January 2014 Newsletter - Sebastian River Area Chamber of

700 Main Street, Sebastian, FL 32958
(772) 589-5969
www.SebastianChamber.com
January 2014 Issue
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Woods Insurance
Jerry and Michelle Woods. This agency has grown
from a financial corporation Jerry Woods started in
1980, Financial Associates Southeast, providing
financial services to business and financial institutions from Main Street to Wall Street. We are
members of the Florida Association of Independent Agents, Trusted Choice, Better Business Council, Melbourne Regional and Sebastian River Chambers of Commerce.
At Woods insurance we’re all about protecting
YOU every day! Woods Insurance is a full service
independent agency dedicated to building trust
relationships with our clients. Excellent customer
service, market knowledge and integrity are the
cornerstone of our agency. We provide Business
and Personal insurance products throughout the
state of Florida with a focus on Brevard and Indian
River County.
Woods Insurance offers a wide variety of A-rated
companies with competitive pricing to best serve
your specific insurance needs. We manage your
risk by continually monitoring our markets to make
sure you are getting the best rates for your insurance requirements. We provide Home, Flood, Auto, Marine, Umbrella and Life insurance. Our Business Lines include Commercial Property, Business
Auto, General and Professional Liability, Workers
Compensation, Directors and Officers, Errors and
Omissions insurance.
Woods Insurance, located at 2210 Front Street,
suite 104 in Melbourne, is owned and operated by
Jerry and Michelle were college sweethearts who
raised their children in Boca Raton. Both have always been active volunteers in their community.
Michelle’s notable activities include: award winning Fine Arts Teacher, Junior League Director, Interactive Children’s Museum President, Public Relations work and Homeowner Association President. Jerry is currently a Director of the Melbourne
Regional Chamber of Commerce, active member of
West Melbourne Business Association, member of
The Sebastian River Chamber, Past Chairman of
the Marine Resources Council, past President of
our Neighborhood Association.
Woods Insurance has been chosen as The Better
Business of the Month for January 2014, a prestigious award extended for exceptional customer services and business practice. We are so proud to be
chosen by the Melbourne Regional Chamber from
over 1200 area businesses.
Visit our website: www.woodsinsurance.net
Phone: 772-408-6836 or 321-821-2336
Email: jerry@woodsinsures.com
michelle@woodsinsures.com
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!
Fabian Cruz
Property Manager
Acorn Mini Storage
AC & Non AC Units/Boat & R.V. Storage
Gated facility, security cameras, 24 hr access
SPECIAL-ONE MONTH FREE
OFFICE MON-FRI 8:00-6:00
SAT 8:00-4:00 SUN 9:00-4:00
189 Sebastian Blvd. (Rt. 512 East), Sebastian
589-6939 U-Haul Trucks/Trailers for Rent
DECEMBER CHAMBER EVENTS
Chamber Breakfast hosted at Kashi
Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at
Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
Mickey Capp - Honored by the
American Cancer Society
Megan Mash - Honored by the
Boys and Girls Club of IRC
Colleen Audette - Honored by
Habitat for Humanity of IRC
Shirley O'Connell - Honored by
Friendship Christian Community
Church & Thrift
Eileen O'Donnell - Honored by
the Alzheimer & Parkinson
Assoc. of Indian River County
Kathy Falzone - Honored by the
Exchange Club of Sebastian
Not pictured:
Doug Clement:
Honored by SunUp ARC
And
Devon Steele - Honored by the
Florida Equestrian Foundation
CJ Bryant - Honored by the
American Red Cross
Rhonda T. Marples: Honored by
United Way of Indian River
Present this Chamber ad at the time of service to receive savings.
~ Now Open at Collier Club ~
Expires January 31, 2014
January 2014
Chamber of Commerce
Calendar of Events
Jan. 3
8:00 a.m.
