shelter to employees and their families and National Weather Service: http://www.nws.noaa.gov helping with supplies post-storm. The Weather Channel: http://www.weather.com • Establish a rendezvous point and time for employees in case Collier County Emergency Management: http://www.colliergov.net/Index. communications are disrupted. aspx?page=101 • Establish a call-down procedure for warning and post-storm communications. From the Cape Coral Construction Industry Association • Provide photo IDs and a letter of authorization to enter the building. As Hurricane Irma makes it way towards Florida, we are still uncertain of its Contact customers and suppliers path but need to be prepared. After speaking with our Building Official Paul • Share your communications and recovery plan in advance. Dickson this morning, I have want to send the following out to the Industry. • Prepare a list of vendors to provide disaster recovery services. All Contractors, it is imperative that you clean and button down all your job Review insurance coverage sites. This means if you have any roof tiles loaded but not installed they need • Have your business appraised at least every five years. to come down. Please secure all loose debris and if you have a port-a-potty • Inventory, document and photograph equipment, supplies and please secure as well. These objects can become very dangerous projectiles in workplace. a storm such as Irma. Please inform all your Subs as well as they might have • Have copies of insurance policies and customer service/home materials and equipment on your job site. numbers. • Obtain Business Interruption Insurance. We at the CCCIA will be in contact with the Building Department as well as • Consider Accounts Receivable and Valuable Papers Coverage and the Cape Coral Emergency Operations Center throughout the next few days Income Destruction Insurance. and will continue to update you. • If you have Business Owners Protection Package (BOPP), check co-
CHAMBER TRENDS LEADERSHIP CAPE CORAL CLASS sector and organizations like the Cape Coral Caring Center, CARES Suicide Prevention, Invest In America’s Veterans and the Gunterberg OF 2017 Donna S. Germain President/CEO
The Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral kicked off the 2017 Leadership Cape Coral program by welcoming this year’s class at kick off on August 11 at The Westin.
Charitable Foundation – Culliton Family.
Through the coming weeks, the class will learn about Healthcare in our community, Public Safety and City Government, Arts and Entertainment in our community, infrastructure and much more. Thank you to all of our day chairs thus far; Joe Mazurkiewicz, Mike Quaintance, Richard Leon, Rob Iafrate, Reggie McKinnon, Nancy McPhee, Julie Ferguson, Amanda Condor, and a special thank you to our program chairs DeAnna Rivera and Sarah Sheffield and our Co-Chairs Aaron Egler and Dusty Shelton.
In their first month, the class attended Made In Cape Coral Day where they learn the history of Cape Coral while touring some of our industrial areas. Tourism Day took them on a tour of some Thank you to our annual sponsors who make this program of Cape Coral’s attractions such as SunSplash Family Waterpark, possible. The Gunterberg Charitable Foundation, LCEC, The NewsRotary Park, The Westin where the class got a sneak peek at the Press, The Cape Coral Community Foundation, The Aubuchon Team new convention center and other destinations in Lee County. of Companies and BJM Consulting. Community Steward Day taught the class about our local nonprofit
JULY NEW MEMBERS & RENEWALS
NEW MEMBERS
RENEWALS
CAPE CORAL LIFESTYLE Erika Smiley
ABC Supply Member Since: 08/01/1989
CAPE CORAL MASSAGE THERAPY Sheri Kangas CORALINA APARTMENTS Cheryl Christy D.R. HORTON Paula Hickey DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION Steven Felter ESCAPE COUNTDOWN Renee Ryckman
Allstate - Cape Coral Insurance Group, LLC Member Since: 09/01/1994 Backstreets Sports Bar Member Since: 06/15/2012
WELCOME TO THE CHAMBER!
