Expect workforce to be the theme of 2020 in the region’s business community. Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce President Heather Kasten said the number one challenge businesses will face in the coming year has to do with attracting and retaining skilled workers. 

“The first challenge is the ability for our companies to find the right people for the jobs that are at hand,” she said. 

That means working with higher education leaders to ensure the graduates coming out of college have the right skill set to fill the jobs available at this moment in time.  If the education provided in the region doesn’t align, that means talent will go elsewhere while companies in the region still struggle to fill their ranks. 

Kasten said just recently at the Chamber, the organization posted an opening and got back 500 resumes, many with lists of short stints job-hopping around other companies. But firms in the region want to invest effort and time into employees who learn their skills and then continue to be an assert for the businesses.

It’s why the Chamber has focused effort on programs like CareerEdge, which seeks to upskill workers to climb the ranks within their organization, and also has a robust internship support program making sure there is money to attract pre-employees and convert many of them into full-time workers.

Hasten also said there’s been a renewed focus in 2019 on better broadcasting the industry assets of the region. For example, a number of major insurance firms like FCCI keep their headquarters in Sarasota. 

“We’re known for tourism and real estate,” she said, “but if you look at what has really emerged, the insurance sector is huge. Are we doing enough to promote ourselves as a place where you can have a career in insurance? We can’t be all things to all people, but what are our gifts and our strongest sectors? What do we have a good concentration of and how can we promote that outside the state?”

The Chamber in 2020 plans to conduct a sort of industry inventory, and with that see the assets that may get overlooked in traditional business marketing. That should bring long-term economic resilience for the area’s economy and long-term prospects. 

The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce's board chair Paul Caragiulo will host the Chamber’s newly launched podcast—titled Chamber Podcast—in an effort to facilitate dialogue between business leaders in Sarasota and the community at large. The podcast, the first episode of which will go live in mid-January, will address political and infrastructure issues. At the center of the broadcast is Caragiulo’s boisterous political persona, acting as a facilitator for guests from a number of institutions around town in addition to covering the upcoming city elections and policy issues impacting Sarasota. A sound enthusiast from a young age (the former Sarasota City and Sarasota County commissioner is also an amateur singer with a considerable amount of studio experience),Caragiulo is curating the show’s guests and purchasing the necessary audio equipment on his own. “We’re going to cover some of our legislative priorities—affordable housing, water quality," says Caragiulo. "I know for sure that we’ll be doing an episode on transportation, including the new I-75 infrastructure. I kind of have mixed feelings about the I-75 buildout because it feels like a paleontology project; but it's an infrastructure issue, so it’ll be a part of the new podcast.” Up until recent years, the Sarasota Chamber had been seen as spending the last few decades as a largely silent convener and participant in city and county politics, but the new podcast signals that this stance is about to change. The community could see a more vocal, publicly-engaged Sarasota Chamber voice emerge in the coming months. 

The "No Swim" advisories issued last Tuesday, December 24th for Nokomis Beach and North Jetty Beach have been lifted. Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County officials received testing results today at a satisfactory level meeting both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state recreational water standards.Residents and visitors may return to swimming and other water sports at this site. The "no swim" advisory signage has been removed. The Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County monitors water quality weekly at 16 sites along Sarasota's 34 miles of beaches. The intent of this program is to provide county residents and visitors with accurate, up-to-date information on the water quality at our beaches. When making beach day plans, be sure to check the latest reports on beach conditions. Click here for beach water testing results. 

