BBN Brevard Business News

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1 BBN Brevard Business News Vol. 31 No. 8 February 25, 2013 A Weekly Space Coast Business Magazine printed in Brevard County, Florida since 1984 HFHP sees business opportunity when online exchanges open By Ken Datzman ROCKLEDGE After years of heated debate and politicking, one component of health care reform has arrived. And the health insurance industry is anticipating a short term surge in business as more people gain access to affordable health plans through online exchanges. A host of insurance plan options are set to unfold as the historic legislation reins in the age of consumerism and the rollout of the shopping exchanges, or marketplaces, in the individual states. Leaving the politics aside, we are excited about the opportunity to improve the health of our community, especially for those who may have had less access to insurance and indirectly to health care, said Andrew Weintraub, vice president of sales and business development for Health First Health Plans. Small business, the economic engine and the driver of product innovation in America, is clearly in the cross sights of this unprecedented reform. Changes are coming as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by Congress and signed by President Obama. Pieces of Obamacare, which the legislation is often called, will be making their way into the marketplace and are designed to broaden health care coverage in the years ahead, advocates say. Expanding health coverage to the more than 45 million uninsured Americans is a key U.S. policy goal of Obamacare, which offers tax credits and subsidies to various segments of the uninsured population. The law will impact many small businesses. The new legislation, for example, will require businesses with 50 or more workers to provide health care for their employees starting in 2014 or pay a penalty of up to $2,000 per worker. Health insurance plans across the nation, including armies of brokers and agents, have their sights set on Oct. 1 of this year. That s the bull s eye date, a milestone in the industry because it s when open enrollment begins on the new health insurance exchanges. Both individual consumers and small businesses can shop and sign up for health benefit plans. The exchange, a key part of the law, is being touted as a transparent, competitive marketplace where people can compare a selection of qualified health insurance options in order to find the plan that best meets their needs and budget. The federal government will provide subsidies to certain low and moderate income individuals to make such coverage more affordable. In Florida, roughly 4 million people are without health insurance, presenting what seems to be a sizable opportunity for insurers in the industry to win new business, including on the group side, with the 50 employee company mandate kicking in at the workplace. Because of their higher health care costs, small businesses have been far less likely to provide health insurance for their workers than larger businesses, says a report by the Council of Economic Advisors, which examines the challenges faced by smaller firms under the current health care system. Only 49 percent of businesses with three to nine workers (in Florida, 92 percent of businesses have nine or fewer employees) and 78 percent of firms with 10 to 24 workers offered any type of health insurance to their employees in 2008, according to the CEA report. In contrast, 99 percent of U.S. companies with more than 200 workers offered health insurance. Please see Health First Health Plans, page 19 BBN photo Adrienne B. Roth Andrew Weintraub is vice president of sales and business development for Health First Health Plans, which is set to introduce new benefit plans and options for customers. In addition, he said his organization has been able to adjust its premium pricing because we control our cost structure. With health care reform now law, HFHP is planning for a growth phase. On Oct. 1 of this year, open enrollment for the new health exchanges begins. PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS, INC.

2 BBN BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS Imperial Plaza & The Executive Suites 6767 N. Wickham Road Visual Dynamics new ad ed Executive Suites at Zipper Broker/Owner Imperial Plazanew ad ed REAL ESTATE GROUP Licensed Real Estate and Mortgage Brokerage Company US LAWNS We Are A Full Service Landscaping Management Company Your Landscape Management Partners (321) Nancy R. Taylor Junior League of Central and North Brevard to host Passport to Beer and Cheer event MERRITT ISLAND The Junior League of Central and North Brevard will host its third annual Passport to Beer and Cheer fund raiser on Saturday, March 2, on the Veranda at the Space Coast Realtor Association office. The address is 105 McLeod St. The event will raise money for literacy and youth aging out of foster care initiatives. The benefit is sponsored by Crispy s Beer & Wine Bar in Rockledge ( We are thrilled to partner with Crispy s Beer & Wine Bar this year for our event, said Dawn Stuckey, the event chairwoman. They are experts on craft beers and the foods that go with them. Even better, they care about the community and were eager to support the Junior League of Central and North Brevard and our initiatives. Passport to Beer and Cheer will feature craft beers paired with food, live music, casino style gambling, raffles and a silent auction. Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased at The league s community outreach projects target the health and overall wellness of Brevard s children and youth. The JLCNB has been serving Brevard County since It is a member of the Association of Junior Leagues International, an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Surfside seeks entries for Playwriting Contest Surfside Players is accepting entries for its 13th annual Playwriting Contest. The competition is open to anyone who resides in Brevard. Submit an original, unpublished script by Sunday, March 31, to: Surfside Playhouse Playwriting Contest, 200 North First St., Cocoa Beach, Fla., 32931; or in PDF format to surfside_info@yahoo.com (subject line: Playwriting Contest Entry). The winning play will see its world premiere on Surfside s stage June 7 9. A complete copy of the rules and guidelines are in the attached PDF, and also available at For more information about this and other events, visit or the Facebook group Surfside Players. Submit an e mail or postal address to surfside_info@yahoo.com to receive updates on shows throughout the season. Vendors sought for children s event at McLarty Park Brevard County Parks and Recreation, in conjunction with Brevard County Libraries, will host A Seussical Celebration, featuring stories, performances, games and activities based on the creations of Dr. Seuss. The event will be held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, at McLarty Park, 790 Barton Blvd., in Rockledge. Following the activities, the movie The Cat in the Hat will be shown on the outdoor movie screen at 6:30 p.m. Patrons are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs. This is a free event. Central Area Parks is currently accepting vendor and advertising sponsorship applications. Contact Sofia Troy at Sofia.Troy@BrevardParks.com for details. BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 2 Call Adrienne Roth at for Advertising Information

3 Pilot Club fashion show to benefit North Brevard Sharing Center, Children s Center TITUSVILLE The Pilot Club of Titusville will host a fashion show on from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, at La Cita Country Club. This year s theme is Pretty Woman Diamonds are Forever. Fashions by Dillard s at Merritt Square Mall will be showcased by models handpicked from the North Brevard community. Candi Neuweiler, owner of Merle Norman & Boutique, will emcee the event and provide accessories from her boutique, said Evelyn Taylor, event chairwoman and fund raising committee member. Lily Renzetti, president of Pilot Club of Titusville, along with the club members, have begun fund raising efforts toward the $16,000 goal. Proceeds will benefit The Children s Center and North Brevard Charities Sharing Center. Tickets to the event are $35 per person and include lunch. Sponsorship opportunities begin at $125 for the Tres Chic level and go up to $1,000 for the James Bond partnership. For sponsorship, tickets and event information, contact Taylor at or Katherine Musick at The Pilot Club s service focus is to promote awareness of brain related disorders and to improve the lives of those affected through education, volunteer activities, financial support and research. For more information about the organization, visit Breast Friends of Florida to host luncheon Breast Friends of Florida will host its fourth annual Joy of Life Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, March 15, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Highway A1A in Indialantic. The event will feature an array of silent auction items and raffles, including a Schwinn Hope 50 Pink Scooter valued at $1,500. Local vendors will display jewelry, clothing, and health care related information and products. Tickets are $25 per person; vendor tables are $75 (includes lunch) and luncheon sponsorship tables are $500, seating 10 guests. The reservation deadline is March 8. Since 2009, Breast Friends of Florida has supported more than 500 Brevard County women. The Florida chapter was founded as an affiliate of the national organization. For more information, call or , or visit Art Gallery in Viera to conduct two workshops The Art Gallery of Viera at The Avenue will host two workshops where attendees will learn the fine art of perspective drawing. Students learn the basic principles of one, two and three point perspective with hands on participation. The students will draw simple boxes, and move on to more complex drawings such as stairways, houses and cityscapes. The Basic Perspective I workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 16. Basic Perspective II will follow the next day at the same time. It will delve further into cast shadows and architectural elements such as arches, steeples, dormers and more. The fee is $65 for one day or $100 for both workshops. Materials for use during class will be provided. Registration is required. Contact Susan Stone at (401) The Power to cure the precision to heal Space Coast Cancer 1/07/13 page? At Space Coast Cancer Center, we utilize the latest cutting-edge technological advancements to not only make radiation therapy treatment more comfortable for our patients, but also safer, faster and more precise. The Varian Trilogy Linac and Varian TrueBeam Linac systems are designed to target and treat cancer with pinpoint accuracy, thus sparing the healthy, surrounding tissue. It s this type of innovation, coupled with our Family Rule philosophy of patient care that truly differentiates us from other cancer treatment facilities. State-of-the-art radiation technology provides unsurpassed effectiveness and safety OFFICES // Titusville Cancer Center, Merritt Island Cancer Center, Viera Cancer Center HOPE (4673) // SpaceCoastCancer.com Nationally Certifieed for Quality by Visit BrevardBusinessNews.com for Advertising Information BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 3

