oct 2014 (1)
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ÂTRANSCRIPT
Inside this issue
President’s Message ...... …….2
New Members ............... .......3
Anniversaries ................. .......5
Calendar………..……………..…….8
Business After Hours….….....12
Thank You Corner ......... .....17
Business Spotlight………..…...17
Ribbon Cuttings……….……22-23
Ambassadors……….…………....25
Special points of interest
Who’s hosting the October Business After Hours? Find out on Page 24
What is Speed Networking and how can you be a part of it? Check it out on Page 14
Check out the highlights from Contact Breakfast on Pages 10-11
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A Monthly Publication of the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce www.plantcity.org
More info on Page 14 and
Registration form is located
on Page 15...Hurry...only 28
seats available!
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President’s Message
Dear Chamber Members,
I just love the last quarter of the year. The weather gets a tad cooler and the holidays are right around the cor-ner. But, it is also a busy one for your Chamber organi-zation! We have started getting our membership infor-mation up-to-date for our up-coming Chamber directo-ry which will be coming out in January. We have mailed out the forms to you, so please, if you have not done so already, please make your changes and get the infor-mation back to us. Please monitor your chamber rep-resentative section as these are the names that are en-tered in the monthly Contact Breakfast cash pot! J It is hard to believe that we will be celebrating the 12th Anniversary Plant City Bike Fest on Saturday, October 4th. If you have not been out in a while, please stop by and enjoy the vendors and the people watching oppor-tunities! It is a fun evening and we will have lots of giveaways to celebrate the occasion. The following week, your Board of Directors will be hav-ing their yearly Board Retreat to reflect on where we have been this year and what are our goals are for next year. If you have some ideas, or input for us, please let me know.
Calling all runners and BBQ enthusiasts! The Blueberry Mud Stomp will be held at Keel & Curley Winery on Sat-urday, October 25th and Romp in the Swamp will be the following Saturday on Nov. 1st. We want to thank Ali Hasbini, owner of Sunrise Homes, for letting us use the Lakeside Station property for Romp this year. Also, we want to thank Larry Jimenez, with Star Distribution, for letting us use his property for parking. These are huge items to contend with and they have just made it so easy for us! Once the runs are over, get ready for the 12th Annual Plant City Pig Jam. This event just keeps getting bigger and bigger so we are expanding the event to two days now--November 21-22nd. Mark that calen-dar! Again, these events, and the others that we do during the year are meant to bring people to our com-munity where hopefully they will conduct other busi-ness and return to our area on other occasions. There is a method to our madness!
I hope you have a great October! Marion
Matt Buzza, Platinum Bank
Yvonne Fry, Lines of Communication
Charles Harris, Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Bradley Herremans, Suncoast Community Health
Centers Pediatrics
Vickie Houllis, Sunshine State Federal Savings
Larry Jimenez Jr., Star Distribution Systems
Jason Jones, Advantage Contracting, LLC
Clay Keel, Keel & Cur ley Winery
Darcy Stottlemyer, All A Bloom Flor ist
Michael Watkins, V & R Insurance
Board of Directors Executive Board
Chairman of the Board Nate Kilton
Sedita Kilton Life & Wealth Management, LLC
Chairman-Elect Michael Cameron Cameron Financial
Management
Immediate Past Chairman Jim Scott
Jarrett-Scott Ford
Treasurer Brian West
Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Vice Chairman, Economic Development Council Phil Waldron
Waldron Consulting Services
Vice Chairman, Community & Governmental Affairs Division
Keith Smith Trinkle, Redman, Swanson, Coton,
Davis, & Smith, P.A.
Vice Chairman, Community Programs Division Edwena Haney
Hopewell Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens
Vice Chairman, Membership Division Janet Kelly Rita Staffing
CHAMBER STAFF
Marion Smith President
Amy Nizamoff Vice President Jane Gonzalez
Tourist Information Coordinator Joyce Nestor
Administrative Assistant Tammy Mitchell
Membership Director Evelyn Clay
Communications Director
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Automotive Development Group, Inc.
