Below, inset left: Stephanie Immelman
Below, inset right: Karen Granger
Photos provided
Note: Each month The Coastal Star features news from the businesses in our community. Business Spotlight is presented as a service to our advertisers and the local business community.
Twitter this: In July, the Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative promoted Stephanie Immelman to the position of executive director, proving it pays to have social media knowhow.
Of course, that’s just one of Immelman’s areas of expertise. Says Cathy Balestriere, the cooperative’s chair: “With Stephanie’s extensive background in international marketing and corporate finance, she has made numerous valuable contributions to DBMC ever since joining as destination marketing manager in 2008, including spearheading the social media campaign that resulted in Delray Beach being named the Most Fun Small Town in the USA by Rand McNally, USA Today and the Travel Channel.”
Marketing “fun” is not as easy as one would think. It takes expertise, and Immelman has it. She comes to DMBC with an impressive employment history, which includes working as director of market intelligence for AT&T in Brussels, Belgium, and London; managing international marketing programs for MCI, Sprint, Continental and Eastern airlines; as well as managing a private art gallery in London.
Serving as interim director since March, Immelman lead the Summer Drive campaign for in-state travelers, the annual Fourth of July celebration, and the ongoing branding initiative among the city of Delray Beach, the local Chamber of Commerce and the CRA.
There’s more coming, Immelman promises. “I look forward to working closely with our partners — the city, the Chamber of Commerce and the Delray Beach CRA — to further promote our city as a great place to visit. After all, as more people visit us, the more they want to move to Delray Beach and open businesses here.”
And speaking of fun, Boca has its share of it, too. The Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce has just invited one and all to “come for the wine; savor the experience.” Its wine tasting party, “Wine & All that Jazz!” is slated for 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 3, at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. While listening to sounds by Alex and The Band, wine lovers will have ample opportunity to sample more than 100 fine wines and lavish hors d’oeuvres served by Abe & Louie’s, Blue Martini, Oceans 234, Rapoport’s Restaurant Group, Red the Steakhouse and more.
Guests in the VIP room sponsored by NCCI will enjoy succulent food, ultra-premium wines and a signature cocktail.
“Wine & All That Jazz!” is part of the Boca Chamber Festival Days, and is just one of 30 events that the chamber will host this August. To view the calendar, visit bocaratonchamber.com/bcfdschedule.
It might be off-season, but you’d never know it. The Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce has all kinds of news this month: Karen Granger, who has been serving as interim president, has been named president and CEO; growth in new membership is at 37 percent over last year; and June events received lots of buzz, thanks to featured guests, bestselling author David Pollay and former Gov. Charlie Crist.
Other good news: the chamber will soon move to its new office space on the first floor of the Old School Square parking garage on Northeast First Street, and the chamber’s capital campaign was kicked off in June with lots of enthusiasm. Its goal is to raise $750,000 from the community for build-out of its new space, as well as furnishings and equipment, and they are already a third of the way there. For information, call 278-0424.
“Hundreds of visitors from around the world come through our doors seeking information about our area. Since we represent the town, we want to make a memorable first impression on these guests,” Granger said. “Together we can do this!”
Coming up on Saturday, Sept. 21, chamber members will honor their annual winners and finalists during their 2013 Luminary Gala, which will be held at the Delray Beach Marriott. Business Person of the Year, Business of the Year, and Nonprofit of the Year have yet to be announced, so stay tuned.
However, the chamber has released winners in other categories. Dave Henninger of Island Air Conditioning is this year’s Lifetime Achievement award winner; Connor Lynch of Plastridge Insurance Agency is the Director of the Year award winner; and 2013 Business Recognition award winners are Ancient Olive, Buddha Sky Bar, Hyatt Place Hotel, Maclendon Wealth Management, Sandbar at Boston’s, and Villas by the Sea at the Marriott.
This year’s Ken Ellingsworth Community Service award winners are John Campanola, Peter DeRosa, Carol Eaton, Ron Gilinsky, Chuck Halberg, Christina Morrison and Rosa Torres-Tumazos. And this year’s Ambassador of the Year award winner is John Campanola of New York Life Insurance.
For regional hospitals, Boca Raton Regional Hospital received a very healthy ranking in U.S. News & World Report’s 2013-2014 annual listing of “America’s Best Hospitals:” 21st in Florida and ninth in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area. It was also rated as a high-performing hospital in gastroenterology/gastrointestinal surgery and gynecology.
“Not only was the hospital listed for the third consecutive year, but we have gone up in the rankings and were recognized as high-performing in two specialties,” said Jerry Fedele, the hospital’s president and CEO. “It is truly gratifying to be acknowledged in such a prestigious fashion for the care we provide.”
After analysis of data that included death rates, patient safety and procedure volume, nearly 4,800 regional hospitals were winnowed to 732. The regional rankings are aimed primarily at consumers who may not be willing or able to travel long distances for medical care. The rankings also give patients and their families more options of hospitals within their community and health-insurance network. Highlights of the 2012-13 rankings will appear in the U.S. News Best Hospitals 2014 guidebook, available for purchase.
Owner/chef Chrissy Benoit of The Little House and singer/songwriter Ric Pattison are looking for talent in a variety of styles to sing one-hour sets on Monday nights from 6 to 9 p.m. Of course, an audience is welcome, too, and the kitchen will be open for food and drinks. The Little House is at 480 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach.
No matter the occasion or destination, it’s simple to be the best-dressed guy in the room, believes Giovanni Marquez, founder of FSB (Fashion Shoppes Boutique) and FashionMenswear — as long as the clothes come from his store or website. Offering a nice mix of sharp looks, there’s something sure to suit any man of any age, and Marquez knows what he’s talking about. The Boynton Beach fashion hub has 40 years under its belt. FSB/FashionMenswear has survived, thrived and kept fashionable with a blog as well as a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Polyvore, Tublr, Google+, Linkedin and Pinterest.
Soon to come to FSB will be digital notebooks and laptops, so customers can shop for online-exclusive items while in the store. How’s that for au courant? And PS, there’s a big sale going on. The store is at 515 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach, or visit the website, fashionmenswear.com
Lang Realty is expanding in all directions. Recently, it acquired Reback Realty’s Manalapan office at 277A S. Ocean Blvd. in the Plaza Del Mar shopping center, and that’s on top of adding new agents at its Delray Beach location and opening a new office in Jupiter.
Kristine Wasserman, formerly of J. Bailey Wolforth, Inc. has joined the Delray Beach firm of Illustrated Properties on Atlantic Avenue. Since 1979, Kris has specialized full time selling beach area properties in Ocean Ridge, Manalapan, Delray Beach and Highland Beach. Wasserman and her husband, Tom, have lived in Ocean Ridge for 35 years.
Christine Davis is a freelance writer. Please send business anouncements to her at cdavis9797@comcast.net.
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