4 Oysters need our help; Brevard Zoo and Nature Conservancy team up By Dr. Linda Walters UCF Forum columnist Most of us either love to eat oysters or think that pond scum might actually taste better. While I can t stomach them raw, roasted oysters with cheese, bacon and wine are a delightful treat after a hard day at work. In addition to humans, many species on our planet rely on oysters for food. These range from threatened/endangered wading birds such as the wood stork, to blue crabs, to the fish that help make Florida one of the world s recreational fishing capitals. Knowing that so much of our aquatic biodiversity relies on shellfish, I am sad to report that researchers say more than 85 percent of shellfish reefs have disappeared from our planet and they need our help. In addition to the loss of this food source, shellfish play many other important roles in nature; these roles are so essential that scientists consider oysters to be a keystone species (the most important species in a habitat), as well as ecosystem BBN Brevard BusinessNews 4300 Fortune Place, Suite D West Melbourne, FL (321) fax (321) BrevardBusinessNews.com PUBLISHER Adrienne B. Roth EDITOR Ken Datzman SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Bill Roth Brevard Business News is published every Monday by Brevard Business News Inc. Bulk Rate postage is paid at Melbourne, FL and Cocoa, FL. This publication serves business executives in Brevard County. It reports on news, trends and ideas of interest to industry, trade, agribusiness, finance, health care, high technology, education and commerce. Letters to the Editor must include the writer s signature and printed or typed name, full address and telephone number. Brevard Business News reserves the right to edit all letters. Send your letters to: Editor, Brevard Business News, 4300 Fortune Place, Suite D, West Melbourne, FL, 32904, or BrevardBusinessNews@earthlink.net. Subscription Rates for home or office mail delivery are $26.00 for one year (52 issues). Send all address changes to: Circulation Department, Brevard Business News, 4300 Fortune Place, Suite D, West Melbourne, FL, 32904, or BrevardBusinessNews@earthlink.net. engineers (the structure built by their shells significantly alters water flow in the habitat). Juveniles of commercially important fish and shrimp hide from their predators among the nooks and crannies within oyster reefs. Oysters also filter water a lot of water. Scientists estimate that each oyster filters 50 gallons of water each day. That equates to about a bathtub s worth of water filtered by each oyster each day! And if that isn t enough oysters help attenuate waves to protect our shorelines from erosion. There has been a stream of interesting news reports suggesting that oysters could have stopped the devastation brought on by Super Storm Sandy in While no 4 inch tall oyster could have stopped a 10 to 20 foot wall of water associated with this hurricane, what oysters can do for shorelines is thwart day to day erosion that is the result of natural and anthropogenic sources. My research lab has been quantifying how much wave energy is attenuated by fringing oyster reefs. The numbers are very impressive with shell alone reducing the wave energy created by recreational boat wakes by 19 percent, and year old live oysters reducing the wave energy hitting the shoreline by 45 percent. And the wave energy reduction is cut well over 50 percent if you plant marsh plant and mangroves landward of the oysters, as these plants are very good at trapping and binding sediments with their root systems. But in many areas, unfortunately, I ve found that humans love of eating oysters is much greater than their concern about the ecosystem services provided by oysters. Where this happens, overharvesting occurs and this has wiped out many oyster populations. Oysters are also challenged by many additional variables. Scientists around the globe are urgently studying how oysters respond to changing salinity associated with freshwater diversions, water quality, invasive species, and sea level rise. A new challenge came to our bivalve friends in July when Mosquito Lagoon on the east coast of Central Florida was hit with one of the worst ever brown tides. Caused by the microscopic alga Aureoumbra lagunensis, the water became muddy brown in color, and numerous fish kills were reported. The brown tide lasted well into November. I have been asked by dozens of people, Did the oysters survive? We are currently conducting our annual monitoring in these waters and I am happy to report that Mosquito Lagoon oysters survived the brown tide. Our data shows plenty of new oyster recruitment during this window as well as survival of adult oysters. This survival is a huge relief because we have been very invested in oyster reef restoration since 2007 and we are very proud of the 58 reefs we have restored in Mosquito Lagoon. We are even more proud to state that in collaboration with Brevard Zoo and The Nature Conservancy, we have mustered the help of more than 30,000 volunteers to date. With the brown tide abated (at least for now), we are gearing up for another big season of oyster and shoreline stabilization. And, as always, we need more help. So, if you are interested in volunteering, contact me or the Oyster Restoration coordinator at Brevard Zoo, Jody Palmer, and let s see what we can get done together this year. Finally, I also am frequently asked: Am I against harvesting? My response is always: Absolutely not. But there are right and wrong ways to do everything. For oysters in any bay or estuary, it should be possible to create a sustainable harvesting management plan. Since oysters do not move, we can account for them much easier than we can count swimming finfish. It also means we can remove all individuals much more easily. What to do? We must set aside enough productive reefs as sanctuaries to make sure that there will always be oysters around to create the next generation as well as provide human lovers of oysters with their favorite treat. UCF Forum columnist Dr. Linda Walters is a biology professor at the University of Central Florida and director of the UCF Fellers House Field Research Station in Canaveral National Seashore. She can be reached at Linda.Walters@ucf.edu. Wren Insurance Agency presented with Better Business Council Award The Melbourne Regional Chamber of Commerce s Better Business Council has recognized Wren Insurance Agency as the January recipient of its Better Business of the Month honor. Wren Insurance Agency was presented with this award at the Chamber s monthly Business Breakfast of Champions event at the Holiday Inn Melbourne/Viera. The award, sponsored monthly by Chamber Trustee member Courtyard by Marriot/Residence Inn Marriott, was presented to Kirk Ball, co owner of Wren Insurance Agency, by Marriott General Manager Jim Ridenour. The Chamber s Better Business Council serves its members and buying public by offering a trusted referral source for a broad range of business types. Wren Insurance Agency has been a Chamber member since 1980 and a Better Business Council member since Wren Insurance has been serving the Brevard community for 34 years with a full line of products. Gator Club gets new name, logo and website The Space Coast Gator Club (formerly the Brevard County Gator Club) has a new name, logo and website. The Space Coast name is more descriptive of the geographical area and our new logo reflects our connection to the space industry, said Susie Bond, vice president of communications for the organization. The club has all new contact information, too. The website is e mail, spacecoastgatorclub@gmail.com; Facebook, Space Coast Gator Club; and The phone number is and the mailing address is Space Coast Gator Club, P.O. Box , Melbourne, Fla., BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 4 Call Adrienne Roth at for Advertising Information

