Our 9th interview in our 2020 ACCE Chamber of the Year Finalist Series is with Kevin Sheilley from the Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership in Florida. 2020 marks the 3rd time in 4 years that the CEP has been selected as an ACCE Chamber of the Year Finalist. In the interview the main areas that we covered were the highlights of their synopsis that were submitted with their Chamber of the Year application, what makes the Ocala/Marion County CEP stand out, their plans on how to lead through the recovery from COVID-19, and words of advice for other Chamber Champions to improve their own Chamber. You can also listen to last year’s interview with Kevin in episode 29.
Kevin covered two highlights from their Chamber of the Year synopsis. The first program that he spoke about is called NEXTworks. This program works with the school systems, starting in 7th grade to help students find their “E” which could be enroll, enlist, or employment. The second program that Kevin highlighted was centered around how they communicate in their community. They have what is called Weekly Buzz, a 5-minute weekly video that has increased their Facebook engagement 800%. They also produce a quarterly magazine.
When Kevin talked about what makes the CEP stand out, he talked about their relationship with their members. In fact, they do not have members, they have investors which makes their organization focus on how to provide value and a return to their investors.
The Ocala/Marion County CEP plans to lead through the recovery from the economic impact of COVID-19 by creating a campaign called Get-Gather-Go. This campaign is meant to assist businesses to receive paycheck protection funds. Businesses are encouraged to get informed, gather information, and to go apply for the PPP.
As Kevin shared his piece of advice for the Chamber Champions listening, he proclaimed “Why not your Chamber?”. Stop waiting for permission!
If you would like to connect with Kevin, he can be reached below:
Email: kevin@ocalacep.com
Website: ocalacep.com
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