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Have you ever wondered how people get elected to local office or how to volunteer to help with a political campaign? Perhaps you are considering running for office yourself but don’t know where to start. The Nassau County Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the Florida Institute for Political Leadership, an initiative by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, to host ‘Campaign School & Community Leadership Training’. This three-part online training is free, open to everyone, and non-partisan. Participants are welcome to attend any or all days offered. Each session will include presentations by state and local political experts, university professors, elected officials, and community leaders. This event is highly recommended for candidates, and anyone interested in running for local or state office, serving their community, or managing campaigns. The first session, Preparing to Run, is scheduled for Tuesday, November 16, 2021, from 5:30-8:00 PM; the second session, Organizing Your Campaign, is scheduled for Wednesday, November 17, 2021, from 5:30-8:00 PM; the third and final session, Running Your Campaign, is scheduled for Thursday, November 18, 2021, from 5:30-8:00 PM. To register online, please visit www.FIPL.org/register and for more information, call (850) 688-8940. The Nassau County Chamber of Commerce is a non-partisan organization with a mission to promote and maintain a healthy business environment and quality of life for Nassau County. 
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Island Art Association announces winners of their October-November Nouveau show and sale. IAA exhibiting member, Marlene Strobach, chaired the show. Judging the show was Kathy Miller. Miller’s artistic talents are but one of her creative endeavors, which can be found at: kathymillertime.com. She expressed appreciation for the opportunity to judge the show, “Dance of Light.” She found the interpretations of dance and light as different as the participating artists themselves.
Best of Show went to Cindy Jenkins for her pastel, “Blue Hour Marsh.” Bernadette Burkkemper won First Place for her oil and wax, “Reflections.” Second Place went to Linda Speed, an alcohol ink titled “Blue Danube Dance.” Marlene Strobach was awarded Third Place for the watercolor “Sundown.” Honorable Mentions were given to artists Sandy Castiaux, Susan Henderson, John Mandt, Louise Mozena, Lisa Williams, and Barb Wylie. Information, including how to participate in Nouveau shows, available at: islandart.org. Story & Song Press Release Submitted by Mark Kaufman October 18, 2021 Purchase your $25 tickets in advance by calling 601-2118 or online at Eventbrite.  No one is able to capture life’s revelations quite like Beth Nielsen Chapman. Her songs reflect every turn in the tragic-and-triumphant road she has followed, having had to deal with the unexpected loss of her husband shortly after the birth of their child and treatment for both breast cancer and a benign brain tumor.
Her songs have been recorded by Faith Hill, Neil Diamond, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, and a number of other mega-stars. With 15 solo albums to her credit, Chapman has been twice-nominated for a Grammy and has already been inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. Before Chapman launches another world tour, she will perform two shows at Story & Song Bookstore Bistro on Sunday, October 24th at 2 pm and 5 pm. Seating is limited to 50% capacity, and concert-goers must be vaccinated to attend. Purchase your $25 tickets in advance by calling 601-2118 or online at Eventbrite. When you come to a Beth Nielsen Chapman concert, get ready to fasten your seat belt and experience a celebration of life and love! October 18, 2021 MEDIA RELEASE North Florida Land Trust The donor has committed $500,000 to help the nonprofit pay back a loan used to purchase the properties Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 15, 2021 – North Florida Land Trust is one step closer to raising the money they need to pay off a loan used to purchase a portion of the Little NaNa Dune System in American Beach. An anonymous donor has committed $500,000 to NFLT to help pay back the loan taken out to purchase three parcels to keep them free from development and to protect the natural landscape of the historic town. The anonymous donation, donations from the community and a challenge grant issued by the Delores Barr Weaver Fund which has recently been met have brought NFLT closer to the $1.305 needed. The nonprofit must raise $150,000 more to reach its fundraising target. “We are very grateful to the donor for giving us this large sum to get us closer to our goal. We also thank all others who have stepped up to help, especially the Delores Barr Weaver Fund,” said Jim McCarthy, president of NFLT. “Protecting this land was very important to maintain the history and culture of American Beach and to protect the natural landscape. It is an important habitat for gopher tortoises and migrating birds. We are asking individuals, businesses, foundations and other organizations to donate to help us raise the remaining money needed to pay off the loan and reach our goal.”  Protecting this portion of the Little NaNa Dune connects the 1.55 acres to the 8.5- acre NaNa Dune, the tallest dune in Florida which was added to the National Park Service’s Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve in 2004. NFLT closed on the three properties in January of this year and was given one year to raise the money to pay off the loan. NFLT typically fundraises and has the money in place before the acquisition but the agreement with the property owners required NFLT to close on the parcels within 90 days.