5 Returning Peace Corps volunteers to study at UCF, intern at public schools as part of Paul D. Coverdell Fellows program ORLANDO A new Central Florida partnership will provide graduate school scholarships to returning Peace Corps volunteers, many of whom will expand their skills and share their experiences during internships at public schools. The Peace Corps and the University of Central Florida have teamed up to launch the only Paul D. Coverdell Fellows program at a state university in Florida. Selected Coverdell fellows will have the opportunity to work toward one of more than a dozen master s degrees offered by UCF s College of Education or the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program offered by the College of Arts and Humanities. Internships in Central Florida s underserved communities will be an integral part of each recipient s program of study and will allow the students to use their Peace Corps skills to make an impact back at home in the United States. Education students will complete internships at public schools. TESOL students internship options include public and private schools, nonprofit organizations and national grant projects offered by local libraries. The Peace Corps is delighted to have the University of Central Florida as a partner in the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program, said acting Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler Radelet. This new partnership enables returned Peace Corps volunteers to continue their work in public service through meaningful internships in underserved American communities. Experience overseas and graduate studies position Peace Corps fellows to launch a career by combining coursework with service. UCF Provost and Executive Vice President Tony Waldrop said returning Peace Corps volunteers share UCF s strong commitments to civic engagement, volunteer service and international programs. Their perspectives will enrich the lives of our students and faculty members, Waldrop said. We are eager to welcome them to our campus community and prepare them for new opportunities to serve others in our local schools. Out of state fellows selected for the program will be able to pay in state tuition, a savings of almost $15,000 per academic year. Two graduate assistantships with 50 percent tuition and fee waivers will be available for in state fellows. The Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program started in 1985 at Teachers College, Columbia University, and now includes more than 80 university partners in 31 states and the District of Columbia. The program is reserved for students who have already completed their tenure abroad with the Peace Corps. More details can be found at Assistant State Attorney Holmes receives Lifetime Accomplishment Award The Brevard County Bar Association has named Assistant State Attorney Wayne Holmes as the recipient of the Judge Clarence T. Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award. The announcement was made a recent luncheon in Viera. The honor recognized Holmes 34 years of service in his prosecutorial role with the State Attorney s Office. Former State Attorney Norm Wolfinger introduced Holmes to the gathering, telling them that selecting Holmes as his chief of staff nearly two decades ago was one of his wisest moves ever. Holmes is a is a lifelong resident of Brevard who graduated from Melbourne High School in 1972, followed by Florida State University, then the Cumberland School of Law in He was formerly a certified Melbourne police officer before joining the State Attorney s staff in Holmes has prosecuted some of Brevard s more notorious criminals including William Cruse and Mark Schwab. He has served on numerous county, state and federal task forces. Known within the office for his keen legal mind, he also excels at organizing and managing complex duties and cases. Currently, he is continuing his duties as chief of staff with State Attorney Phil Archer. Titusville Art League Spring Show March The Titusville Art League, Inc. will host its 49th annual Spring Art Show March at Parrish Medical Center, 951 N. Washington Ave., in Titusville. Entries and registration for art will be on Thursday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. More than $3,000 in cash prizes will be awarded. For more details, contact show chairwoman Connie Allen at or visit to download a prospectus. ONE SWEET NIGHT A Celebration of Coffee & Chocolate Brenner new ad ed BREVARD ZOO?????????? WAITING Space ON Coast ZOO Convention TO KNOW SIZE Saturday February pm Center/ Holiday Inn Express I-95 & 520, Cocoa Brevard Achievement 2/18/13 page 16 FEB 23, PM TICKETS: $35 per person in advance. $40 at the door ENJOY MANY DELIGHTFUL COFFEES, CHOCOLATES, SWEET AND SALTY TREATS! Silent Auction Custom Art Sale Sponsor A Client! Featuring the Bay Kings Band FLORIDA TODAY proudly supports this event. Visit BrevardBusinessNews.com for Advertising Information BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 5 Artwork by: Alice Ahrens Proceeds support programs and services that assist people with disabilities achieve vocational and social independence. bacbrevard.com Grand Latte Presenting Sponsors: VIERA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT GOVERNMENT SOUTHERN JANITOR SUPPLY, Inc. SPONSORS VENDORS

6 Cocoa Village Playhouse pick up TGIF 2/15/13 page 16 Saturday, Feb. 23 Change Dates!!!!!!!!!!!!!! can we cut out anything before Feb 20? CIA 1/9 page size Performance Dates Thursday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Artemis 2/18/13 Page 9 (321) Melbourne Central Catholic to host annual dinner auction fund raiser on its campus Melbourne Central Catholic will host its annual dinner auction fund raiser on Saturday, March 2. Titled the Green & Gold Gala, this festive event will be held on the school s campus. Guests will enjoy cocktails, appetizers and dinner catered by The Black Tulip in Cocoa Village. More than 200 gift bundles will be available for bidding in a silent auction. Merchandise includes travel and restaurant gift certificates, jewelry, home decor, fine wines and much more. A live auction will take place after dessert and features 10 unique gift packages including a trip for two to Ireland, a weeklong stay in Hawks Cay Resort, a private flight and more. MCC parents Freddie Erdman and Kim Vilardebo are co chairpersons for the event. Funds raised from this event will be used for the school s technology initiative. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available by calling , extension 302. Mom to Mom Toy and Clothing Garage Sale Brevard County Parks and Recreation will host a Mom to Mom Toy and Clothing Garage Sale from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, at the Viera Regional Community Center. Vendors may obtain applications at the Viera Regional Community Center, 2300 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, or at Six by six foot vendor spaces are $15.90 and include a five foot table. All spaces are indoors. The deadline for table space payment is Wednesday, Feb. 27. At the event, children must be accompanied by an adult. The activities are conducted and supervised by Brevard County Parks and Recreation staff at the Viera Regional Community Center. Call for more information. Country Legends Band to perform at THS Titusville High School will host The Country Legends Band at 7 p.m. on March 2 in the Titusville Theater on campus. The event will benefit Titusville High School athletics. The show is family oriented and will feature the live performance of some of the most popular country songs of the last 50 years, including by the artists Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty and Taylor Swift. Tickets are available for purchase at Titusville High. The cost is $20 a ticket. For more information about the event, contact Athletic Director Jason Berley or bookkeeper Brenda Dornbusch at Health fair for seniors at Eau Gallie center CFL Expos will be hosting a Community Health Fair and Seniors Expo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, March 8, at Eau Gallie Civic Center in Melbourne. The event is free of charge and will feature local and national products, services, and information for seniors. This Community Health and Seniors Expo will be a power up day for seniors to get out and socialize, learn about products and services, and be entertained and informed. The first 200 seniors will receive a goody bag. For more information about the event, call or send an e mail message to info@cflexpos.com BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 6 Call Adrienne Roth at for Advertising Information

7 Candler Schaffer to direct Space Coast Pops in March Merriment concert The Space Coast Pops Orchestra will present March Merriment for the third concert of its 27th annual Subscription Series schedule at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, at the Merritt Island First Baptist Church, on State Road 520 and Courtenay Parkway. Conductor Dr. Candler Schaffer will direct the Space Coast Pops Orchestra in The Flight to Neverland, Come Fly With Me, The St. Louis Blues, Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity, Over the Rainbow, It Don t Mean a Thing, Blues in the Night and other classics. He will also present guest artist Brian Gatchell, a well known local and worldwide pianist. Gatchell will perform Phantom Piano of the Opera, by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Piano Concerto in A Minor (Adagio), by Edvard Grieg; and Gershwin s Concerto in F for piano and orchestra (Allegro). Single concert tickets are $20 for general admission in advance at area outlets. They are $3 more at the door the day of the concert. Call for further information, ticket outlet locations and single concert reserved seat tickets. UCI 2/18/13 page 3 Authors Book Fair March 9 at Central Library The fifth Brevard Authors Book Fair is set for March 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Central Brevard Library and Reference Center, 308 Forrest Ave., in Cocoa. The event is free of charge and open to the public. The fair is sponsored by Authors for Authors, Marshall Frank, Holly Vellekoop and Valerie Allen. Refreshments will be served and more than 40 authors will be available to autograph and discuss their books. Six multi published speakers will make presentations throughout the day about writing, publishing, and marketing books. Local authors to lead workshops include: Valerie Allen, Writing for Fun and Profit; Joyce Henderson, From Print to Digital: An Author s Journey ; Walter Manning, Coping with Change ; Patricia Charpentier, Write Your Life Story ; Roger Simmermaker, How Consumers Can Create American Jobs ; and Stuart Borton, Bringing Families back into the Kitchen. For more information about the enent, call Alumnae Panhellenic to host fund raiser The Melbourne Alumnae Panhellenic will host its annual scholarship fund raiser, The River Rendezvous Art of the Scarf, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 10, at the Lansing Island home of Teresa McNeight in Indian Harbour Beach. This special event offers people the opportunity to support the 52 year old organization. The Melbourne Alumnae Panhellenic s outreach is to award scholarships to Brevard County women attending Florida colleges. To date $300,000 in funds have been given to talented women who, for the most part, return to Brevard to be highly contributing members of our community. The event will include champagne, hors d oeuvres, dessert and coffee. Dillard s will provide a fashion show and local vendors are contributing fabulous offerings for the silent auction. Tickets are $60 per person. For sponsorship or ticket information, call or The e mail address is MelbournePanhellenic@gmail.com. Cindy Wooten, President TWIN RIVERS INSURANCE CAN MEET ALL OF YOUR INSURANCE NEEDS Twin Rivers 2/18/13 page 3 We re not just your agent - we are members of your team. 306 E. New Haven Avenue, Melbourne, FL (321) Fax Visit BrevardBusinessNews.com for Advertising Information BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 7

8 Playwrights Workshop of Brevard to present three one act plays at Surfside; Second Stage to host auditions Playwrights Workshop of Brevard will present Come Along for the Ride, a night of three original one act plays by Brevard County authors. The show runs one weekend only, Feb. 28 March 3 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., on the Surfside Players stage in Cocoa Beach. All tickets are $5. Call (not the Surfside s box office number) for reservations. The new, unpublished plays are Keep Your Shirt On, by Jan Salmon and directed by D. Flynn Loomis; Guess Who in the House, by Betty Prisendorf with director Troy Jones; and If You Can t Stand the Heat, by Mario Busacca, also with director Jones. Some plays may contain occasional profanity. Playwrights Workshop of Brevard helps new and established local playwrights improve their craft through feedback from Workshop members and theater audiences, while enriching the local community through premiering original one act plays. Visit Surfside s Second Stage program brings newer, grittier theater and challenging acting roles to the Brevard community theater scene. Second Stage will be hosting auditions on Sunday and Monday, March 3 4, at 7 p.m. for Night, Mother, a drama by Marsha Norman and directed by Joan Dunn. There are roles for two adult women, one in her 30s to 50s and one in her 50s to 70s. The play overview: Jessie and her mother share a small house on an isolated country road. Jessie s father is dead; her loveless marriage ended in divorce; her absent son is a petty thief; her last job didn t work out and, in general, her life is stale and unprofitable. As the play begins, Jessie asks for her father s service revolver and calmly announces that she intends to kill herself. At first her mother refuses to take her seriously, but as Jessie sets about tidying the house and making lists of things to be looked after, her sense of desperate helplessness begins to build. Performance dates are two weekends, April (this is a change from previous published dates). Contains profanity. This show is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service Inc. ( For more information about these and other events, visit or the Facebook group Surfside Players. Submit an e mail or postal address to Surfside_info@yahoo.com to receive updates on shows throughout the season. Junior League of South Brevard to host its annual Rummage Roundup March 2 The Junior League of South Brevard Inc. will host its 24th Rummage Roundup on March 2 at the Melbourne Auditorium, 625 E. Hibiscus Blvd. The Early Bird Sale is from 6:30 till 8 a.m. ($5 entrance fee). There is a $1 entrance fee for the 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. sale. The event will feature 20,000 square feet of gently used household goods, furniture, collectibles, electronics, books, tools, children s toys and clothes, adult clothes and more. More than 150 families have donated items to this sale. In addition, there will be private vendors offering a variety of goods and services. The proceeds from the event will fund community projects. The Junior League welcomes its members and the community to make the Rummage Roundup a success by donating new and gently used goods and helping with the publicity, like putting up sale posters and signs at businesses. For more information, visit or send an e mail message to rummageroundup@jlsb.net. The Junior League phone number is Annual Jewish Heritage Festival set March 3 The 25th annual Jewish Heritage Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 3, at the Melbourne Auditorium. The radio station 98.5 The Beach will be live onsite at the event. The program will include a full slate of activities for children and a wine tasting for adults. There will be Middle Eastern foods. The festival is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Brevard, Bright House Networks, and Vitas. Tickets are $5 for adults. Children younger than age 13 will be admitted free with a paying adult. Call or visit for tickets. Rummage Sale new ad ed Surfside Playhouse 2/18/15 page 13 BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 8 Call Adrienne Roth at for Advertising Information

9 United Safety Council recognizes Palm Bay Utilities Department at annual safety awards program PALM BAY The United Safety Council hosted its 60th annual safety awards program on Jan. 25, and Palm Bay Utilities Department was among those honored at the event. The local water and wastewater utility received a Silver Corporate Safety Award in the Small Company category, which includes private and public companies from across the nation with 500 employees or less. Utilities inspector Brian Rickert also received honorable mention for the Certified Occupational Safety Specialist Excellence in Safety Award. Each year USC recognizes companies that excel in the following areas: safety committee activity, senior management commitment, employee involvement, written safety and health programs, inspection programs, and mishap investigation. Palm Bay Utilities Department was recognized with a Gold Corporate Safety Award in 2011 and Safety is something that we talk about daily; it is a part of everything that we do. Our Environment, Health, and Safety Committee continuously looks for ways to improve the work environment so that we are able to deliver service to the community safely, efficiently, and effectively, said Dan Roberts, utilities director. The USC is a nonprofit, non governmental, safety and health training organization dedicated to improving quality of life. It is headquartered in Orlando and has become an international safety training agency working to promote safety in homes, on the road, in schools, businesses, and industrial facilities. Palm Bay Utilities Department initiated an Environmental Management Program known as GreenWay in 2008, which led to the department being certified under the ISO Standard 14001:2004 Environmental Management System. The GreenWay program incorporates an extensive safety program for employees within the organization, which includes training and monthly awareness meetings to ensure continual focus and improvement to each employee s work environment. In addition, the Utilities Department has initiated the integration of the American National Standard Institute Z12 safety management system. Fully implemented, the system provides an additional level of awareness, training, and commitment to employee safety. For more information about the Palm Bay Utilities Department and its safety program, visit or contact Dan Roberts, utilities director, at KSC Director Cabana to receive Debus Award at sold out event set for April 27 Robert Cabana, director of NASA s John F. Kennedy Space Center, has been selected by the National Space Club Florida Committee to receive its 2013 Dr. Kurt H. Debus Award. Cabana will be honored at the Debus Award Dinner on Saturday, April 27. The formal event, which begins at 6:30 p.m., will be held at the Debus Conference Facility at the KSC Visitor Complex. Bob s devotion to his country and the U.S. space program has been exemplary, said NSC Chairman Jim McCarthy. He started his career as a naval test pilot, became an astronaut and has most recently provided exceptional leadership as NASA KSC s Center Director for safely flying the shuttle program into retirement; while laying out a vision and executing a transformation plan of KSC to be a 21st century launch complex. The Debus Award was created by the NSC Florida Committee to recognize significant achievements and contributions made in Florida to American aerospace efforts. It is named for KSC s first director, Dr. Kurt H. Debus. Cabana is the 10th director of KSC, where he manages a team of roughly 8,600 civil service and contractor employees. Before his appointment to KSC in October 2008, the former space shuttle astronaut served as the director of NASA s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Originally from Minneapolis, Cabana graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1971, with a bachelor s degree in mathematics and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and has logged more than 7,000 hours in 36 different aircraft. The event is sold out; for information contact LaDonna Neterer at or LaDonna.J.Neterer@boeing.com. The web address is Beachside Physical new ad ed Some things in life are free. Indiafest new ad ed INTRO TO IPAD The best way to experience the web, , photos, and video. Hands down. VISUAL DYNAMICS, INC. IPAD APPY HOUR Come see and share some of the coolest apps for the ipad. IPAD AT WORK Join us for an informal briefing to learn about how to use your ipad at work. Visit getmactraining.com or call for more information on free workshops Town Center Avenue Suite 105 Viera, FL (321) Eau Gallie Blvd, Indian Harbour Beach, FL (321) Apple, the Apple logo, FaceTime, ipad, and isight are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Visit BrevardBusinessNews.com for Advertising Information BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 9

10 Club Esteem students thrive in full scale after school program with academic focus; ND, NFL star Watters Beyond Breakfast speaker March 12 at Hilton By Ken Datzman Under the leadership of University of Central Florida graduate Ellena Little, Club Esteem in Melbourne has rounded itself into a model after school program, one that is highly structured and centers on accountability and measurable growth. As a result, the program which has the right mix of components, including homework help and tutoring, and a sharp focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is changing the lives of young people in the community. It is putting them on the path to academic success while inspiring each student to make the right decisions in life. Club Esteem has been a big success story and we are trying to get that message out in the community, said Little, executive director of the facility on Monroe Street, which was built through a partnership with the Junior League of South Brevard Inc., the City of Melbourne, and M.H. Williams Construction. There are so many people who have come though our program over the years who are successful in life today. Little has been with Club Esteem for 16 years, dedicating her professional career to helping youth get on the track to success in many areas of life. She started as a volunteer at the club teaching character building and has seen the organization grow. Today, the community center serves about 200 young people a year, in first through 12th grades. The students are paired, based on their skill sets. Club Esteem is like a family unit, said Little, whose organization is a United Way of Brevard affiliate agency. Advocacy is very big with us. The parents have to sign a commitment to excellence contract as well as the students. We take everything very seriously. It s not a day care center. Last year, 88 percent of Club Esteem students scored at or above grade level in mathematics and 90 percent scored at or above grade level in reading, she said. Eighty two percent of Club Esteem students made their school honor roll, while 98 percent earned a 3.0 or higher grade point average. In the past three years, Club Esteem has had 20 graduating seniors. Of that group, 19 are now studying for their degrees in college and one is proudly serving in the U.S. Navy. The focus is on building youngsters who are vision driven and believe in themselves, said area businesswoman Caroline Kempf, president and founder of CK Communications Inc. and a Club Esteem board of directors member. We give them the tools they need to thrive. Having a support system is key. Club Esteem was founded in 1991 by Gladys Williams, with youth and community volunteers meeting one night per week. Three years later, the Club Esteem Youth and Family Center opened. Since 2004, Club Esteem has met five days per week, with expanded programs and services. The nonprofit entity has forged partnerships with a host of community groups and organizations. They include the Junior League of South Brevard, students from the University of Central Florida, Brevard Community College and Florida Tech, as well as Harris Corp., and the Brevard Youth Symphony Orchestra. In one program, the top BYSO students teach private music lessons to Club Esteem students. Volunteers are the heart of our program, said Little, an ordained minister who has experience in organizational communications, radio and television, and childhood education and theater, her college minor. We have a wonderful staff. Everybody is compassionate and well equipped to do what it takes to achieve the mission. But when you serve more than 150 young people you need the help of others. So we have created some strong partnerships in the community. There are always volunteer opportunities with Club Esteem, as guest speakers, facilitators, tutors, and in other areas. Club Esteem s programs are offered free of charge to students. They include Scholar Hour, tutoring and homework assistance and FCAT/SAT/ACT preparation; and Teens as Tutors, the students who maintain a 3.0 GPA receive job training, employment experience, and a stipend to tutor Club Esteem elementary and middle school students. The program list continues with Reading Blast off, designed to improve reading fluency and comprehension; Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, hands on in the STEM fields including research; Smart Choices, character education; Kids in Motion, group sports; Music and the Arts; and Community Service Learning. The business community will have the opportunity to support Club Esteem as the organization hosts its inaugural Beyond Breakfast event from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 12, at the Hilton Melbourne Rialto. The featured speaker will be former Notre Dame wide receiver and running back Ricky Watters, who played on the last Irish national champion team in 1988 coached by Lou Holtz. He also has a Super Bowl ring as a member of the 1994 San Francisco 49ers. Watters played in five Pro Bowls during his 11 year NFL career and is the only running back to rush for 1,000 yards for three different teams. The Orlando resident, who spends time mentoring at risk youth, is the director of public relations for his wife s law firm, the Chang Watters Group, which handles civil matters including sports and entertainment law. Catherina Watters manages the firm. BBN photo Adrienne B. Roth Ellena Little is executive director of Club Esteem in Melbourne, whose organization serves about 200 young people a year with a full range of programs, including hands on learning in science, technology, engineering, and math. Club Esteem touts a high rate of success, with its students earning college scholarships. The nonprofit entity will host its inaugural Beyond Breakfast social March 12 at the Hilton Melbourne Rialto and is seeking event sponsors. Ricky Watters has authored the book For Who For What: A Warrior s Journey, detailing his rise in athletics and his years on the playing field. His story centers on determination and perseverance. We plan to make Beyond Breakfast an annual event, providing enrichment to business leaders in the community, said Kempf. And Ricky will be the first speaker for the program. His life s story is riveting. He pulled himself up by his bootstraps and made himself a success by being in control of his destiny. Tickets are $50 and include a signed copy of his book and a photograph with Watters, said Kempf. Club Esteem is reaching out to the community for sponsorship, beginning at $500. There are amenities at each sponsorship level. Visit and pull up the Events/News tab to review the levels and become an event sponsor. The breakfast sponsors include Tupperware Brands Corp., Craig Technologies, Gelman Hair Restoration, CK Communications, Florida Tech and Brevard Business News. BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 10 Call Adrienne Roth at for Advertising Information

11 Cancer Care Centers Foundation to present 11th Caring Hearts Benefit on April 20 at André home; its biggest fund raiser of year; partner opportunities By Ken Datzman The Cancer Care Centers Foundation of Brevard Inc. is celebrating its 20th year of providing support services, community outreach and education to individuals and patient families in the region. These services are typically provided to patients at a time when they are facing perhaps their biggest challenge in life. The nonprofit organization was founded in 1993 by Dr. Silas Charles, a longtime area oncologist, who worked closely with community volunteer Evelyn Foster, the current board chairwoman, in establishing the foundation. The charitable entity financially helps needy cancer patients in the region who are undergoing treatment. The foundation, for example, helps pay for their basic living expenses, including such things as rent, mortgage, utilities, transportation to the treatment facility, and pain medications. The demand for our services continues to rise, year after year, said Marta Fiol, secretary of the Cancer Care Centers Foundation and marketing manager for the Cancer Care Centers of Brevard, a practice also founded by Dr. Charles. A lot of people in the county are still without jobs, and there is a growing population of uninsured and underinsured people. So we are seeing and helping more and more people through the work of the foundation. The Cancer Care Centers Foundation assisted 270 patients in Brevard and Indian River counties in 2012, helping with everything from rent to cancer related medications for the patients and their families. The main fund raising vehicle that allows the foundation to provide community outreach is the annual Caring Hearts Benefit, which is one of the best attended charitable functions in the region each year, typically drawing more than 400 people. This is our biggest fund raising event of the year and it supports the patients we help, said Fiol, a cancer survivor herself. We put a lot of effort into it and the community responds. The community is awesome. Ed and Jeanne André have been very gracious hosts of this event year after year. The 11th Caring Hearts Benefits will get under way at 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, at the Indialantic home of Ed and Jeanne André, longtime supporters of the foundation, who are hosting the event with their daughter Jessica. Their home is on North Riverside Drive and parking will be available in the parking lot of the nearby Highland Mint, on the corner of North Riverside Drive. Foundation Vice President Mick Welch, president of BankFirst in Brevard, oversees the parking for the event. This is the ninth year the Andrés are welcoming the community to their riverfront estate, for the Caring Hearts Benefit. It s a great venue at the André home, a very picturesque setting, said community volunteer Darcia Jones Francey, a foundation board member. This event has helped so many uninsured and underinsured cancer patients over the years. It just makes you feel good being part of it. Caring Hearts is one of those events that everybody in the community looks forward to every year because it s a lot of fun and is held in a beautiful setting. It draws strong support and allows us to continue to do what we do as a foundation help cancer patients, said Karen Kirkland, the foundation s treasurer and a certified public accountant with Carr, Riggs & Ingram in Melbourne. The benefit will feature food stations, by Tim Webber: The Coordinator, a catering business; live and silent auctions, with items including fine jewelry, local art and pottery, travel excursions, sports memorabilia, and premium wines; and entertainment provided by the stylish flamenco guitarist Don Soledad and his band. The silent auction chairpersons are Jesse and Darlene Geiger. The foundation is comprised of a wonderful group of people and does great work in the community. So everybody at the silent auction really needs to make purchases to help the foundation. There will be many interesting items offered, said Darlene Geiger, whose husband Jesse is a cancer survivor. Online reservations for the Caring Hearts Benefit are $125 per person. Visit The foundation is seeking partners for the event, too, said Karen Osiniak, the foundation president and a Realtor with RE/MAX Alternative Realty in Indialantic. BBN photo Adrienne B. Roth The volunteer committee members of the Cancer Care Centers Foundation of Brevard have been prepping for the 11th annual Caring Hearts Benefit, one of the most popular fund raising events in the community. The team includes, in front, Karen Kirkland. Back, from left: Heidi Joyce, Marta Fiol, Karen Osiniak, Mick Welch, Dawn Herring, Marcia Luhn, Darcia Jones Francey, and Darlene Geiger. They are at Carr, Riggs & Ingram in Melbourne. We are in need of more sponsors for the event, said Osiniak, who has been a Caring Hearts committee volunteer for all 11 years. There will be publicity opportunities for the sponsors, particularly on the social media side. The promotional opportunities for sponsors will include logo exposure on the foundation s website and Facebook, and promotion on a local live radio show, said Fiol. It s something new we re doing this year for our sponsors. We think it s a spectacular opportunity for businesses and organizations. The event sponsorships range from $350, the Merlot level, to the $20,000 Dom Perignon partnership. All sponsorships include a number of reservations to the Caring Hearts Benefit. The deadline to partner with the foundation for this event is March 22. Call or send an e mail message to Mfiol@CCCFoundationInc.org. Fiol said more people in the region are learning about the foundation s mission and the organization has seen an uptick in community donations. This past November and December, we had more public donations than in the previous two years, which is great. The downturn has impacted foundations around the nation. But we have been amazed how the support has increased for our foundation this past year. I think more people are getting to know us every year and the Caring Hearts Benefit is one of the main avenues that allows us to showcase our foundation, she said. The foundation has an all volunteer board. No one receives a salary. We are very thankful to our medical director, Dr. Ravi Shankar (of the Cancer Care Centers of Brevard), and to our parent company, Vantage Oncology (of Manhattan Beach, Calif.). They are gracious to allow us to use an office free of charge. The foundation has no office overhead, which is a huge benefit, said Fiol. Visit BrevardBusinessNews.com for Advertising Information BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 11