Chamber Networking Breakfast
ABC Printing, Sebastian
Jan. 10
15th Annual Concert in the Park Series
Presented by the Chamber, in partnership with the City of
Sebastian and sponsored by: Bay Street Pharmacy, RE/MAX
Crown Realty, Oculina Bank, Sebastian River Medical Center,
FPL, and Waste Management
Featuring St. John’s Wood—British Pop Rock
Jan. 11
Chamber Full Board Retreat
Jan. 14
Noon
Chamber Speaker Series Luncheon at Capt. Hiram’s Tiffany Room
Guest Speaker: Steven Salyer, CEO, Sebastian River Medical Center
Sponsored by Florida Power and Light
Reservations Please! $20 at the door
Jan. 16/19 Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival on the grounds of the
Historic Fellsmere School, Fellsmere
Jan. 18/19 Sebastian Fine Arts and Music Festival
On the waterfront at Riverview Park, Sebastian
Jan. 23
5:30 pm
Chamber Business and Pleasure
Celebrating Grant Businesses
The Old Fish House, 5185 S. US Hwy One, Grant
Jan. 24
8:00 am
Legislative Government Affairs Committee
Chamber Main St. Office
www.dumpstersanytime.com
Info to Know—Britney Melchiori
As 2013 comes to an end, many of us find ourselves
looking to the New Year as a great time to make
changes and resolutions– be it personal or in our
businesses.
One of my resolutions for the upcoming year is to
ensure that each and every member’s business
profile on our site is being used to it’s fullest—starting
with everyone having their logos on their business
listing!
What is so important about having your logo with your
business listing? When folks visit our site and look
through our membership directory, your logo is one of
the first things they see. Sight is human’s primary and
most utilized sense, from the first impression to the last thing someone remembers, the visual part of any experience is a huge component for our experience. Your logo is the branding
of your business! This is how people make a visual connection with your business— and you
know that the Chamber is all about making sure that our businesses are connecting with the
community! THIS is a small but great way to start doing that. Simply adding your logo to
your business listing will make you that much more memorable, look more professional, and
be more credible!
The ugly “No Image Available” box displayed above is what appears on our site when no
logo has been provided for your profile. But have no fear, this can be taken care of faster
than Santa shimmying down a chimney.
Simply email your logo in a jpg form to bmelchiori@sebastianchamber.com and I will get
your logo up on your listing within 24 hours! Fast, easy, no fuss—no muss! If you do not
have a logo, how about an image of your business card? We can scan your business card in
and upload that image for you. All you have to do is let us know what you’d like to do and we
will take care of it!
By the end of 2014, not only will every member’s business listing be rid of that darn “No Image Available” box of ugliness, you all will be educated on how to log in and update your
business listing! There are lot’s of cool features and tools for you to use that we KNOW you’ll
love once you get to know them!
Throughout the coming year, I will be providing you with tips, and how-to’s on utilizing our
Chamber site and how it can benefit your business, so stay tuned!
As always, if you have questions feel free to email or call anytime!
589-5969 or email bmelchiori@sebastianchamber.com
Happy New Year!
SRA Snapshots Photo Contest
Contest ends Thursday, February 7th, 2013.
The winner will be announced Friday, February 8th,
2013 on the official Sebastian River Area Chamber of
Commerce & Visitors Center Facebook page and at
our Chamber Luncheon on Tuesday, February 12th!
The winner will receive a Sebastian River Area
"Colors of Sebastian” Snapshots Gift Basket valued at
$120!
What to Enter
This year’s theme focuses on “The Colors of Sebastian.” We want striking digital images that capture the
GOLDEN sunrises, the BLUE oceans and waterways,
the GREEN foliage, and the ORANGE sunsets and
citrus. Even WHITE egrets and ibis, GREY dolphins
and manatees, PINK roseate spoonbills and BROWN
pelicans. The possibilities are endless! Photos can be
present day or historical! The Chamber will use submitted photos to continue promoting our beautiful area. Judging will be based on originality, color, and
composition.
Submitting Your Entry
Post your photo on the wall of the official Sebastian
River Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center
Facebook page. To be considered in the judging,
please also email original hi-res photos to bmelchiori@SebastianChamber.com. Please be sure to include the caption “SRA Snapshot” in your message/
post along with the location of the photo and your
name.
Call (772) 589-5969 for more information
Eligibility
Shop Chamber Members First!
Remember to check your B2B Discount
book when it comes to shopping for
products and services!
Chances are, your fellow Chamber
Members offer a discount!
Want to offer a discount? Let us know!
Fans of the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center Facebook page who are 18
years of age or older at the time of entry. There is no
entry fee. The contest is void where prohibited by law,
or where the registration or filing requirements of any
state or local jurisdiction have not been complied with.
The contest is not open to employees of the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce.
For more information and to view the terms and
agreement—please visit us on our facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/
SebastianChamberVisitorsCenter
Member News
Craft Club of Sebastian will hold it’s Art in the Park at
Riverview Park on January 4th from 10am—4pm. If
you’d like more information or to participate—please
contact 772-202-4036.
the farm, you can visit critters and get a pony ride too!
Open 8am—2pm! Located at 7700 129th Street, Roseland Road.
Enjoy life, choose laughter with the Plan B Laughing
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge presents
Lady on January 23rd! Programs are held at the North
FREE wildlife tours every Wednesday excluding weeks County Library—1001 Sebastian Blvd from 10:30—
of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Space is
11:30am.
limited, so call for reservations—772-581-5557 ext 2.
Also, don’t miss the inaugural Pioneer Festival celebrat- Don’t miss the Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival held Janing the anniversary of Paul Kroegel’s 150th Birthday!
uary 16th—19th on the historic elementary school
Join them for the authentic sights, sounds, and flavors grounds! Four days of frog legs, family fun, music, and
of the pioneer days on Thursday, January 9th from
more!
10am to 3pm at Fisherman’s Landing, next to Crab-EBills Seafood Market on Indian River Drive. This special The Sebastian Riverfront Fine Arts & Music Festival
event is FREE and open to the public.
will be held on January 18th and 19th at Riverview
Park. Enjoy over 100 vendors with fine art, food, and
Bring the fishing poles, pack a lunch and plan to catch great music!
some fish at LaPorte Farms every Sunday through the
month of May. $5 per person donation. While you’re on
Welcome New Members!
B T Hobby
Thomas C. MacLean
457 Sebastian Blvd. Ste B
Sebastian, FL. 32958
772-589-9000
bthobby@att.net
Hobby & Model Shops
Seaside Vapors
Doug Newman
482 US Hwy 1 Ste 7
Sebastian, FL. 32958
772-413-0005
Electronic Cigarettes/Sales & service
Insite Solutions, Inc.
Chuck Mechling
5070 N. Hwy A1A Ste C-1
Vero Beach, FL. 32963
772-999-3494
chuck@insitesolutions.biz
Real Estate Developers
K-12 Tax Services, Inc.
Laurel Mathews
9432 N. US Hwy 1
Sebastian, FL. 32958
772-646-0037
laurel@k12tax.com
TaxReturn Preparation
Grant Central Antiques
John & Nancy Vigneau
5900 S. US Hwy 1 Bldg. A
Grant, FL. 32959
321-676-8727
grantcentralantiques@hotmail.com
Antiques & Collectables
Tourism Tidbits by Nicole Capp Holbrook
Tourism Spotlight—Country Inn & Suites
2013 proved to be a great year for tourism in the
Sebastian River Area and Indian River County!
Tourist tax revenues were up $137,139 or 8.5% for
the 2012-2013 fiscal year. We are optimistic that the
2013-2014 tourism season will be even more successful!
With the New Year approaching, about 45% of
Americans will make resolutions, whether professional or personal. If you are one of them and your
resolutions consist of getting more involved, promoting your business, etc., I have some suggestions for
The Country Inn & Suites Vero Beach was built in
you!
Here are a few ways to benefit your tourism business in 2014:
Concerts in the Park- We have eight concerts
scheduled between January and June. During
intermission we raffle off prizes to the crowd.
The prizes usually consist of certificates for dining, shopping, kayak/boat tours, etc and can be
for any amount; however, the most popular denomination is $10. This is a great opportunity to
get your business name out in front of a crowd
ranging from 300-800 people.
2006. We have 65 rooms consisting of 11 onebedroom suites and 5 studio suites. We serve a
deluxe hot and cold complimentary breakfast each
morning. We have for our guest’s convenience a
business center, fitness center, guest laundry, Wi-Fi
access, heated swimming pool and a warm and inviting fireplace in our Lobby. We are located one block
west of I-95 on State Road 60 which provides easy
access for our fellow fisherman visiting Sebastian and
Fellsmere and our Special Olympic and amateur
swimmers using the North County Aquatic Center.