NFLT has been raising money through the Amelia Forever campaign which was created in 2019 to preserve the remaining natural spaces on Amelia Island. To donate, visit www.nflt.org/ameliaforever or send a check to North Florida Land Trust with the memo: Amelia Forever to 843 W Monroe Street, Jacksonville FL 32202. For more information about giving, contact the NFLT office at 904-479-1967 or info@nflt.org. American Beach was founded in 1935 to give African Americans access to a beach during the days of segregation. In 2002, the original beach property was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and the American Beach Museum opened in 2014. About North Florida Land Trust North Florida Land Trust is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to protect the natural resources, historic places and working lands (farms and ranches) throughout north Florida. Founded in 1999, NFLT has preserved tens of thousands of acres of land through donation or purchase of land as well as conservation easements. NFLT is funded largely by private and corporate contributions and works closely with willing landowners and public agencies at all levels of government, not-for-profit partners, and foundations. For more information, visit nflt.org. FERNANDINA BEACH, FL (October 18, 2021) – Boys and Girls Clubs of Nassau County congratulates our September 2021 Youths of the Month. Roberts Learning & Achievement Center member Brayden Rowland and Miller Freedom Center member Taylor Crum are our latest members to receive this recognition. Brayden Rowland is an eight-year-old at Southside Elementary. Brayden became a member at Roberts Learning and Achievement Center in 2020. Brayden has 4 siblings – 3 sisters and 1 brother. His favorite club program is art and he enjoys the fun arts and crafts activities at the club. Brayden loves the color green, playing video games, country music and reading Dog Man books. Brayden enjoys P.E. and his favorite sport is football. He is a very fast runner! Taylor Crum is 11 years old and in the fifth grade at Yulee Elementary. Taylor’s favorite program at Miller Freedom Center is the S.M.A.R.T. Girls program and she loves the activities. Her favorite color is blue and she enjoys crochet as a hobby. Taylor likes pop music and her favorite subject in school is math. She also likes to play soccer. For more information on Boys & Girls Clubs of Nassau County please visit bgcnassau.org. Thursday, November 4th, 2021, is a special day for Keller Williams Realty on Amelia Island. It’s the day they hold their 9th Chili Cook-off to support local charities, from 11am – 1pm, at the Keller Williams Realty location. 100% of this year’s proceeds will be donated to Nassau County 1st Responders in honor of Nassau County Sherriff’s Deputy, Joshua Moyers. This includes the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, City of Fernandina Beach Police Department, and area Fire & Rescue. Each $10 ticket includes the tasting of each Chili in the competition, (vote for your favorite), as well as Lunch with a bowl of Chili, sides and fixins', beverage, dessert and 1 raffle ticket. You may even get a chance to meet 1st responders and see emergency vehicles. It doesn't get any better than that! Tickets are available from any Keller Williams Realty, Amelia Island Agent, at their office and event location, (Keller Williams Realty, 4800 1st Coast Hwy, Suite #230 - just 2 doors down from Harris Teeter Grocery Store). You can also get a ticket at the door on the day of the event - or just drop by anytime to donate to this important cause. Additional raffle tickets are available at the event as well and you do not need to be present to win. Prizes may be picked up in the following days when you display the winning ticket. A small sample of raffle prizes: Ladies Leather Croc Style Braham Handbag, valued at over $450, Bourbon and BBQ Basket valued at over $200, tickets to area attractions, restaurant gift cards, artwork and so much more, for a total of more than $1000 in raffle prizes! Keller Williams Realty, Amelia Island is a proud Community Supporter.  Media Release October 16, 2021  Ramesh Buch Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 14, 2021 – North Florida Land Trust has named Ramesh Buch as its new director of conservation acquisitions. Buch has 30 years of experience in the environmental field with 25 years in land conservation. Buch will serve on the nonprofit’s leadership team and will oversee all aspects of its conservation activities including acquisitions, landscape initiatives and community conservation projects. He will be responsible for conservation planning and all real estate services and will work with private landowners as well as government agencies to facilitate all of NFLT’s conservation efforts.
