Focus on Manatee | Community embraces strategy that we are stronger together

As our community, state, and country continue to follow “Safer-at-Home” guidelines and navigate the challenges at hand, much work is being done to plan and prepare for the future.

If Florida was a country, we had the 17th largest economy in the world prior to the COVID-19 crisis. Leaders from diverse industries support a planned reigniting of our economy in ways that are well-informed and strategic, and address both health and economic well-being. The Manatee Chamber has been meeting virtually with organizations across the state through the leadership of the Florida Chamber. These partnerships are helping us focus on safe, smart strategies that will be critical to restarting our economy.

On March 21 the #ManateeStrong initiative was launched in Manatee County and has quickly grown to include an online community of more than 5,400 people. The ManateeStrong Facebook group is a place to share positive stories about the everyday heroes in our community who are making a difference in ways big and small. There have been more than 1,500 posts with more than 40,000 online engagements. These posts highlight positive examples of businesses and individuals helping out, provide updates on much-needed resources, and promote special offers that support our business community and their employees. We hope that you will join our online community, too.

While the unemployment statistics everywhere are sobering, there are companies that have ramped up their workforce to meet demand for essential products and services.

JobFocus (www.JobFocus.com), hosted by the Manatee Chamber with many regional partners, offers jobseekers a tool to search a listing of open positions in the Manatee/Sarasota region. As an addition to Employ Florida and other sites, JobFocus connects workers to local companies – with search and post features offered at no charge.

The Chamber wants to hear from local businesses about the types resources, guidance, and insights that will be helpful in planning for the phases of re-opening Florida and the greater Manatee County region in the coming weeks and months. By offering informative webinars, creating virtual networking events, maintaining a robust website full of online resources, and even being a friendly voice on the other end of a phone call, we are dedicated to the success of local businesses.

We are more convinced than ever that together we are stronger. Over our 130-year history, the Manatee Chamber has had the privilege of convening the best and brightest leaders to strengthen businesses and our community. These partnerships are the key to unlocking the success of Manatee’s recovery.

Thank you for that trust and responsibility. Together. Stronger.

Jacki Dezelski is president and CEO of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce.