Tuesday, June 25, the Chamber along with ArgoTrak, Inc. hosted the Distinguished Public Service Awards Movie Night for First Responders for the fifth year in a row! 

We had over 260 first responders and their families join us for a fun night out to enjoy Toy Story 4 at Paragon Pavilion all because of Argotrak and the Wheeler families endless support. Their families' smiling faces, joyous laughter and contagious comradery is one of the reasons I love this event and our community. ArgoTrak is company full of people who are truly passionate about the cause they are supporting and go above and beyond to give both philanthropic support and so much of their time.

ArgoTrak has been a DPSA sponsor for the past 5 years. They started their company 6 years ago as a staff of 5 and now have 13 team members and a customer base across all 50 states and dozens of international customers and they have been honored in the Inc 5000 list three years in a row. This summer they are moving their distribution and provisioning to North Carolina, but will continue to have local team members and a strong presence in Collier County. 

Jordan Valdes
Chamber Membership Intern
Senior at Ave Maria University
Currently studying history with a minor in communications.

What projects did you work on during your internship?
During my six month internship I updated member information, such as adding logos and revising employee information, sent out letters congratulating members on ribbon cuttings or important milestones and supported the Chamber team whenever possible. I also enjoyed working at the annual Chamber Classic Golf Tournament, where I was able to network with some incredible people, as well as attending new member meetings where I saw first hand how the chamber assists business owners and encourages networking with one another.

What surprised you the most during your internship at the Chamber?
I was most surprised by the Chamber’s operations during my internship. Before applying for the position, I had no clue what a Chamber of Commerce was and how it worked. Upon doing research and being a part of the membership team, I was amazed how close businesses worked with the Chamber and how they interacted with one another to build up the business world of the Greater Naples area. 

What’s your favorite memory from your internship?
My favorite memory from the internship would have to be assisting in the Chamber Classic Golf Tournament. I was able to interact with many different members and connect with past Florida Senator Garrett Richter. And witness a hole in one!

Do you have advice for students applying to or starting internships?
My advice for students who are applying to internships would be to make sure that you do research on the business or organization you are applying to in order to know what skills or knowledge you can showcase in your future projects. When applying don’t be afraid to possibly go out of your field of study, though being a history major, I have picked up skills and knowledge on how a nonprofit operates and can apply that knowledge later in my career.

For those who are starting an internship, be sure to walk in with a positive attitude and the determination for success. Your internship experience will be based on your attitude towards the work you do and how well you do it.

What's Next?!
Now that I have finished my internship, I’m looking to finish up my senior year and after graduation begin the process of commissioning as an officer in the United States Air Force. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid to be a pilot and I feel I have what it takes to take on the challenge. 

The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Collier County Commissioners selected The Naples Players as the Business of the Month for June 2019.

Each month, the award is presented to an organization that has enhanced the community through financial, volunteer and active involvement in organizations and programs that creates a better quality of life for all citizens in Collier County.

The Board of Collier County Commissioners and Bethany Sawyer, the director of membership at The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, presented Bryce Alexander, executive director, and Derek Perry, director of development with a commemorative plaque on June 11, 2019 at the County Commission meeting.

Founded in 1953, The Naples Players provide high-quality arts access to every member of the Southwest Florida community. Their robust arts education program boasts over 1,000 students who participate in meaningful artistic programming and the organization has awarded over $60,000 in scholarships to local students in the past year.
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Additionally, The Naples Players continues to make strides serving individuals with disabilities, offering Theatre therapy programming designed and taught by professional therapists and teachers.

As a hub for Collier County, The Naples Players works directly with dozens of nonprofit organizations and community groups to advance their missions and provide a safe and welcoming space for their nuanced programming. The organization is proud to maintain its extraordinary place in the community as the torchbearer for arts involvement and engagement in Southwest Florida.
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To learn more about The Naples Players visit www.naplesplayers.org

Michelle Borders
Michelle Borders is the co-owner of Naples Networks Services, an IT consulting and maintenance firm for small and medium companies in and around Collier County. She is a current Naples Chamber Ambassador, a 2012 Growing Associates in Naples (GAIN) graduate and a 2014 Leadership Collier graduate. She has coordinated the Youth Leadership Collier Application Evaluators for the past 3 years and is the chair the Chamber’s Small Business Council. Borders has been a proud member of Naples Area Professional League of Executive Services since 2010 and has held various positions on the board including President in 2015. Borders also volunteers as a mentor for Grace Place, Champions for Learning and the Small Business Development Center at FGCU.

Southwest Florida’s business community racked up several big wins – from money for water quality improvements to legislation aimed at strengthening workforce training – during Florida’s 2019 legislative session.

But for those successes to continue, lawmakers said business and community leaders need to make sure their voices are heard on important issues.

“Collier County is near and dear to our hearts,” said Rep. Byron Donalds. “We want to hear from the people that are doing the work every single day in Collier County. We want to hear issues, especially before we go back to Tallahassee and … we want to be able to hear these things from you, so we can act on them.”

Donalds was joined by Senate Majority Leader Kathleen Passidomo and Rep. Bob Rommel at Wake Up Naples on June 12 to discuss the 2019 legislative session. The trio highlighted several pieces of legislation of importance to the business community and discussed a variety of issues ranging from home rule to the state of bipartisanship in Tallahassee.

“We’re different than Washington,” said Passidomo. “We don’t have rancor, and I hope that never happens. When I help my colleagues, it’s helping everybody. You will see us working together and it’s really marvelous, I think.”

Passidomo said her role as Senate majority leader meant she served in a different capacity this year, filing fewer bills and working to make sure bills important to Floridians made it across the finish line.

One of those proposals is a bill that creates pathways for career and technical education in Florida. Lawmakers said it was something the business community has asked for and will help create a talent pipeline for employers across the state.

“For a long time in education we got in this mode of you have to go to college to be successful,” said Donalds. “What we’ve realized is we got it wrong. You can be successful without going to a four-year college or university.”

The legislation provides a pathway for students to graduate from high school, while being in an apprenticeship program. It also establishes a “college and career decision day,” allows a computer science credit to act as a substitute for a math or science credit and requires school districts to offer a half-credit financial literacy course as an elective.

Creating a talent pipeline is a top priority for the Chamber, which works with hundreds of students each year to better prepare them to enter the workforce. Lawmakers highlighted several industries they thought could be areas of growth in the future, including telecommunications, autonomous vehicles and the medical industry.

“We have to be smart,” said Rommel. “One thousand people a day move to Florida.”

Passidomo and Rommel also said they believed the state’s legacy industries will continue to be big economic drivers in Southwest Florida and throughout the state.

“In Florida, no matter what (construction) and hospitality are going to be No. 1 and No. 2,” Rommel said.
Lawmakers also lauded the passage of assignment of benefits (AOB) reform, something which has been attempted in years past, and significant funding for water quality and Everglades restoration. They also encouraged attendees to contact them – and their local counterparts – to tell them about the issues that are important to them.
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“Everybody in this room has an interest in something we’re doing,” said Passidomo. “When your group does a call to action, don’t ignore it. Call us. Let us know your thoughts, how you feel and let’s work through it together. I would rather listen to somebody from my community than someone from Jacksonville.”

Want to tell Collier lawmakers how they’re doing? Visit the Chamber’s action center today to easily find your representatives and send them an email.