“We are looking forward to having someone of Ramesh’s caliber on our staff and leading our conservation acquisitions department,” said Jim McCarthy, president of NFLT. “Ramesh’s experience and knowledge will be a real benefit to our organization. He will fit in great with our leadership team and will work closely with all our departments as we continue to conserve and manage land in Northeast Florida and beyond.” Buch comes to NFLT after serving as director of the real estate services program for the St. Johns River Water Management District since 2016. During his five years with SJRWMD, he managed the real estate office including negotiations for land acquisitions, conservation easements, leases and use agreements. His department handled 143 transactions totaling 25,400 acres worth $46.5 million. Before his work with SJRWMD, Buch spent 15 years as the program supervisor for the Alachua County Forever Land Conservation Program with the Alachua County Department of Environmental Protection where he was responsible for all aspects of the land conservation and stewardship program. He supervised the evaluation of 250,000 acres nominated for conservation through the program and negotiated the purchase of 24,000 acres worth $106 million utilizing private, federal, state and other partnerships. Buch was an environmental resource project supervisor for the Environmentally Endangered Lands Program with Miami-Dade County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management where he also served as a biologist. Buch earned his bachelor’s degree in marine science and biology with a minor in chemistry from the University of Miami. He also began work towards his master of agriculture degree in fisheries science at Texas A&M University. Buch is a licensed real estate salesperson in Florida, a certified park and recreation professional with the National Recreation and Park Association, a certified public manager and holds a certificate in supervisory management from Florida State University. He has also been published in the Journal of Landscape and Urban Planning, the Journal of Conservation Planning and CitiesGoGreen Magazine. About North Florida Land Trust North Florida Land Trust is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to protect the natural resources, historic places and working lands (farms and ranches) throughout north Florida. Founded in 1999, NFLT has preserved tens of thousands of acres of land through donation or purchase of land as well as conservation easements. NFLT is funded largely by private and corporate contributions and works closely with willing landowners and public agencies at all levels of government, not-for-profit partners, and foundations. For more information, visit nflt.org. For the second Year in a row, First Federal Bank was named in Newsweek's America's Best Banks 2022 list as the Best Small Bank in Florida. This distinction is the result of Newsweek evaluating its annual Best Banks rankings. With the assistance of LendingTree, Newsweek assessed more than 50 different factors from thousands of FDIC-insured banks and credit unions, including the savings and checking accounts they offer, to select the best-in-class institutions based on 26 different categories.
“We are honored by this recognition, especially because of the challenges banks have faced to continue creatively serving customers during the last year,” said FFB President and CEO John Medina. "It reflects our team members’ commitment to providing great service and financial solutions. As Florida’s only mutual savings banks, Newsweek acknowledged our ability to be more responsive to local customer needs. This accolade underscores our commitment to provide stability to our customers, employees, and communities.” COVID has continued to change banking; in addition to convenience, safety has become a consideration for determining which institution serves customers best. First Federal Bank team members have continued to enhance solutions and services to ensure customers have the opportunity to bank safely: online, email, phone or in-person. Wednesday, October 20th is National Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce Day and we want you to help us celebrate! Tag us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and share your favorite thing about being a member of the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce. If we've ever helped your business, let us know by tagging us and sharing the Support Your Local Chamber Day image. Members who tag us online and help us celebrate will be entered to win various prizes from local businesses. We appreciate the support of our members, volunteers, and community as we work toward a better tomorrow for Nassau County.   Fernandina Beach, FL, October 14, 2021 - Nassau County Businesswomen are invited to join the Eight Flags Charter Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) November 9 at 5:30 pm for an interactive presentation on networking entitled Better networking = Better Business. Starting at 5:30 pm at Fernandina Beach Golf Club on Bill Melton Road in Fernandina Beach, the chapter will host Elizabeth Pampalone, an International Speaker, Podcaster, Minimalist, and Expert Marketer. Networking can be one of the most daunting tasks of running a business, but the Queen of Networking knows it is how to see your goals become realities through networking. Pampalone, the owner of Absolute Marketing™ in Jacksonville, has developed proven formulas that help her clients and herself. Her innovative approach helps overwhelmed business owners and burnt-out nonprofit directors to achieve success and freedom through the power of Absolute Marketing™. The local ABWA chapter just celebrated its 52 year anniversary of helping women succeed in business in Nassau County. Each monthly meeting provides Professional Development speakers who impart the motivation and skills needed to create success in today’s business world. In addition, there is time to network with women from variety of businesses, skill sets, and experience. The organization meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 pm, beginning with networking, a light meal, and followed by a program starting at 6 pm. Please visit www.abwaeightflags.org to learn more and to register for the meeting. The Eight Flags Chapter President, Lillie Marie Rogers, shares an inspirational quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, “A Good Leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a Great Leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.” Our meetings will inspire you to practice great leadership and confidence in your workplace and as you grow your business. The mission of the American Businesswomen’s Association is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.  Elizabeth Pampalone |
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Nassau County Chamber of Commerce
961687 Gateway Blvd., Suite 101-G | Fernandina Beach, FL 32034 Phone: (904) 261-3248 | info@nassaucountyflchamber.com | site map |
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