On May 31st, 2017 following 15 years of service, Suzie Moraco will retire from her role as Associate Vice President / Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Winter Haven. She holds the distinguished Certified Financial Planner™ designation. A native Floridian and a Winter Haven resident for over 20 years, Suzie has been actively involved in the Winter Haven community since the moment she moved to the area.
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In preparation for hurricane season, which begins on June 1, Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing and Polk County Emergency Management have again partnered with Publix Super Markets to produce and distribute the "Polk County Public Shelters" maps for 2017. This annual map is designed to assist both resident and tourist evacuees in finding shelter during an impending storm.
In celebration of National Nurses Week, Winter Haven Hospital, Inc., honored 33 Nurses of the Year, and from those, recognized four Nurses of Excellence. Each honored unit nurse was selected by their peers and chosen from every patient care unit from Winter Haven Hospital and Winter Haven Women’s Hospital. The regional BayCare Professional Practice Council, comprised of staff nurses from BayCare facilities in Polk County, then chose the four Nurses of Excellence from the group of unit-based Nurse of the Year honorees.
by MJ Carnevale, Natural Resources Division Director, City of Winter Haven
“When the well is dry, we learn the worth of water.” –Ben Franklin This statement seems fitting, considering the hydrologic state of the Winter Haven area during the last few months. One of the initiatives of the City’s Natural Resources Division is to monitor the hydrology of our watershed. This includes tracking and disseminating rainfall and lake level information to help ensure that our limited water supply is being utilized as efficiently as possible. A physician from Winter Haven Women’s Hospital has received Winter Haven Hospital’s quarterly Physician Recognition Award. Rafique Mahmood, an obstetrics hospitalist, was selected for the honor for the first quarter of 2017.
The Aerospace Center for Excellence is elated to announce two new scholarship opportunities for their students to continue their aerospace educational goals. This year will mark two new JSfirm.com Scholarships, one going to a student pursuing an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic certificate and one for a student pursuing an Engineering degree.
Information from the City of Winter Haven staff below:
In the Spring of 2015, the Polk County Tourist Development Council (TDC) began work on a long-range capital strategic plan with the intent of better positioning Polk county for the recruitment of athletic and tourism related events through the expansion of existing facilities and the development of new venues. The TDC identified the 4th and 5th Penny revenues of the Tourist Development Tax (TDT) as the funding source for the County’s financial contribution. This effort resulted in the County committing TDT funding for four projects: The GRAMMY Museum® Grant Program announced today that more than $200,000 in grants will be awarded to 14 recipients in the United States to help facilitate a range of research on a variety of subjects, as well as support a number of archiving and preservation programs. A recipient in the preservation implementation category, Bok Tower Gardens received a $20,000 grant to continue their long range mission.
Through this grant, Bok Tower Gardens, home to the largest carillon library in the world, will digitize a portion of the 1600+ reel-to-reel audio recordings of carillon performances, spanning decades of carillon history. With only about 600 carillons around the world and fewer than 200 in North America, the recordings held in Bok Tower Gardens’ Anton Brees Carillon Library are extremely rare. This grant will preserve these historic recordings for future generations. From the Desk of Polk State: After a national search, the Presidential Search Screening Committee has recommended six finalists for the position of president of Polk State College. One of the finalists, Jay Allen, President/CEO of Hopkinsville Community College, withdrew from the process on Wednesday after accepting a position as president at another institution.
The five finalists will visit the College; meet students, faculty, staff, and community members; and interview with the Polk State College District Board of Trustees. One of these especially qualified individuals will be named the next president of Polk State College. The finalists have risen through the ranks of higher education in different ways, but all have something in common – all are seasoned professionals with experience in the Florida College System. Polk State College students, faculty, staff, and members of the community are invited and encouraged to meet the finalists at a series of open forums which are listed below: Florida has 5 schools ranked among the top universities in the country offering business programs online. Non-profit schools were ranked using 11 key data points derived from the National Center for Education Statistics, broken down into 3 weighted categories: academic quality, affordability & online programming. Chamber member Keiser University has shown that high-quality education in business can extend past the traditional classroom by making the list of “Best Online Business Degree Programs.” Keiser University offers an online BA in Business Administration with general education courses and also major courses that make 123 credit hours. Out of the six concentrations that include management, human resource management, international business, marketing, finance, transportation and logistics, students are able to pick one of these. Blackboard platform is the application that students access their courses through. The resources don’t end with Blackboard. Students also have access to an electronic library, career center and the Seahawk Nation Blog and forum. For more information visit: www.bestcolleges.com/features/top-online-business-administration-programs/ More than 1,600 students and LEGO® enthusiasts are expected to gather at the Polk State College Winter Haven campus on May 6, as it hosts the FIRST LEGO® League State Invitational. Forty-eight teams of up to 10 students ages 9 to 14 from all over the State of Florida will compete in the FIRST ®LEGO® League State Invitational from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Polk State Winter Haven campus, 999 Avenue H, NE. Employees from CertiPay and CPS Investment Advisors volunteered at Achievement Academy’s Lakeland and Winter Haven campuses on Friday, April 28th for United Way of Central Florida’s Day of Caring. At the Achievement Academy Winter Haven campus, a group of employees from CertiPay landscaped, mulched and painted the playground equipment. At the Achievement Academy Lakeland campus, staff from CPS Investment Advisors painted the building.