We are one of the only Pet Friendly hotels in Indian
River County with a nominal pet fee. We also offer a
package for you and your pet. Adjacent to our property are the Vero Beach Outlets; where we also offer
convenient shopping packages, available throughout
the year.
Festivals- The Chamber will be out at the Fellsmere
Frog Leg Festival, Grant Seafood Festival, & the
Pelican Island Wildlife Festival over the next few
months. You can volunteer to work at our booth We hope to see you soon!
during a 2 hour time slot and network with the
Scott DiPietro, the General Manager joined the Councommunity.
try Inn & Suites Vero Beach in 2007. Scott grew up in
Berlin, Connecticut and graduated from Johnson &
Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island ’03 with
a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management. He
has over 13 years experience with Hilton Hotels in
CT, MA, RI and PA then moved to Sebastian in 2005.
Scott’s favorite charity is Boys and Girls club of America. Scott resides with his family in Sebastian.
Tourism Meetings- The Tourism Committee Meeting meets on a quarterly basis: January, April,
July and October. Our next meeting is taking
place on Tuesday, January 21st at 4 p.m. at the
Chamber. We will be discussing upcoming
events, spring advertising and co-op opportunities, and the How to Do Florida “Destination Revealed” special project. We will also be drawing
the Tourism Spotlight!
Zak McCarron, the Assistant General Manger joined
the Country Inn & Suites Vero Beach Team in Janu-
If you are interested in any of the opportunities men- ary of 2011. Zak grew up in Rhode Island and got his
tioned above, please call the Chamber at 772-589- first hotel experience in Newport at the Seaview Inn.
5969.
He brings 8 years of hotel and 16 years of financial
I would like to wish everyone a very Happy, Healthy,
and Prosperous 2014!! We have many exciting
things in store for 2014 and I look forward to working
with our tourism partners to promote the Sebastian
River Area!
experience. Zak then moved to Vero Beach in 2005,
where he joined the team at the Holiday Inn
Oceanside. Zak was then promoted within our management company to Assistant General Manager of
the Country inn & Suites Vero Beach. Zak’s favorite
charity is St. Jude’s Children’s research. Zak continues to reside in Vero Beach.
Membership Matters By Debbie Lloyd-Lee
The Holidays are upon us, and we are all busy
Holiday Shopping, visiting friends and family,
and preparing for all of the Holiday meals and
events this season!
This has been an exciting year at the Chamber! Our membership is growing every day
with wonderful people and businesses joining
our Chamber!
Very soon, we will embark on a New Year,
2014! We will all begin thinking about our resolutions for the New Year.
My resolution for 2014 is to get more involved
with Social Media. Most of us are on Facebook a few times per week, others once a
month or less. This is a great way to support
your fellow Chamber Businesses! All you have
to do is like and Share other Chamber Members with your circle of friends and acquaintances’!
Remember that old Faberge’ Ad? You tell two
people, and then they tell two people, and so
on, and so on. We’ve created a monster! A
movement to let as many people we can know
who our Chamber Members are and what they
do.
So, for all of those Members who can’t always
attend events, take a few minutes and login to
Facebook and start liking and sharing all of
your fellow Chamber Members with your
friends!
Have a Joyous and Prosperous New Year!
See you around town!
Debbie
Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors, 2013-2014
Executive Team
Theresa Tolle, Bay Street Pharmacy – Chair
Maggie Sammons—Vice Chair
Bob Daberkow, Southern Fulfillment
Services – Treasurer
Elected Directors
Sandi Gehrke, TD Bank
Betty Lollio, Seacoast National Bank
Michelle Napier, Esq.