4701 Reece Road
Plant City, FL 33566
Office: (813) 719-9000
David Bridges, Vice President
Www.adgnow.com
Automotive Service Equipment
Charter Wealth Management
1104 East Baker Street
Plant City, FL 33563
Office: (813) 707-0892
Kelleigh Klein,
Vice President/Marketing
Www.charterwealthmanagement.com
Financial Consultants, Planning,
& Investment Services
Eastside Baptist Church
1318 East Calhoun Street
Plant City, FL 33563-3868
Office: (813) 754-2681
Reverend Randall Johnson, Pastor
Churches
Kelley L. Borders, D.M.D.
1708 South Alexander Street
Plant City, FL 33563
Office: (813) 752-5600
Dr. Kelley Borders,
Owner/General Dentist
Www.bordersdental.com
Dentist
Macie’s School of Dance & Yoga
605 East Alexander Street
Plant City, FL 33563-7126
Office: (813) 220-8355
Www.macieschoolofdance.com
Dance Studio
Melissa Polo, Candidate
For Circuit Court Judge, Group 34
3802 West Bay to Bay Boulevard
Suite #12
Tampa, FL 33629-6817
Office: (813) 229-5343
Melissa Polo, Attorney
Www.melissapoloforjudge.com
Political Candidate
Rich Glorioso
Plant City, FL 33566
Office: (813) 757-6004
Individual
Wayback Burgers
200 West Alexander Street
Plant City, FL 33563
Office: (813) 756-6939
James Payne, President
Www.waybackburgers.com
Restaurant
2014 Chamber Trustees
CITY PROPERTIES COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED ELECTRI-CAL DISTRIBUTORS
dba RAYBRO ELECTRIC SUPPLIES
FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL
FRED’S SOUTHERN KITCHEN
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS & SUITES
HOPEWELL FUNERAL HOME & MEMORIAL
GARDENS
IDEAS & INNOVATIONS, INC.
(JENNIFER E. CLOSSHEY)
JARRETT-SCOTT FORD
MOSAIC-PLANT CITY FACILITY
SEDITA KILTON & COMPANY
SOUTH FLORIDA BAPTIST HOSPITAL
SUNSHINE STATE BANK
WELLS MEMORIAL & EVENT CENTER
Well Pavilion Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 3721
Plant City, FL 33563-0013
Office: (305) 709-8376
Shirley Goodwine,
Founder/Program Director
Clubs/Organizations
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We are so grateful for our loyal members!
Thank you for renewing your membership with the Chamber of Commerce. 21-29 YEARS Bryan Elementary School Busciglio Smiles Crawford-Hill Interiors, Inc. Don Stine Construction, Inc Felton’s Meat & Produce Gerdau Hy-Tech Petroleum Maintenance, Inc. MacDonald Training Center, Inc. W.L. McClendon Oil Co. Inc. McGee Auto Service & Tires J.S. Robinson Elementary School . Sue Burt, Individual Member Taylor Rental Center Three Star Farms, Inc. 15-20 YEARS Marlin James, Inc. Mathis Farms Plant City High School Rita Staffing Star Distribution Systems Zeno Office Solutions 10-14 YEARS ABC Pizza House, Inc. Boggs Engineering, LLC Motivation Coaching, Inc.
10-14 YEARS (continued) Outback Steakhouse Redlands Christian Migrant Asso-ciation, Plant City The Tancredo Law Firm Westcoast Enterprises 5-9 YEARS Aparicio-Levy Technical Center Favorite Farms GLT Total Office Hillsborough County Fair Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Plant City Tire & Auto Service, Inc. Showalter Construction, LLC Strawberry Crest High School Your Green Team 1-4 YEARS Bayada Home Health Care Crescent Jewelers Eye Express Neal Carbaugh Nick’s Pizzeria & Wings Plant City Community Chorale The Fancy Flea Vintage Home & Garden Market
Members Honor Roll
Over 40 Years
Kiwanis Club of Plant City
Over 30 Years
Eyecare of Plant City
David S. Ferry III, D.D.S., P.A.