Culver’s Of Cape Coral Pine Island Rd. Member Since: 07/09/2015 Frank & Sons Moving & Storage Member Since: 06/01/2012 Head Case Salon Inc Member Since: 07/09/2012
Beattie Development Member Since: 04/28/2015
Home and Away LLC Member Since: 03/30/2010
Member Since: 08/28/2012
ZYPHA CORPORATION Dominic Cervio
Culver’s Of Cape Coral Member Since: 08/27/2014
Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall Member Since: 07/19/2006
SANTA BARBARA ANIMAL HOSPITAL Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast, Inc Ashley VanDyck STOKES MARINE John Siekmann
CRS Technology Consultants Member Since: 04/01/1996
Brookdale Santa Barbara Member Since: 06/01/2016 Cape Coral Mayors Scholarship Fund, Inc Member Since: 06/01/2003 Cape Dental Care Member Since: 08/05/2010 Cardiac Care Group, LLC Member Since: 08/12/2015 Casa di Fiori, LLC Member Since: 08/16/2012 City of Cape Coral Member Since: 06/01/1993 Coral Ridge Funeral Home, Cemetery and Cremations Member Since: 04/28/2008
Home Services By Rafael Member Since: 08/22/2007 It’s IT LLC Member Since: 06/16/2016 Jumpanzee Member Since: 08/03/2016
Republican Women of Cape Coral, Federated Member Since: 07/12/2016 Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association Member Since: 03/01/1989 Rumrunners Member Since: 04/25/2011 State Insurance Agency - Brian Chapman Jr Member Since: 08/19/2015 Stinger Digital Print & Graphics, Inc. Member Since: 06/17/2016 The Cole Team Re/Max Realty Group Member Since: 08/03/2016 Top Florida Properties, LLC Member Since: 07/26/2000 York Road Marine Member Since: 07/13/2015
Kiwanis Club of Cape Coral Member Since: 05/21/2012 Massage Envy Spa - Cape Coral Member Since: 08/08/2012 Matteo Graphics Member Since: 05/25/2011
THANK YOU FOR YOUR RENEWALS! For Membership Benefits Contact Michelle Cherwaty Membership Sales Director
Merrill Lynch Member Since: 04/28/2006
michelle@capecoralchamber.com
Mortgage 1, Inc. Member Since: 07/28/2014
Doug Clark Membership Sales
doug@capecoralchamber.com
Lee Health
CenturyLink 2710 Del Prado Blvd S, Cape Coral
Lee County Electric Cooperative
Gulf Coast Village Retirement Community 1333 Santa Barbara Blvd. Cape Coral
P.O. Box 2218, Fort Myers, FL 33902
4980 Bayline Dr, North Fort Myers, FL 33917
B2 Technology Solutions
1406 SE 46th Lane, Cape Coral, FL 33904
Gunterberg Charitable Foundation 1350 Park Road, Lancaster PA 17601
The News-Press - Fort Myers Office 2442 Dr. MLK Blvd. Ft. Myers Fifth Third Bank 2402 Surfside Blvd., Cape Coral, FL 33991 2724 Del Prado Blvd, Cape Coral, FL 33904 114 Hancock Bridge Pkwy, Cape Coral, FL 33991 1801 NE Pine Island Rd, Cape Coral, FL 33909 1600 Cape Coral Pkwy. E, Cape Coral, FL 33904
UNIVERSITY TRENDS IMPROVING ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS
Mike “Q” Quaintance, MBA, CCE Keiser University, Fort Myers Campus Business and Hospitality Department Chair
Society often judges leaders by how well they interact with people. One important component of that interaction is the leader’s emotional intelligence (EI). A general definition of EI might look like this: the competence to identify and express emotions, understand emotions, assimilate emotions in thought, and regulate both positive and negative emotions in oneself and in others. EI is a tool that can be used to moderate negative aspects of occupational stress and facilitate adaptive coping as leaders and managers strive to understand others and act wisely in those interactions with employees. Not only does effective employee one-on-one interactions influence organizational performance, but the reduction of leader/manager stress can moderate conflict and enhance stability, continuity, and harmony within the overall organization. Leaders and managers with high levels of EI can be instrumental in creating an effective EI culture that enhances organizational stability, much like the benefit of creating a culture where transformational or servant leaders are developed. When one ponders effective EI, one contemplates competencies such as emotional expression, emotional self-awareness, emotional awareness of others, emotional reasoning, emotional self-management, emotional management of others, and emotional self-control. There are several free online EI assessments that are great tools to
evaluate your EI levels. One of my favorite shorter assessments is from the Global Leadership Foundation (https:// globallleadershipfoundation.com). The evaluation generates four scores that evaluate self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness, and relationship management, giving participants direction for development. It is a quick and short assessment that provides reliable outcomes. Another assessment that gives participants a different perspective is one by Memorado (https://memorado. com/emotional_quotient). Memorado not only gives the participant a score on self-awareness, social awareness, selfmanagement, and social management, but it identifies an emotional type and explains the strengths and weaknesses of that emotional type in various settings. This tool can be very helpful when evaluating EI in team settings. Harvard Business Review has an assessment that measures emotional-awareness, positive outlook, emotional selfcontrol, adaptability, and empathy. What makes this assessment unusual is that it allows you to check your perception against a peer’s perspective regarding your EI by sending them an assessment questionnaire regarding their perceptions of your EI. If you seek peer input regarding your EI you may want to click on this link, https://hbr.org/2015/06/ quiz-yourself-do-you-lead-with-emotional-intelligence. These assessments are fun ways to get your team members to start a discussion regarding EI in your workplace. They can lead to discussions about how your team might go about implanting some EI enhancement activities. As always, if you have any questions or comments you can e-mail me at mquaintance@keiseruniversity.edu or call me at (239) 2771336.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS GOVERNMENT AFFECTS YOU Julie E. Ferguson
2017 Chairperson Government Affairs Committee
SE 9th Place #3 Cape Coral) and The Cape Coral Library (921 SW 39th Terrace Cape Coral). You can contact the City Clerk’s Office for additional information about the 2017 Election (239) 5740417.