Maggie Sammons, Custom Air Systems
Kim Ellis, Kim Ellis Insurance Agency
Cynthia Hall, Esq., Law Office VandeVoorde, Hall
Ali Qizalbash, Cemco Construction
Appointed Directors
Capt. Christy Lenz, “Casual Cruisin”
Chuck Mechling, Collier Club
Joel Stout—Sandpiper Pest Control
Amy Selby—Springhill Suites by Marriott
Steven Salyer– Sebastian River Medical Center
Margie Duffell, Wells Fargo, Past President
Debbi Vickers—Immediate Past Chair
Ex Officio
Wesley Davis, Indian River County Commissioner
Susan Adams, Mayor, City of Fellsmere
Andrea Coy, Council Woman, City of Sebastian
Jason Nunemaker, City Manager, City of Fellsmere
Chamber Team
Beth L. Mitchell, President/CEO
Nicole Capp Holbrook, Tourism Director
Britney Melchiori, Operations Director
Debbi Lloyd Lee, Membership Director
Kimberly Armstrong, Accounting
January 2014
Beth L. Mitchell, President & CEO
We end the year with a lot of activity crammed into a shortened season, going from one event to another, without a break to come up for air. Soon enough we will have a breather over the holiday, but
it has been a joyous month. Celebrating twenty five years of tradition in Sebastian was the kick start
of the holiday, with over forty four businesses participating and thousands of people out on the
street. Many thanks to Debbi Vickers who was way ahead of everybody else with her foresight to
encourage people to “shop local” way back in 1988! Thanks for creating this popular event and
many thanks to the businesses who know how to give back to the community. We even had one business who actually won in the first Light Up Night in 1988, Professional Title, and participated again
this year!
And our Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at Disney showcased some awesome people who find
many ways to give their time, effort and talent to making our community a better place to live. We
thank them, and everybody who goes the extra mile in making the Sebastian River area so special.
The staff at Disney Vero Beach Resort, Captain Hiram’s and Marsh Landing all provide us great
service during the year and we want to thank them as well.
When you look at our calendar for January, you will have every reason to resolve to start the New
Year with some chamber activity! Breakfast is at ABC Printing, across the street from us, lunch is
at Capt. Hiram’s, with Steven Salyer, CEO of Sebastian River Medical as our guest speaker, and
Amy Brunjes as the sponsor. A great way to start the new year, with a NEW RESOLUTION…
make RESERVATIONS! I am shouting! We need to give our lunch partners a heads up on how
many are coming, and we hate when people are disappointed, there’s not enough food, or we have to
throw together tables during a presentation. And if my historical perspective holds out, we will
have a packed house, everybody comes at the first of the new year!
Then we go into Festival frenzy, with the Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival and the Sebastian RiverfrontFine Arts and Music Festival, all in the same weekend. Take your pick or do both!
To close out January, the Chamber starts up Concerts in the Park Series, in its fifteenth year at
Riverview Park. All these years the City of Sebastian has partnered with the Chamber to bring
eight concerts to the public, free of charge, showcasing local musicians and highlighting the ambieance at the park. Our corporate sponsors have always stepped up to the plate to help us make this
Series special, and this year we thank Sebastian River Medical Center, FPL, Waste Management,
Oculina Bank, RE/MAX Crown Realty and Bay Street Pharmacy. The Concert schedule is provided
in this newsletter.
We have scheduled a special business and pleasure in January, and head to the Grant area to network with Chamber members to the north. Join us at the Old Fish House and meet our northern
Chamber businesses!
Our new Chamber Directory should be out by the end of January, we have had a great response to
bringing the project in house and our advertisers and members should like the new look!
A New Year’s resolution is a promise that you make to yourself to start
doing something good or stop doing something bad on the first day of the
year. The Chamber is working on the Pelican Porch Project, and I personally resolve to help make that porch a reality in 2014. More on that in
Chamber Newsletter Advertising
Who sees my ad?
When you advertise in the Chamber Newsletter, your ad is seen
by over 500 business owners, city officials, and community
leaders in the area!
How does my ad get seen?
Not only does your ad get mailed to over 500 businesses in the
area, it gets emailed out in the weekly Chamber Intel (4) times a
month! That’s another 2,000 views per month! Last, but not least,
the Newsletter is uploaded to the Chamber website for
anyone and everyone to see! That’s a lot of exposure!
Black & White business card ads are just $200/year!
Color business card ads are just $250/year!
Call Britney at 589-5969 for more information!
Where consumers easily
find the local businesses
they’re searching for!
info@VeroBeach.com | (772) 231-8441
New Lower
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794-7777
Tim Modesitt Insurance
Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival
Scheduled for January
16—19, 2014
Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival, Inc
P.O. Box 67
Fellsmere, FL 32948
Phone: 772-571-0250
Any questions or vendor
applications please email
Froglegfestival@gmail.com
The Chamber Currents
Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce
700 Main Street
Sebastian, Florida 32958
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