During the week of August 9, 2021, Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber President/CEO John Newstreet and Government Advisory Coordinator Danny López had sit-down meetings with Congressman Darren Soto and Barry Cotton, Central Florida Regional Director for U.S. Senator Rick Scott. Their advocacy efforts on behalf of the Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber of Commerce at the federal level have led to updates on potential money that could be available to Osceola County as part of the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, a new infrastructure bill that has bipartisan support in congress. With growing infrastructure in Osceola County, the ongoing conversation over expanding transportation in the county and region was also discussed with both offices, as well as potential new jobs in the county generated by NeoCity.
Congressman Soto took great pride in appropriations that Osceola County could receive for the ongoing I-4 projects in Orange, Osceola and Polk counties, as well as money to help with water issues that the City of St. Cloud is currently facing. The Congressman has ensured the Chamber that there will always be an open working relationship between his office, the Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber, and the Osceola business community.
Barry Cotton, a staffer for U.S. Senator Rick Scott, also promised that he and the Senator’s office want to have a working relationship here in Osceola County with the Chamber and the business community. John and Danny updated him on local projects and initiatives here in the district, as well as what’s going on with the Osceola County Commission, the City Councils for Kissimmee and St. Cloud, and the Osceola County School Board. so he can keep Senator Scott informed about everything going on in our wonderful county.
The Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber of Commerce will always advocate for the business community at the local, state, and federal levels of government. We have taken the skills of Danny López and John Newstreet and put them to work to the benefit of the Chamber and will always have open communications with all elected officials in Osceola County. Danny López updates our elected officials frequently on happenings and will for the foreseeable future be the liaison between the Chamber and elected officials.
Check out some of John and Danny's conversation with Congressman Soto below:
This summer, the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber hosted two interns from CareerSource Central Florida‘s Summer Youth Intern program. Sherman, an incoming sophomore at St. Cloud High School, and Sebastian, a recent graduate, were with us for three weeks. During their brief time with us, we gave them a crash course in the workings of the Chamber and our role in the community. Though the short duration of their internship and the restrictions of COVID-19 made for some challenges, we were able to provide Sherman and Sebastian with experiences that align with their future career goals.
Sherman, who aspires to play for the NBA one day, attended the Orlando Magic‘s 2021 Draft Party at the Amway Arena. Said Sherman, “My experience at the draft event was fun and I had a good time and even got to see players I’ve watched for a long time get drafted to the NBA.”
We are indebted to our friends at HCA Healthcare and the Hunter’s Creek ER, who offered Sebastian, who plans to study nursing before joining the Navy, a tour of the ER and one-on-one time with VP Donny Abraham and Lead Nurse Mariza. Donny and Mariza took time to answer Sebastian’s questions about ER operations, different types of nurses, and career options in the nursing field.
Sebastian shared the following about his time here at the Chamber in his own words:
“The time that I have spent at the Kissimmee Chamber of Commerce has been invaluable. Not only have I learned new concepts and things I have never even heard about, but I also gained very valuable experiences for my upcoming chapter in life, and for that, I am extremely grateful. I had the pleasure of meeting some of the most wonderful people I have ever met. The Chamber’s team is a family and they treated me as such.
I’d like to thank Kayla Rogers for the awesome job she did to guide and keep us on track on our internship. I would also like to thank Daniel Lopez for the amazing opportunity he gave me to go with him and shadow him in a County Commission meeting, and also for sitting down with me and Sherman to teach us about government and the 3 federal branches. I would like to thank Christina Pilkington for taking time off her busy schedule to take me to a tour inside Hunter’s Creek ER. I genuinely did learn new things that I did not know were possible in the medical field. I would also like to thank Sue Ring for giving me and Sherman the chance to sit through a meeting with doctors and medical higher-ups. That was a great experience for me and it opened my eyes to a topic in the medical field that I did not know was a big issue. I would also like to give thanks to Robin Hughes for helping me clear up some questions I had when I was covering the front desk. I would also like to thank Iris Resto for being super helpful and very sweet answering some questions that I had.
Lastly, but most importantly, I would like to give a huge thanks to John Newstreet for giving me the amazing opportunity to do my internship at the Chamber. I’m very pleased that I had the chance to learn and grow as a person thanks to the Chamber. The time I have spent at the Chamber has been something else I cannot thank enough for how well the Chamber staff has treated me and helped me look deeper into my career choice.”
The Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber is currently undergoing am exploration into rebranding. After an interruption from the COVID-19 pandemic, we convened a Chamber Rebranding Task Force at the beginning of this year to create and draft an RFP that was then distributed widely. After reviewing proposals from about 15 agencies, four were chosen to interview with the task force in person. After careful consideration, North Star Place Branding & Marketing was chosen. Recently, representatives from North Star visited Osceola County to meet with many of our members in focus groups or one-on-one interviews to learn more about the Chamber, our members, the Osceola business community, and perceptions that surround our county and our Chamber. Following that research, the folks at North Star put together a brief survey so that we may learn from an even greater sampling of our local business population. We value the input of our members and our community, so please take the time to complete the brief survey below and help North Star create a look and brand for our Chamber that this community can truly own and be proud of. All responses are anonymous, and we appreciate any assistance with our research!
Learn more about our rebranding process and our agency North Star from this conversation on our 15 minutes series between Chamber Board Chair Adrianna Sekula and Ed Barlow and Anita Carter or North Star.