Please visit www.votecapecoral.com for extra discounts and savings for just showing your “I voted” sticker or photo of your People like to say, “It’s only the mail in ballot. If your business would like to participate with a Primary for the Cape Coral mayor discount, please contact Dan Puleio, the owner of Cape Cleaners and open city council seats. I am for more information. busy and I do not know anything about the candidates or my vote Just think whether you vote or not, you participated in the does not count. Even though I did not exercise my right to vote, election. “Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not you better believe I am going to complain, when things do not go vote”. - Andrew Lack. the way I want.” These are words and beliefs that must change! “Every election is determined by people who show up.” - Larry The Primary Election will be held September 12th. City voters J. Sabato, Pendulum Swing. So exercise your right with an will be electing a mayor and council members for Districts 1, 4, educated vote. 5, and 6. They are non-partisan elections, so all are eligible to vote even if your district is not up for reelection. Your vote counts Remember “Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. as these elections are often decided by a very small margin. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on the blisters”. - Abraham Lincoln Early voting for the 2017 Primary is September 5 through the 9th. The locations are: Lee County Cape Coral Branch Office (1031
HEALTHY TRENDS OBAMA-CARE, TRUMPCARE... HOW ABOUT I-CARE!
Salvatore Lacagnina, D.O. Vice President of Health & Wellness, Lee Memorial Health System
We have been hearing about health care reform for so many years. If the people talking about it were truly interested in helping the people in the U.S. to become and stay healthy, then why don’t we see support for preventive health care? Rather than relying on Obama-care or whatever the new Trump-care will look like, how about we all say “I Care!”. Yes, I care about my health and I am going to be in control of as many things as I can to support my health. This way I can hopefully avoid the myriad of chronic illnesses which plague so many in the world today. The far majority of chronic illnesses and many of the cancers today are caused by unhealthy lifestyles and are avoidable. Unfortunately, most people would prefer to rely on medications, procedures and surgeries to cure their ills. What many do not realize is that medications, procedures and surgeries often times do not cure the illness. Instead, they only resolve some of the symptoms of the underlying problem. As an example, medications for heartburn resolve the symptom but do not treat the cause which in most cases is an unhealthy diet. Blood pressure medications often do the same and do not resolve the underlying problem causing the pressure to be high in the first place. Health care reform starts in the home, not with the government. Reform starts with all of us saying “I CARE!” about my health and I am willing to do all I can to become and stay healthy. I care enough about myself and my family
to purchase, cook and eat healthy food. I care enough so that I will add 30 minutes of activity into my daily schedule. I care so I will set my alarm clock to ensure that I get at least seven hours of quality sleep nightly. I care about myself so I will work to manage my stress and to love myself and others more each day. I care and, therefore, I will not rely on the government or others to take care of my health. My health care starts with me! If I do all these things, then maybe I will not need medications, procedures or surgeries as I grow older. I care and I want to grow older in a vital and productive way. I do not want to be a burden on my family or on society. I care and I want to live a long, happy and healthy life. I care because I am worth it! We are certainly blessed by the scientists, physicians and health care professionals who represent health care today. Also, we are fortunate to have the medications, procedures and surgeries that help so many each day. Yet, let’s also add all the things that we can do to improve our chances of staying healthy. We are seeing a groundswell in the field of what previously was called alternative health care which is now referred to as either integrative/functional/anti-aging or preventive health care. The name really does not matter – what matters is that we add to traditional health care all the additional means of helping people become and stay healthy. Many more physicians and health care providers are now doing wellness consultations which focus on identifying health risk factors followed by working with individuals on developing a Healthy Living Action Plan. For more information about these and other health related topics, please feel free to write to me at Dr.Sal@LeeHealth.org
2051 Cape Coral Parkway E Cape Coral, FL 33904 (239) 549-6900 www.capecoralchamber.com