City administration offices will be closed Wednesday, January 1, for New Year’s Day. Trash, recycling and yard waste collection will not be affected. For questions regarding garbage, recycling and yard waste collection, please contact the Solid Waste Division at 941-263-6170. Hours of operation at City facilities will vary on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day:  Arlington Park and Aquatic Complex, 2650 Waldemere St., will be closed New Year’s Day.  There will be limited hours, from 9:30 am - 5 pm, on New Year’s Eve. Bobby Jones Golf Club, 1000 Circus Blvd., is open 365 days a year. The Golf Shop will be open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day from 6:30 am - 5:30 pm. Lido Pool, 400 Benjamin Franklin Drive, will be open for regular hours on New Year’s Eve 10 am - 4:45 pm and closed on New Year’s Day. Payne Park Tennis Center, 2050 Adams Lane, will be open with limited hours from 7:30 am - 2 pm on New Year’s Eve and closed New Year’s Day. Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, 1845 34^th St., will be open from 6 am - 4 pm New Year’s Eve and closed New Year’s Day.  Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail - The Box Office will be open 10 am - 4 pm New Year’s Eve and closed New Year’s Day. 

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) presents The Rights of It All, a community conversation presented as part of FST’s Suffragist Project. A co-presentation of the Boxser Diversity Initiative and FST, this event will examine ways the movements behind women’s suffrage, LGBTQ+ rights, and women’s rights intersect. Honorable Chief Judge Charles E. Williams will moderate the panel, featuring three special guests: Dr. Timothy Patrick McCarthy (Harvard University), Yoleidy Rosario (Ringling College of Art & Design), and Dr. Amy Reid (New College of Florida). McCarthy, Rosario, and Reid will discuss the connections and parallels among three significant social movements from the past century. This panel discussion will take place on January 7, 2020 in FST’s Gompertz Theatre at 5PM. It is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. For reservations and more information, visit floridastudiotheatre.org.

For more.

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is proud to announce that Big Bang Improv, a Sarasota Improv Festival favorite, will return to Sarasota the first weekend of January 2020 for a special residency. During their time at FST, the group will perform two improv comedy shows and lead two workshops. Big Bang performances will take place on Friday, January 3 and Saturday, January 4 at 7:30PM in FST’s Bowne’s Lab Theatre. Tickets are just $15-18 and can be purchased atfloridastudiotheatre.org or (941) 366-9000. Improv workshops will be held on January 4 and enrollment is just $35. Those interested in discovering their own creative spontaneity can register online at floridastudiotheatre.org, or by calling Pamela Smith, Education Administrator, at (941) 366-1350. 

Healthy Teens Coalition of Manatee County, Inc. is pleased to announce that Evelyn Almodovar has been selected to serve as the organization's new Program Director. After a rigorous national serarch, Almodovar will bring her passion and vision for youth development to build a culture of opportunity and achievement. In 2013, she founded an international nonprofit which focused on assisting children in the Dominican Republic so they can have access to basis needs and educational opportunities. Evelyn holds a BA from Post University in Human Services and Counseling and is currently completing a Master Degree in Public Administration. She has led initiatives around non-profit development, community organizing and understanding the systematic issues in communities that act as unintentional barriers to individuals accessing its resources. 

Centerstone's Regional Chief Executive Officer Melissa Larkin-Skinner has been named a member of the Direct Support Organization for the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking by Florida House Speaker Jose R. Oliva.  Her appointment is effective immediately and expires October 24, 2021. A licensed mental health counselor with 25 years of experience in mental health and addiction prevention and treatment, Larkin-Skinner has worked with children and adults of all ages in diverse programs including inpatient, outpatient, crisis intervention, intensive community-based and child welfare.  She has designed and operated innovative programs to meet community needs, including the first children's Community Action Treatment (CAT) team in 2004.  CAT has been adopted as Florida's statewide model serving youth who are struggling with severe mental health, behavioral and co-occurring disorders, along with their families. Larkin-Skinner regularly provides state and federal policy feedback and engages in legislative advocacy as a mental health and addiction subject-matter expert in Tallahassee and Washington, DC.  She has led Centerstone in the rapid expansion of treatment services for individuals fighting opioid addiction, including Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) in hospital, clinic and jail-based sites.  She currently serves as the only behavioral health provider on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission.