Fort Myers Chamber announces Business Building Symposium leaders

The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce announced workshop titles and presenters for the 5th annual Business Building Symposium. The event theme is “Unleashing the Spirit of Your Organization” and will take place Sept. 19 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa.

Attendees will select from nine workshops including Employee Retention with Lori Burke of Sunshine Ace Hardware: “Using Effective Tools, Tips, and Tactics to Retain Your Best!; Ryan D. Carter of Scotlynn USA Division, Inc.: “Hire Better. Hire Faster. Hire to Retain”; Dr. Darlene Andert, CMC, CFM of Accounting for Profitability, LLC: “Develop Employees into Leaders/”

When it comes to Hot Topics in HR Management, guests will hear from Karen Anderson of Shell Point Retirement, Christy Carpenter of Gallagher Insurance, Dr. Angela Pruitt, Ph.D. of School District of Lee County , Logan Wallick of Suffolk Construction, and Gerald Schulz of Iron Mountain.

Experts in Business Processes will include Teri Hansen, APR and Allie Lopez of Priority Marketing, as well as Mark Nieds of Henderson Franklin as they address “Social Media for Small Business & Frequently Asked Legal Questions”. While Mike Kelly of the Florida Everblades focuses on “Driving Sales Year Round in Southwest Florida.”

Work/Life Balance sessions will feature Kerri Goldsmith of HBKS Wealth Advisors and Amy Dalen of HBK CPAs & Consultants: “Want Balance? How to Make That Resolution Stick” and Christin Collins of Lee Health: “Living Your “Why”: How Knowing Your Purpose Paves The Way To Health & Happiness.”

A Special Panel Discussion will address the timely issue of “Disaster Resilience, Readiness and Recovery” and will be moderated by Jim Farrell, Chief Meteorologist at WINK News. Panelists will include Jacob Ackerman of SkyLink Data Centers, Amanda Beights of Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, Jim Larkin of Crowne Plaza Fort Myers at the Bell Tower, and Suzanne Specht of the FSBDC at Florida Gulf Coast University.

In addition to the workshops, all attendees will experience keynote speaker, Matt Keller, lead pastor for Next Level Church. Keller is an accomplished author, speaker and leadership coach who offers valuable insight for businesses, nonprofit organizations and churches. Keller’s talks have covered organizational leadership and growth, communications, marketing and personal leadership. Next Level Church, which now has locations in Fort Myers, Gateway and Bonita Springs, has been recognized as one of the nation’s fastest-growing churches.

Special opening kick-off speaker is corporate culture expert, keynote speaker, and author, Yvonne Conte. Conte has has attracted clients such as Xerox Corporation, Time Warner, AT&T, and over 700 other leading organizations. Her publishing credits include over 358 articles and essays and six books.