Plant City Awning &
Aluminum
Women’s Care
Congratulations!
Since 1964
Call (813) 752-4155 or visit www.poppellinsurance.com
For all of your insurance needs!
I would like to thank the Plant City community for their support during the
School Board primary election.
Warmest Regards,
Paula Meckley
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The Tampa Tribune: “Robert Bauman…has the most experience, with nearly 29 years as a lawyer.” “…the fact that he could manage
a successful legal career and still carve out time to coach testifies to his time-management skills, which are essential for the bench.”
“He is well respected in the legal community.” “Bauman’s experience and mature outlook give him the edge.” “In Circuit Court
Group 34, The Tribune recommends Robert Bauman.”
The Tampa Bay Times: “Bauman…has already distinguished himself in the legal field, earning a top rating by his peers for excellence
and ethics. The local judicial nominating commission has sent Bauman’s name to the governor repeatedly in recent years for
appointment to fill vacant judicial seats… His success over 26 years as coach of Jesuit High School’s state title-winning soccer team
reflects his personal skills and ability to connect.” “For Hillsborough Circuit Court Group 34, The Tampa Bay Times recommends
Robert Bauman.”
The Florida Sentinel: “Robert Bauman [is]…very impressive.” “He has a reputation of being an outstanding criminal justice profes-
sional..Add to such accomplishments his keen community interest.” The Florida Sentinel endorses Robert Bauman.
La Gaceta: “Bauman has even more experience than Polo. He’s a very effective communicator and has proven so in the courtroom
and on the soccer field where he has motivated students…to bring home championships for Jesuit High School.” “Bauman has
earned respect from his legal peers and is an all around class act.” “La Gaceta endorses Robert Bauman for Circuit Judge Group 34.”
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It’s that time of year again!
The Chamber has begun working on the 2015 Member &
Visitor’s Guide...are you in the
book? This is a valuable mar-
keting tool for your business
as the Chamber hands out
thousands of these directories
annually. This year, we will
also be producing the Plant
City map and marketing op-
portunities are available for
both products.
Our new marketing representative from Heron Publishing,
Sarah Nachin, will be contacting you shortly. If you would
like to contact Sarah, please feel
free to either call the Chamber at
(813) 754-3707 or her cell phone
at (352) 232-8369.
Remember it is on a first come,
first served basis so let Sarah
know where you would like to
advertise.
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Thank you to The Mosaic Company and Richard Ghent for sponsoring the September Contact Breakfast where our
local First Responders were acknowledged and thanked for their hard work and dedication to our community. Our
First Responders put their lives on the line daily in protection of our great city and county and we are forever grateful.
Our Guest Speaker was Emilio Salabarria, Director of Safety and Training for Port Tampa Bay. Mr. Salabarria discussed
the port traffic, expansion opportunities, as well as security efforts. Port Tampa Bay is currently the most active port
in Florida. With an Economic Impact of $15-billion, the Port of Tampa is Florida’s largest port by cargo tonnage and in
physical area (5,000 acres). If you haven’t had an opportunity to visit the Port, please do so as tours are available.
Enjoy the many restaurants and shops at the revitalized Channelside area of Tampa Bay and watch the cruise ships as
they come in to dock.
October’s Contact Breakfast should be exciting with Hillsborough Community College President, Dr. Ken Atwater as
Guest Speaker. Be sure to RSVP by Friday, October 3rd by calling (813) 754-3707. We will be having a drawing for the
cash jackpot which now stands at $250.00. Last month’s members whose names were drawn were Jim Brown, Jose
Valentin, Bob Adams, Jeanette Wallace, and Kenji Plennert. Remember, you can’t win if you don’t attend so we look
forward to seeing you all there!
Chairman of the Board, Nate Kilton (right)
congratulates and presents the September
Good Egg to Frank Cummings, (owner of
Walden Lake Car Wash & Service)
Sponsor, Richard Ghent from The Mosaic
Company, with Guest Speaker, Emilio
Salabarria from Port of Tampa Bay (left to
right)
One of Plant City’s finest 1st
Responders wins a door prize at the
Contact Breakfast hosted by The
Mosaic Company.
Robert Bauman is WINNER! He
will be carrying home a goodie
bag from The Mosaic Company.
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Richard Ghent, Senior Manager for Public Relations for
The Mosaic Company welcomes attendees.
Kelleigh Klein proudly shows off
her beautiful arrangement pro-
vided by All A Bloom Floral
John Harper, newly retired 1st
Responder, wins a door prize do-
nated by Hawthorne Village
New member,Margaret Christiano,
wins a goodie bag from The Mosaic
Company
Jana Butler is a winner of a door
prize provided by The Mosaic Com-
pany (left to right) Alice Bullard, Verna McKelvin, Maribel Lorenzo, Tony Lee,
Frank Cummings, Michael Cameron, _______, Chad Jones, and Judy
Barta celebrate with our Good Egg.
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Thank you to the Improvement League of Plant
City and The Bing House Museum for hosting
the September Business After Hours which was
well attended by our members and the community.
The Improvement League also hosts the annual
MLK Fest in January.
The Improvement League is 501c3 public charita-
ble organization committed to identifying gaps in
services in the east Hillsborough County area, as-
sisting with finding funding, and securing the
means to address identified community needs. The
areas of Lincoln Park in the southeastern quadrant
and Madison Park in the southwestern quadrant
located in the City of Plant City, Florida have been
targeted for the implementation of programs and
services by the vol-
unteers and mem-
bers of this grass-
roots organization.
We thank the
League for their
dedication to im-
proving our com-
munity. If you are interested in learning more, vis-
it them at www.improvementleague.com or stop
by 205 South Allen Street.
(left to right) Verlene Merritt,
Verna McKelvin, Phil Wal-
dron
(left to right) Dr. Marty Clay,
President of HCC, Plant City
and former State Repre-
sentative Rich Glorioso.
William Thomas, Jr.
welcomes the members to
the September Business After
Hours
(left to right) Jason Cohen, Luke
Carvalho, Stacy, Karen
Griggsby, and Nancy Miller
Be sure to mark your calendar for the
October 16th BAH at The Hay Exchange.
(Clockwise from front left)
Michael Sykes, Daisy Gilmore,
Henry and Janelle Johnson,
Bill Thomas, Andrea White,
and Leista Sykes are enjoying
the annual event hosted at
The Bing House Museum.
(top to bottom) Matthew Beers, Edwena
Haney, and the Cameron family (Teri, Nick,
and Michael)
Bill Thomas, Leista Sykes, and Leista’s
son, Michael Sykes
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Business Spotlight— Poppell Insurance
Mark Poppell, Vice President
How was your business founded? Poppell Insurance was founded by the late R. Tom Poppell on
October 4, 1964 so we will be celebrating our 50th anniversary next month. Since our father’s passing
in 1998, my brother, Jon and I, along with our mother, Eleanor have continued to operate the agency in
the manner he did, where excellent customer service is paramount.
Tell us something about yourself and your business we don’t know. I am a Plant City native. I
graduated from The University of Florida, College of Agriculture in 1984 earning my degree in Food
and Resource Economics. I earned the professional designations of Certified Insurance Counselor
(CIC) and a Certified Risk Manager (CRM). My wife, Susie, and I have been married for 28 years and
have two grown sons, Cameron, 24 and Michael, 22. I enjoy BBQ Cooking, Golfing and doing yard
work. When Poppell Insurance first started, it was operated out of the rented front room of the wood
frame house owned by Mrs. Harrell, on the now vacant lot next to our current office. We offer a
broad array of insurance products to our clients, from Home Owners, Automobile, Personal Umbrella,
Business Insurance including General Liability, Commercial Property, Commercial Automobile, Um-
brella, Workers’ Compensation, Bonds, Group Health/ Group Benefits to Life Insurance...we at Pop-
pell Insurance have you covered for all of your insurance needs!
What tips of your trade would you like to share? No one is perfect, but if you try your hardest to do
the best job you can for your clientele, everything else will take care of itself.
What benefits have you seen due to your Chamber membership? Over the years we have earned
the business of many of our insured’s who were referred to us by the chamber directly and from our
fellow chamber members.
For more information, contact Mark at (813) 752-4155 or visit him at 503 West MLK Blvd.
We extend our sincerest appreciation to these friends of the Chamber for their generosity and donations:
September “Honoring 1st Responders” Contact Breakfast
September Business After Hours
Door Prizes
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Exhibiting is free for all qualified vendors. For more information, call Simone at (813) 737-4444
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LEADERSHIP ORIENTATION AND KICKOFF
Welcome to the 2015 Leadership class
Leadership Plant City is now in its 31st year
and going STRONG! Each year kicks off
with an orientation and team building
events. We wish the class of 2015 much
success as they begin their journey.
Alice Bullard ~ OnPoint IT Solutions Kellie Carson, Bella ~ Hermida, Hurn & Stertzer Melissa DeBrine ~ LifePath Hospice Kimberly Hamilton ~ Plant City Photo Archives & History Center Moses Jordan ~ South Florida Baptist Hospital Cathy Kudlinski ~ Absolute Auto Repair Danette Lee ~ South Florida Baptist Hospital Thomas Pollock ~ Platinum Bank Marion Rowe ~ Myers Cleaners #376 Denise Samide ~ Hillsborough Community College Avery Wheelock ~ AWCoffee Derek Yates ~ Suncoast Credit Union
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The Plant City Economic Development Council
and
The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce
cordially invite you to the
Twenty-Second Annual Business of the Year Awards Banquet
On Thursday, November 6th at 6:30 p.m.
2014 BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD FINALISTS
Growing Business of the Year
Dykstra Construction Focus 4 Beauty Career Center
Matrix Medical
Small Business of the YearNick’s Pizzeria & Wings
Paul’s Hand Lettering Service Roney Auto Sales
Mid-Size Business of the Year
Family Bowl Maryland Fried Chicken
Walden Lake Car Wash & Service Center
Large Business of the Year
Special Business of the Year (Exemplary Community Contribution)To Be Announced
Congratulations to all our Nominees! Good Luck and Best Wishes for the future! Invitations will be mailed soon, so be sure to RSVP.
Don’t forget to bring your business cards to the
Contact Breakfast on October 8th to win the
next Business Spotlight
Section of the newsletter!
Support your local community and…..
Shop locally!
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Macie Zimmerhanzel, Owner
Macie’s School of Dance & Yoga
605 East Alexander Street
Plant City, FL 33563-7126
September 9, 2014
James Payne, President
Wayback Burgers
200 West Alexander Street
Plant City, FL 33563
September 19, 2014
Alicia Hurley, Co-Owner
Hurley-Vorce Hands on Training
601 East Alexander Street
Plant City, FL 33653
September 2, 2014
Sharon Burnetti, Tax Manager
McClanathan, Burg, & Associates
150 2nd Avenue North, Suite 600
St. Petersburg, FL 33761-3340
September 4, 2014
Vanessa Pickens, General Manager
Hardee’s
1713 James L. Redman Parkway
Plant City, FL 33563
September 16, 2014
Jessie Frier, Owner
Blue Thumb, LLC
116 West Reynolds Street
Plant City, FL 33563-8486
September 23, 2014
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October 2nd
Central Florida Speech &
Hearing Center
(3020 Lakeland Highlands
Blvd., Lakeland)
October 7th
Ledger Media Group
(Chamber)
October 16th
Melissa Polo, Candidate for
Circuit Court Judge, Group 34
(Chamber)
October 21st
Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse
Grill, Saloon, & Event Hall @
5:00 PM
(106 State Road 60 East)
October 25th
Well Pavilion Ministries
(601 East Laura Street)
October 28th
ALD Veterinary Consulting
(Chamber of Commerce)
All Ribbon Cuttings will be held
at 11:00 AM unless
otherwise noted
UPCOMING RIBBON CUTTINGS
Are you Retired? Are you looking for an opportunity to volunteer and help visi-
tor’s to Plant City? How about beComing a tourist information sPeCialist? free on-
the-job training at our newly remodeled facility located at 1702 North Park Rd.
If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about this wonderful
opportunity, please call Jane Gonzalez at
(813) 754-3707
Rev. Randall Johnson, Pastor
Eastside Baptist Church
1318 East Calhoun Street
Plant City, FL 33653
September 30, 2014
Poppell insurance is celebrating
50 YEARS in business on October 4th.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Send your Good News items to Evelyn at [email protected]. We love to share
Good News!
The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce shall work for its members and be the leading force in promoting the commercial, industrial, agricultural, and civic interests of Greater Plant City and East Hillsborough County.
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Please join us for the October Business After Hours
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Your Ambassadors met on September 25th to discuss upcoming events and how they may best represent
the Chamber. The Ambassadors do a fantastic job attending all Chamber events, greeting attendees, and
assisting wherever needed. Thank you to this dedicated group of members! This month we had a tie for
Ambassador of the Month between Susan Nieves, Oracle Home Health, and Charlie Wells, Poppell Insur-
ance. Way to go you two! Team #2 was in charge of coming up with a theme for the meeting...and boy,
was it a CIRCUS!
If you would like to join them, call Tammy at (813) 754-3707 to find out how!
The September lunch was sponsored by Charlie Wells with Poppell Insurance and David Tomlin with World
Pay. Thank you Charlie and David for your support!
Ambassadors of the Month
Susan Nieves & Charlie Wells
(left to right) Susan Nieves, Sue Burt, Candy
Owens, Nancy Miller, Karen Griggsby, and
Chuck Sullivan
Ambassador Team of the Month
Team #1
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GREATER PLANT CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AMBASSADOR OF THE MONTH SPOTLIGHT -
Susan Nieves, Oracle Home Health / Clinical Physician Liaison
What is unique and/or interesting about your business? Oracle is the only business of its kind that is OWNED & OPER-ATED by members of the Plant City community. How long have you been a Chamber Ambassador? I have been
an Ambassador for two years and have enjoyed being involved in this capacity. What do you enjoy most from serving as an Ambassador and why? Meeting people that I might never meet in an ordinary day—business owners, corporate leaders, district manag-ers...and they are just as delighted to meet the Ambassadors as their local supporters. Who is the most influential person in your life and why? Second to my wonderful husband, Ken, I would have to say Mayor Rick Lott. Not only is he a great friend to many, but he has a penchant for leading others. He is the most fair and equitable boss I have ever known. What are your interests and hobbies? In my personal time I enjoy running, painting, and gar-dening. What is your favorite quote? “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” - David Brinkley
Thank you to Susan for her commitment to the Plant City Chamber of Commerce! We greatly appreciate all you do!
Join us for our Fall HCC Open House. Find out why it’s good to be at HCC! Learn more about our programs, admissions, financial aid, veterans services and more. Enjoy campus tours, refreshments and giveaways! Please RSVP online at www.hccfl.edu.openhouse. Contact [email protected] for more information.
OCTOBER 28TH at HCC Plant City Campus, Trinkle Building 1206 N. Park Road
From 5:30 PM ‘til 7:30 PM
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1401 West Martin Luther King Blvd. Plant City, FL
(813)752-2809 Www.fredsmarket.com
The October 8th CONTACT BREAKFAST
will be sponsored by Hillsborough Community
College.
Our Guest Speaker will be Dr. Ken Atwater,
President of Hillsborough Community College and
the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the American Association of
Community Colleges.
Please watch for your RSVP in your inbox and
Register On-line. You will receive the RSVP reminder three times, but you only need to respond ONCE.
RSVP DEADLINE
is
Friday, October
4th by 4:30 PM
Cashpot drawing is $250.00!