CHAMBER CHOWDER© 510 Greene Street ~ 1st Floor, Key West www.keywestchamber.org Chamber Hears from Message from President Greg Sullivan New Navy Commanding Officer e are off to a busy 2017. W While the board meets monthly to review and discuss issues, the staff works tirelessly every day to support our great chamber. Our mission statement is: “The mission of the Greater Key West Chamber of Commerce is to serve its members and maintain and promote a viable economy for the businesses and working people of Key West.” Therefore, we are researching for our members the following; Uber and Lyft ride sharing; we are surveying our members to obtain information Key West Chamber of Commerce President Greg Sullivan thanks Capt. Bobby Baker, Commanding to make an informed decision on what best Officer of Naval Air Station Key West, for his presentation at the chamber’s January luncheon.. serves everyone’s needs. We are awaiting to see he Fly Navy building and the presence of a naval air station on the island the legislation the state addresses for regulating of Key West were all Capt. Bobby Baker knew about Naval Air Station ride sharing as well as the parameters the county T Key West before he took command of it a few months ago. and city will put in place as licensed vehicles for But the captain is a quick learner, and he was eager to share details and insights hire. Once our survey is complete we will share about the military’s missions, economic impacts and future goals with members of the information with our members and our local the Key West Chamber of Commerce during their January 25th luncheon at the leaders in an effort to make an informed decision. Doubletree Grand Key Resort. We are also following the FDOT project for South Baker stood in front of a satellite, aerial image of the Lower Keys, with all Roosevelt Boulevard. From what we are hearing navy-owned property highlighted in yellow, from the Saddlebunch Keys down to the traffic pattern will remain, the drainage will be Truman Annex next to Fort Zachary Taylor. corrected and of course signage will be addressed... “The Navy owns about 5,800 acres of property with 27 miles of shoreline,” we will work with FDOT to limit the number of Baker said. “And ours is a unique mission here in the Keys, because we’re Chamber Chowder continued on page 34 VOL. 17, NO. 12 a detachment location, meaning we do have some permanent detachments living and working here, but others come here for various types of training. You can imagine why. It really doesn’t get any better than Key West as a place to train war fighters.” Table of Contents The captain then looked at the numbers. Chamber Honors Esther Tupino with Hall of Fame Award 2 “The navy represents a $1 billion annual economic impact to Monroe County Chamber Installs New Leaders 4 and we provide 8,600 jobs. Our property is valued at $2 billion and I get $38 Chamber Honors Educators 5 million a year to operate the base, which, of course in my opinion, is not enough,” Business Trends 6-7 he said, adding that the military’s population in the Lower Keys includes 1,500 Athena Award Winner 8 active-duty personnel and 1,500 civilian employees for a total of 5,500 people once Billy Appelrouth Award Winner 8 you count their spouses and children. Business After Hours 9 “This is the last stop for fighter pilots to get fully qualified before they go out Cruise Ship Calendar 10 and do God’s work, as I call it, in the Middle East, or wherever we’re called to serve Golf Ball Drop 10 and defend our country,” Baker said. Community Calendar 11 But not all military personnel are sailors, he reminded the audience. There Awards Honorees 11 are actually more Coast Guardsmen in the area than Navy sailors, “but we New Members 12 are still a navy base,” he said, laughing and adding that NAS Key West also continued on page 3 4 Chamber Calendar of Events 12 Page 1 Chamber Chowder February 2017 VOL. 20, NO. 2 Key West Chamber of Commerce Extends Highest Honor to Esther Tupino local business community and at least 10 years Tupino continued in the film. “We’re all here commitment to the chamber’s board of directors. together, so why not make it easy to help someone? The chamber’s past presidents select The key is to remember that we are all connected any new inductees, though the honor is not islands. We are all here to help one another.” presented annually. New members are inducted Before calling Tupino to the podium, only when a qualified candidate emerges, and Bascom Grooms listed just a few of her previous Esther Tupino, a vice president with