12 Space Coast Credit Union expanding its branch network, three locations set to open this year Space Coast Credit Union is expanding its 56 branch network with three additional offices scheduled to open in The first branch opened this past January in Vero Beach at th Street SW on the corner of Oslo Road and 27th Avenue. SCCU has also started construction on branches in Viera and Miami Springs. The credit union has additionally announced relocations of its Doral, Vero Beach Ryanwood, and Port St. John branches. The expansion and relocations are part of an overall branch strategy to improve member convenience. SCCU understands that our members are busy and we value their time, said Heather Hickman, SCCU vice president of retail branch administration. We want to serve members where it s convenient for them to bank, on their way home from work or while they re running errands. Kicking things off in 2013, SCCU s new Oslo branch celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 7, highlighting a week of special giveaways and promotions. This makes three branches now serving the Vero Beach area. On Jan. 22, the Doral Branch relocated to 9735 NW 41st St., in Doral. It also hosted its grand opening week Feb Additionally, SCCU s Vero Beach Ryanwood branch has relocated to th St., in the Plantation Plaza. The Plantation Plaza branch will have its grand opening week March with several promotions and giveaways for both members and non members. The final relocation happening late this spring is the Port St. John branch, which will move to a freestanding location off U.S. Highway 1. The credit union s Viera branch will be located near the corner of Stadium Parkway and Viera Boulevard, and is scheduled to open in early summer. SCCU will have two branches to serve the Viera community with its Baytree branch near the headquarters building on Wickham Road. The Miami Springs branch will open in late summer or early fall and will be SCCU s seventh branch in that community. In addition to its branch network, SCCU also offers members convenient access to accounts with more than 100 ATMs, online banking, and more recently mobile banking. SCCU is open for membership to anyone who lives or works in the Florida counties it serves. Locations can be found at SCCU.com/locations. FirstWave Financial in Satellite Beach welcomes Clough as new marketing director SATELLITE BEACH FirstWave Financial has expanded its staff with the hiring of Dawn Clough as the company s new marketing director. She is a longtime area marketing expert. Clough will develop marketing strategy and oversee branding, print, digital and social media as well as manage the firm s business development process. The former marketing consultant and creative director comes to FirstWave with a decade of executive experience as vice president of advertising for a top 20 national homebuilder. FirstWave Financial is an independent, fee based wealth management company located at 1300 State Road A1A. Formerly CPA Wealth Management Services, FirstWave Financial was founded by certified public accountant Thomas Kirk in The firm provides clients with fully integrated financial services. It has two proprietary financial planning processes: The WealthCare Solution, for high net worth individuals, and The Retirement Plan Optimizer, customized strategies for highly compensated businessowners seeking to improve the retirement plan performance. The services include investments, insurance, income and estate tax minimization, retirement planning and debt reduction. The Brevard County company was named one of The Ten Most Dependable Wealth Managers of Florida by Goldline Research, as reported in Forbes magazine. A company blog at FirstWaveFinancial.wordpress.com/ provides frequent updates on topics of financial interest and a social media page welcomes interaction at For more details, call or visit Boat Guy new ad ed Nancy taylor 2/11/13 page 18 BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 12 ERA 2/18/13 Page 9 Call Adrienne Roth at for Advertising Information Henderson 2/18/13 page 7 Melbourne Indialantic Suntree/Viera Palm Bay Relocation Commercial We Value Your Business

13 BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS BBN No boundaries agreement means better emergency service for residents in Palm Bay and South Brevard Fire and emergency medical response services in Palm Bay and South Brevard County are set to benefit from a mutual agreement between city and county providers that will significantly improve emergency response to the public. Effective Feb. 11, under an inter local agreement, all fire and emergency medical calls will be handled by the closest unit, regardless of jurisdictional boundaries. The agreement creates an Automatic Aid Response Area from U.S. Highway 192 south to the county line, west to the Brevard County border, and east to the Indian River Lagoon, excluding the city of Melbourne and the town of Malabar. It allows fire rescue personnel within this geographic boundary from both city and county jurisdictions to respond if they are the closest units to the emergency. The citizen that needs helps does not care if the rescuer is from Palm Bay or Brevard County, they just want help fast, said Palm Bay Fire Chief Jim Stables. By dropping jurisdictional restrictions we are able to deliver better service to the public that is mutually beneficial to all of the citizens. The parameters of the so called Auto Aid agreement are defined in a six page document that includes pre defined unit response assignments, command structure, service standards, non required responses, and other legal definitions that ultimately facilitate the sharing of resources between the city and county. It is a mutually beneficial agreement that ensures the citizen receives the best possible response during an emergency, said Brevard County Fire Chief Larry Collins. This demonstrates a highly efficient and effective use of government resources for the overall good of the public. The geographic boundary includes five Palm Bay Fire Rescue stations and seven Brevard County Fire Rescue stations. It effectively doubles resource capabilities by joining 12 emergency response locations with shared resources that will maximize the use and efficiency of fire rescue services in this area. Every fire rescue response agency is having this discussion, said Stables. We are all faced with shrinking budgets and increasing demands for service. This is the best and most efficient way to continue to deliver this service. Lightle Beckner Robison provides construction management for client Melbourne based Lightle Beckner Robison Inc. provided construction management services for Nurse On Call locations in Orlando and Viera. The remodeling of the existing Orlando office and relocation and expansion of the Melbourne office created a need for assistance in getting from lease signing and design to completion and occupancy, said Brian Lightle, who managed both jobs for the customer. Providing construction management allowed Nurse on Call management to focus on home health care instead of having to become construction experts, he said. From understanding the client s goals to getting approved plans to dealing with questions and the unforeseen during construction, our construction management service ensures a more efficient result, added Lightle. Lightle Beckner Robison is a full service commercial real estate firm specializing in office, retail, industrial, investment properties and asset and property management. The company serves Brevard county extending across the entire states of Florida and Georgia. For additional information about the firm, visit BCC s Dr. Fuller guest speaker March 6 The Brevard Federated Republican Women will meet at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 6, at The Holiday Inn on North Wickham Road in Melbourne. The speaker will be Dr. Patrick Fuller, coordinator of the Entrepreneur Program at Brevard Community College. He will discuss small business and entrepreneurship in the community. The reservation deadline is March 1. Call or visit brevardfederatedrepublicanwomen.org. Where Business Goes to Grow. Manav Mandir Presents PRINTING SERVICES COPYING SERVICES PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS POSTERS & BANNERS DIRECT MARKETING GRAPHIC DESIGN BULK MAILING Phone: Fax: Palm Bay Rd NE, Palm Bay, FL Medical & EMT Supplies Medical & EMT Supplies Uniforms Shoes Accessories Brevard Zoo newsaturday, ad ed March 9th 2013 : 10:00am 6:00pm Sunday, March 10th 2013 : 11:00am 5:00pm FULL Pavilion COLOR N. Wickham Rd., Melbourne, FL Wickham Adults: $5.00 Children under 12: $2.00 Children under 5: FREE???????? Melbourne Shopping Center 1387 S. Babcock Steet Visit BrevardBusinessNews.com for Advertising Information BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 13