Bok Tower Gardens is offereing several complimentary admission days in May celebrating National Public Gardens Day, Mother’s Day, Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day. Visitors should review the offer restrictions and follow instructions for redemption. On Monday night during a specially called City Commission meeting, the Commissioners discussed the appointment of a new City Manager. During a presentation by the search consultant it was revealed that Mike Herr, current City Manager for Plant City and former Polk County Manager, was interested in the position. After a lengthy discussion regarding salary and benefits the Commissioners voted 4-0 (Commissioner Pete Chichetto was not in attendance) to make an offer to Mr. Herr. On Wednesday night, the commission held a second specially called meeting to ratify the contract. The contract outlines his benefits including $175,000 salary that would automatically increase to $180,000 in one year contingent upon a positive review. It also removes the provision to require Mr. Herr, 64, to live in Winter Haven. The main reason for this is that he currently owns a home in Grasslands and with the pending lawsuit regarding radon levels with the development, it could be very difficult to sell his home and get fair market value. Other provisions within the contract include 20 days of paid vacation and 20 weeks severance pay. The Commission voted 4-0 to ratify the contract (Commissioner Brad Dantzler was not in attendance). We at the Chamber look forward to working with Mr. Herr to help him successfully continue the positive forward momentum in Winter Haven. We would also like to recognize Interim City Manager, T. Michael Stavres, for all of his incredibly hard work carrying the load of project manager, Assistant City Manager and City Manager for the last 8 months. T. Michael did an incredible job and we are grateful for your engagement with the business community and community at large, that never waned, despite your increased workload. Thank you! When new moms are looking for where to go to get valuable information about raising a healthy baby, Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center is here to help with a Baby Fair on May 20. The Baby Fair is designed with the special needs of new moms and moms-to-be in mind. It includes health-related giveaways for mom and baby. Healthcare professionals will cover topics such as breastfeeding, newborn sleeping, immunizations, water safety, car seat safety, and more. Pediatricians, OBGYNs and family physicians will also be on-hand to answer any lingering questions for new moms. The economy is growing rapidly here in Florida, and that is presenting small businesses with challenges and opportunities. The Florida Chamber of Commerce has created a Small Business Index Survey to find issues that are influencing Florida small businesses. Results from this survey have shown that small business are concerned about more than just “workforce quality.” Read more below. Transition to the Sky is a new program offered at the Aerospace Center for Excellence that is designed to prepare people with special needs and their families for future air travel. Participants who experience the program learn what it is like to experience fundamental steps associated with air travel. The real time simulation allows families to walk through the steps to create an atmosphere similar to an active airport while working between the SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus and Lakeland Linder Airport. Fun will be in full force as Bok Tower Gardens DISCOVERY DAYS Summer Camp for kids returns with a series of stimulating day camps for children ages 6-8 and 9-12. The camp curriculum is filled with discovery, exploration and imagination to keep young minds actively engaged and learning through the summer months. Week-long sessions for each age group feature activities to help children discover the world of Bok Tower Gardens through art, science, cooking, gardening, and sensory explorations. The 43rd Annual SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In & Expo presented by VISIT FLORIDA and the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association took place April 4 –9, 2017 in Lakeland, Florida. SnF17 was the best fly-in SUN ‘n FUN has ever had. We are pleased to release the following data and fun facts: Knights of Columbus Council 7091 brought extra joy to an estimated 150 youngsters who attend St. Matthew Catholic Church in Winter Haven by treating them to an Easter Egg Hunt on the church grounds on Easter Sunday. The Director of Partnerships cultivates prospective new corporate and community partnerships to generate volunteers and revenue. The Director of Partnerships manages existing partner relationships and develops and implements short and long-term marketing strategies within their specific territory to ensure an optimal geographic balance for recruitment of prospective volunteers. The Polk County Director of Partnerships recruits and enrolls volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Community Based and School Based mentoring programs by driving potential volunteers to our regularly-scheduled Big Orientation & Training sessions or by arranging for a BOT to be held at the site of a corporate partner.
The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, Florida's statutorily designated principal provider of business assistance, has been awarded accreditation from the Association of America's SBDCs (ASBDC). The ASBDC Accreditation Committee announced its award of accreditation without conditions - the highest standard of award and most successful accreditation the network has achieved in its 40-year history - to the Florida SBDC on Friday. "Accreditation without conditions is a significant achievement and testament to our leadership and staff for their unwavering focus and commitment to continuous improvement and performance excellence," said Michael W. Myhre, Florida SBDC CEO and Network State Director. "Accreditation is an important part of our commitment to ensure that the public investment we are entrusted with from our federal, state, and local partners continues to add value, create meaningful impact and generate strong returns for Florida's economy." Two commercial real estate professionals with Crosby & Associates, Inc. of Winter Haven, FL took home significant awards at the REALTORS® Land Institute 2017 National Land Conference in Charlotte, NC March 30. Caleb McDow earned the REALTORS® Land Institute Rising Star Award. This award is a special recognition of a land professional who has demonstrated promise. The Award recognizes a member approaching a mid-level in their career who is on their way to making significant contributions to the land profession and to the Institute. Additional criteria for the award include demonstrated integrity, inspirational behavior, and a commitment to advancing the land profession through innovative work and leadership. During CityWorks (X)po Florida 2017 Jeff Donalson, partner at Tom Wolf Co, told the story of how he and his business partners decided to move forward with the development of a downtown boutique hotel.
Jeff cited several economic studies done in partnership with Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing and the WHEDC regarding the need for hotel rooms in Winter Haven. He also consulted with several experienced boutique hotel developers. While he didn't publicly reveal the name and flag of the hotel, he did provide several details on the property:
We'll have to wait a little longer for more details, but he hopes to start renovation and restoration of the historic building in the next 30 days! The property is located on the corner of Central Ave and 3rd St SW and includes both the 6 story building and the "Haven Center" corner building. Baycare Health System acquired Winter Haven Hospital almost 4 years ago. They recently released a study by The Washington Economics Group, Inc. (WEG) outlining the economic impact the group has had on our area. Read more specifics below the infographic.
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