Centennial honors and accomplishments. AIDS Help Bank, not only meets, but exceeds all the criteria. named Tupino an Unsung Hero in 2013 and in Bascom Grooms introduced Tupino by showing a touching documentary called 2015, she was selected by Samuel’s House as a “Connecting Islands” about her recent battle Woman of Integrity. with leukemia and her renewed commitment to In accepting the honor and joining some family, friends and the important things in life. of the other Hall of Famers who were present – Tupino narrated the video, saying, “In early Ed Swift, Frank Toppino, John Parks, Jr., David Esther Tupino humbly thanked the Key West Chamber April 2016, I was diagnosed with leukemia. You Paul Horan, Virginia Panico, Sue Barroso, of Commerce for honoring her with induction into its never think it’s going to be you. I felt sad, alone, Randy Moore, Daniel Toppino, Alton Weekley, prestigious Hall of Fame. like I was an island out in the sea. But it also did Kim Works and Greg Sullivan — Tupino was he Key West Chamber of Commerce something wonderful. It reinvigorated me to keep the epitome of gratitude and humility. paused during its annual Installation going. To spend time with family and friends, to “This is truly an amazing honor,” she said. & Awards Banquet to reflect on the do good in the Key West community and to go “And this is an amazing, amazing, amazing Timportance of community and compassion by out and make a difference is what it’s all about.” community. It doesn’t matter what color you are, She reminded everyone, “There’s too much honoring Esther Tupino with induction into what gender you desire or what status you hold, negativity in the world, and if we can’t reach out the organization’s prestigious Hall of Fame. to people in our community and form a bond, we all come together when someone is in need, In announcing Tupino as the 2017 inductee, then, really what’s the point?” and I’m so proud to be a part of that. Thank you.” Bascom Grooms reminded the packed ballroom The formally dressed audience that packed the And with that, the audience rose to its that membership in the chamber’s Hall of Fame ballroom on January 21st at the Marriott Beachside collective feet to show its appreciation for Esther is reserved for local leaders who are at least 55 Hotel nodded in agreement and inspiration. Tupino as the latest inductee into the Key West years old with 15 to 20 years of service in the “There has to be a passion for what you do,” Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame. CHAMBER EMPLOYEE DOROTHY SCHMIDA IS LVA TUTOR OF THE MONTH “What I like best about my student is his sense of humor,” says Lower Keys LVA tutor Dorothy Schmida with a smile. Dorothy works at the Key West Chamber of Commerce and has been tutoring Jamaican student Patrick Cook for the past six months. Every Thursday night they can be found at LVA working on spelling, reading and pronunciation skills. Dorothy’s favorite thing about tutoring, “Seeing Patrick’s sense of accomplishment. He’s come so far in such a short time. And of course - I like to give back.” Congratulations Patrick and Dorothy! We are proud of you! The Chamber Chowder Heartily Thanks These Businesses for Their Generous Support of this Issue of the Newsletter Ernest Hemingway La Concha Horan & Higgins, L.L.P. House Museum Crowne Plaza 608 Whitehead Street 907 Whitehead Street 430 Duval Street Key West, FL 33040 Key West, FL 33040 Key West, FL 33040 (305)294-4585 305-294-1136 305-296-2991 Porter Allen Old Town Key West Insurance Company Development 513 Southard Street 201 Front Street, Suite 301 Key West, FL 33040 Key West, FL 33040 305-294-2542 305-294-3225 Page 2 Chamber Chowder February 2017 VOL. 20, NO. 2 “Navy Commanding Officer” continued from page 1 4 President’s Message cont. from page 1 4 includes an underwater construction team, potential sites have been narrowed to Key West, unnecessary signs as we did on the North marine special operations, an Army dive Jacksonville and Virginia. Roosevelt Boulevard project. school on Fleming Key, the Joint Interagency But the potential increase in personnel We celebrated our annual awards Task Force and a host of other highly skilled also furrowed some brows in the audience, banquet recently, what a wonderful event. and specialized units that utilize Key West’s which was concerned about the city’s housing A big thanks to Virginia and chamber staff strategic location, be it in the air, on land, on shortage. the water and under water. In reviewing the navy’s economic impact in for this successful event.