14 Best selling author Box to appear at library luncheon set for the International Palms Resort in Cocoa Beach The New York Times best selling author C.J. Box will appear at the Friends of the Cocoa Beach Library s annual Book & Author Luncheon on Saturday, March 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the International Palms Resort in Cocoa Beach, 1300 N. Atlantic Ave. Tickets are $20 per person and must be purchased in advance at the Cocoa Beach Library, 550 N. Brevard Ave. Copies of his new novel, Breaking Point, will be available for sale and signing at the event. A portion of the sales will be donated to the library. The book is part of Box s popular Joe Pickett series, featuring a down to earth Wyoming game warden who continually faces down hazardous situations with independent thought, careful action, and a sincere desire to do right. Box says he has made an effort to create in Joe Pickett a true representative of Wyoming game wardens by riding on patrol with them to try and get it right. He adds, I think I have, because the novels and the character have been embraced by the game wardens themselves (as well as their long suffering wives). I try hard to portray their lives accurately, and in 2005 I received a certificate of appreciation from the Wyoming Game Warden Association. My novels have won quite a few awards over the years, but that one is very special. Breaking Point is the 13th volume in the Joe Pickett series, but Box has also impressed readers and critics with his standalone novels, Blue Heaven, Three Weeks to Say Goodbye, and Back of Beyond. His writing has won him a number of top industry honors, including the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel ( Blue Heaven, 2009). Box s novels have been translated into 25 languages. He is a Wyoming native and has worked as a ranch hand, surveyor, fishing guide, a small town newspaper reporter and editor, and he co owns an international tourism marketing firm with his wife Laurie. An avid outdoorsman, he lives in Wyoming with his wife and three daughters. For more information about the Book & Author luncheon, call Indian River and Sebastian Chambers partner for group travel to Cuba, Tuscany The Indian River County and Sebastian River Area Chambers of Commerce will partner to offer two travel opportunities to their members and area residents. Chamber Explorations, a group travel provider specializing in working with Chamber s of Commerce throughout the nation, will oversee the planning and arrangements for the trips, which include sightseeing opportunities. Destinations selected for the 2013 trips are Cuba and Tuscany. Chamber Explorations has been issued a specific license by the Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, which authorizes registered guests of Chamber programs to visit Cuba legally. Both vacation trips include stays at quality hotel and resort properties among the best in each destination and selected for a combination of comfort, amenities, service, and location. For more information about these trips, contact Penny Chandler at the Indian River County Chamber at (772) , or Beth Mitchell at the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce. Visit or to review the schedule of activities and highlights of the trips that are being offered. Brevard Bridal Association event March 3 The Brevard County Bridal Association s Spring Bridal Expo will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 3, at the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront Hotel. Thousands of dollars in door prizes will be awarded, along with a $1,000 BCBA grand prize shopping spree. Music will be provided by DJ Tunes of Florida, Celebrations DJs, and DJ Shane Entertainment. For more information about the event, contact Kinga VanPelt at the Imperial Salon and Spa. The e mail address is Kinga@ImperialSalonandSpa.com. Straight talk. Honest answers. Regions alternating from new ads sent Business loans. Maybe that s why Regions is a leading small business lender. Club Esteem new ad ed Visit any branch, or go to regions.com/yourbusiness Regions Bank. BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 14 Call Adrienne Roth at for Advertising Information

15 SBA launches Affordable Care Act web page, blog to better educate small business owners about changes WASHINGTON The U.S. Small Business Administration has launched a new web page and blog dedicated to educating small business owners about the Affordable Care Act. The new tools will serve as a gateway for small business owners connecting them with information provided by SBA s federal partners responsible for implementing the law, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Affordable Care Act provides small business owners with access and opportunity to provide affordable health care options for their employees, said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. The SBA s new Affordable Care Act web page and blog will serve as a resource for small business owners who want to learn more about how to take advantage of these benefits. The Affordable Care Act has many beneficial measures specifically for small businesses, she said, including slowing premium cost growth and increased access to quality, affordable health insurance. SBA s new web page, breaks down the key provisions of the act based on business size in the following categories: self employed, fewer than 25 employees, fewer than 50 employees and more than 50 employees. This is an important resource added to a virtual library of information designed to help entrepreneurs and small business owners to start, grow and succeed, said SBA South Florida District Director Francisco Pancho Marrero. Stay informed on this important national topic and many others, by visiting the SBA s website. The web page also provides links to other useful information for small businesses, including a glossary of health care reform terms, an interactive timeline with dates for when certain reforms will be implemented, a state by state breakdown of health care options, and how to learn more about specific tax provisions and regulations. Additional resources will be added as they become available. The blog, titled Health Care Business Pulse ( will provide small business owners with updates about the implementation of the act. The blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal or tax advice. Readers should consult their legal or tax professionals to discuss how specific matters relate to their individual business circumstances. For more information, visit Annual Great Brevard Duck Race set for April 14 at Indian River Festival The 15th annual Great Brevard Duck Race will be hosted by Crossroads Youth Services on April 14 as part of the Indian River Festival at Sand Point Park in Titusville. This fun event is a benefit for Crosswinds children s shelter and other programs for youth in crisis. Local businesses can join in as Duck Race sponsors. Sponsors will receive recognition in conjunction with the Duck Race, with the form of the recognition based on their donation level. Sponsorship opportunities include Diamond ($2,500), Platinum ($1,000), Gold ($500), Silver ($250) and Friend of Quacky ($100). For more information about sponsorship opportunities for the Great Brevard Duck Race, contact Jan Lokay at , extension 208, or janlokay@aol.com. Sponsorship information and forms are also available at Crosswinds Youth Services is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, which made a commitment to support Brevard County s young people and families when it opened an emergency shelter for youth in crisis in Today, Crosswinds remains focused on that commitment, offering a range of programs and services for area youth and their families, said Lokay. For many years, through support of fund raisers like the Great Brevard Duck Race and with corporate, foundation and individual contributions, the community has stood side by side with Crosswinds in helping youth succeed in spite of experiencing serious obstacles, such as homelessness, abuse and neglect, academic and adjustment issues, and early delinquency. Values, compassion, excellence, and spiritual growth are hallmarks of a Catholic education. Catholic school students emerge as confident, morally responsible, and successful leaders. Brevard County Catholic Schools are Catholic Schools new ad ed committed to cultivating the intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of each student. A Catholic education will provide your child with a superior academic foundation, strong faith formation, and a lifetime of rewards. Nine Catholic schools serving students in Pre-K3 and VPK4 through 12th grade. Melbourne Melbourne Central Catholic High School Ascension Catholic School Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School Palm Bay St. Joseph Catholic School Indialantic Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School Rockledge St. Mary s Catholic School Merritt Island Divine Mercy Catholic Academy Cocoa Beach Our Saviour Catholic School Titusville St. Teresa Catholic School Now enrolling for school year. Visit BrevardCatholicSchools.org U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Visit BrevardBusinessNews.com for Advertising Information BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 15

16 BBN BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS Brevard County Sheriff s Office and BCC team up to strengthen security and safety on school s campuses Brevard Community College, the Brevard County Sheriff s Office and Brevard County s public safety community has announced a partnership to strengthen both security and safety as BCC transitions into a state college. BCC will have a new name Eastern Florida State College to reflect four year degree granting status starting July 1, BCC President Dr. Jim Richey and Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey have announced several steps in coordination with the local police and fire departments to ensure the college is safer for its 35,000 students, faculty and staff. The steps follow a review of all BCC operations that Dr. Richey initiated when he became president last year and as the college actively prepares to offer four year degree programs. The partnership enhances current security measures while providing public safety with a working understanding for emergency response efforts if a critical incident were to occur. Ivey was joined by Cocoa Police Chief Mark Klayman, Melbourne Police Chief Steve Mimbs, Palm Bay Police Chief Doug Muldoon, Titusville Police Chief John Lau and Dr. Richey as the partnership was presented to the BCC Board of Trustees. Nothing is more important than the safety of our students, faculty, staff and any member of the public who visits our campuses, said Dr. Richey. The new measures strengthen the security practices we have in place and better prepare the college and law enforcement to respond rapidly in an emergency. We re working closely with our sheriff s office and police departments to create a comprehensive approach to safety. The college s 48 active security officers will continue to provide around the clock protection for our four campuses, playing a key role in safeguarding the college while expanding their already excellent working relationship with law enforcement. Furthermore, the sheriff s office will coordinate efforts with Brevard County Fire Rescue, and the Titusville, Master your FUTURE Earn your MBA with concentrations in: Accounting International Business Leadership for Managers Marketing Also offering online Master s Degrees in: - Psychology - Nursing Keiser new ad ed *Online only Cocoa, Melbourne and Palm Bay police and fire departments to: l Conduct comprehensive security reviews of each campus and familiarize themselves with campus layouts. l Integrate the college s emergency response plan with the sheriff s office and municipal police and fire departments. l Lead coordinated crisis response training program with college officials. l Create substations on each campus for deputies and police officers to increase campus presence and help provide a safe educational environment. l Offer crime awareness courses for new BCC students as well as current students, faculty and staff. l Develop awareness programs at each campus for our citizens, which will provide valuable crime prevention information. This renewed focus and partnership will reinforce security measures that are based on an existing foundation forged by our outstanding relationship with BCC and the entire public safety community, said Ivey. This program is very consistent with the partnership recently initiated with the Brevard County School Board. These efforts are designed not only to ensure that our educational environment is safe, but, more importantly, this partnership will result in better preparing our citizens to protect themselves. A well informed community is a safer community. Book Rack to host best selling Amazon.com local authors Lyn and Lites on Feb. 23 The Book Rack in Titusville will host a book signing party for local author Rebekah Lyn and DiVoran Lites from 6 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 23. The store s address is 346 S. Washington Ave. Lyn is a best selling author on Amazon.com. She has published the novels Summer Storms and Winter s End in the Seasons of Faith series, set in Orlando, and Julianne, the first of the Coastal Chronicles, a series of standalone stories set in coastal communities. Her current work in progress, Jessie, is the second in the Coastal Chronicles, and is a coming of age story that takes place in Titusville during the early years of the space program. Lites, an accomplished painter, has been writing most of her adult life and recently took the plunge into publishing her books. Her first novel, Sacred Spring, was born on a family camping trip to Deleon Springs, near Deland, when it was still a family owned campground falling into disrepair. Distressed at the thought of the lovely campground being turned into a subdivision, Lites took up her pen and created an alternate fate for the springs. Two more books are slated to round out the Florida Springs trilogy later this year. Both women write inspirational fiction with a message of faith and hope. Lites is a featured blogger on Old Things Are New (OldThingsRNew.wordpress.com) and Lyn shares recipes from her novels as well as tidbits of writing life on her blog, Rebekah Lyn s Kitchen (RebekahLynsKitchen.wordpress.com). For additional information about this event, call Alta Young at Chiropractor Priest awarded three year recertification Chiropractor Gregory Priest was recently awarded three year recertification by the Academy of Chiropractic Orthopedists. Dr. Priest is currently a board certified chiropractic orthopedist and a Fellow of the Academy of Chiropractic Orthopedists. Specialty recertification demonstrates that he has met all requirements to maintain clinical competency in the specialty of chiropractic orthopedics, and is valid through January Dr. Priest has been in practice in Melbourne since He may be reached at A Bargain Hunter s Dream! Presented by the Junior League of South Brevard, Inc. Visit for more info 24th Rummage Roundup Uniform Mart 2/18/13 Page 9 Bargain Sale Saturday, March 2 nd 6:30am to 8am $5 entry 8am to noon $1 entry Melbourne Auditorium 625 E. Hibiscus Blvd. KUMelbourne.com Bring this ad and get $1 off your purchase of $5 or more-limit 1 per customer BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 16 Call Adrienne Roth at for Advertising Information

17 Eau Gallie Arts District s Bloom Flower & Garden Festival March 8 10; full slate of events, entertainment The Eau Gallie Arts District will explode with color the weekend of March 8 10 during the area s first EGAD in Bloom Flower & Garden Festival. The festivities will begin on Friday night, March 8, with a cocktail garden party in a lushly landscaped tent on Highland Avenue in front of the Foosaner Art Museum, in Melbourne. Guests at this ticketed fund raising event will preview a dozen floral art arrangements created by local and visiting designers to complement the colorful, contemporary oil paintings in the museum s I am Nature exhibit by artist Leslie Wayne. The $100 tickets also include hors d oeuvres, wine, a silent auction and dance music by Satellite Beach s Own Pool Boys. Friday s event chairperson is Debbie Cherin, and her committee members include Elaine Vicari and Valerie Karas. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, flower and garden related vendors will display their wares from tents along Highland Avenue, north of Eau Gallie Boulevard. Attendees at this free festival can also enjoy music, flower and garden related demonstrations and artists working outdoors to complete intricate floral paintings. Saturday s festival chairperson is Pam Dunn, and her committee members include Jenifer Marx, Judy Roach and Judy Davis. The schedule for the free of charge garden related presentations includes: 10 a.m. Introduction to Bonsai, by Dr. Reggie Perdue. 11 a.m. A Cook s Herb Kitchen, by Sally Scalera. 12 p.m. Enticing Butterflies to Your Garden, by Elfrieda Tullar. 1 p.m. Serendipity: Striking Arrangements from Your Garden, by Linda Paige. 2 p.m. Orchids 101, with Dian Milligan. 3 p.m. Vertical Gardens, with Shelly McKinney of Elbow Creek Gardens and Gifts. EGAD in Bloom will continue Sunday with a ticketed jazz brunch, which will feature a hands on demonstration by local master floral designer Link Johnsten of Eau Gallie Florist. Guitarist Michael Leasure will provide jazz music. General admission brunch tickets are $50, with VIP seating $100. Sunday s brunch chairperson is Vonnie Hoyman, and her committee members include Heather Hager, Susan Hopkins, Jill Liles and Melody Stillie. Other general committee members include Johnsten, Darcia Jones Francey, Carla Funk, Lisa Hansen and EGAD Executive Director Chevon Baccus. The Foosaner exhibit, complete with artistic flower designs, will offer free admission all weekend. Proceeds from the garden party and brunch will help EGAD achieve its mission to promote the arts, historic preservation and the economic revitalization of the old Eau Gallie downtown area. Sponsors for EGAD in Bloom to date include Victoria Landing Waterfront Resort Assisted Living, Slug a Bug, Florida Institute of Technology, and Sorensen Allied Moving and Storage. Additional sponsors are needed, including those interested in creating lush garden displays in the event tent. For tickets or more information, send an e mail message to info@eaugalliearts.com or call the EGAD office at BCSO s championship basketball team to take on the Harlem Ambassadors The Brevard County Sheriff s Office basketball team will once again play against the internationally acclaimed Harlem Ambassadors in a special game to benefit the programs and services of the Children s Advocacy Center of Brevard. The event will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 24, at the Viera High School gymnasium. Offering a unique brand of exciting basketball featuring high flying slam dunks, dazzling ball handling tricks and hilarious comedy routines, the Harlem Ambassadors are a team of talented, drug free, college educated male and female basketball players committed to giving their audience quality family entertainment and serving as positive role models. The BCSO basketball team is comprised of employees who volunteer their off duty time. The team is the reigning U.S. champion. In 2011, it competed in the World Police and Fire Games in New York City, finishing first in the U.S. and third in the world. They brought a World Bronze Medal back to Brevard County. I could not be more proud of our basketball team for not only their success in the International Competition but also for the many charitable events they participate in throughout the county to support our not for profit organizations, said Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey. The Children s Advocacy Center of Brevard is a multi agency collaboration of child welfare professionals who intervene in child sexual abuse cases and the most severe cases of physical child abuse and neglect in Brevard. Proceeds from this event will benefit the programs and services of the Children s Advocacy Center. Advanced tickets are $7 and $10 at the door (children 4 and younger will be admitted free of charge). Advance tickets are on sale at Community Credit Union locations, Brevard County Sheriff s Office Precincts and the Children s Advocacy Center located at 1133 Seminole Drive, in Rockledge. For more information, contact Maj. John Mellick through the Sheriff s Office East Precinct at Prudential Sterling recognizes producers Barbara Wall and Nancy Taylor, broker owners of Prudential Sterling Properties in Indian Harbour Beach, have announced their top producing associates for January. The Top Sales associate was Rae McCabe. Jeff Chancey and Donna Sullivan were the Top Listing associates. Prudential Sterling, founded in 1982, services all of Brevard and Indian River counties, with offices in Indian Harbour Beach and Vero Beach. For more information about the agency or the agents, call BI ed COLOR The Most Respected Name R in Real Estate Stivers Today, choosing the new rad right ermailed real estate agent FULL is COLOR more important than ever RE / MAX Alternative Realty, Inc. 141 Coconut Drive, Indialantic, FL Offi ce: Fax: Web: Blue tangerine 2/18/13 page 3 Visit BrevardBusinessNews.com for Advertising Information BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 17

18 BBN BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS Eighteenth Judicial Circuit elects new chief judge Harris youngest to hold position Circuit Judge John Harris has been elected by his peers to serve as the new chief judge of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit. At age 46, he is the youngest judge to ever hold the position. Harris will replace current Chief Judge Alan Dickey for a two year term that begins July 1. In his new position, Harris will oversee 42 judges and a budget estimated at $15.2 million. He will bring a wealth of experience to the circuit s top leadership position. He was first appointed to the county court bench by Gov. Jeb Bush in Bush later appointed Harris to fill the circuit court vacancy when Judge Kerry Evander was elevated to the Fifth District Court of Appeal in Harris has worked in all divisions of the civil and criminal courts and is currently assigned to the Probate and Guardianship Division. Before becoming a judge, Harris was a partner with the law firm of Stadler & Harris, P.A. He also served as the secretary, treasurer and president of the Brevard County Bar Association between 1996 and A lifelong resident of Brevard, Harris graduated from Astronaut High School in Titusville and received his undergraduate degree from Oklahoma University and his law degree from Florida State University. He is married to appellate attorney Elizabeth Harris and they have three children Max, Danny and Victoria. The Eighteenth Circuit is comprised of Brevard and Seminole counties. SC Community Law School s spring session to start Feb. 28; offers legal seminars free The Space Coast Community Law School offers free legal seminars to the public on a variety of legal topics. The seminars are presented in an informational and educational setting. The program gives the public an opportunity to learn about the general rules of law. The seminars are offered in the spring and fall of each year. The speakers are local judges and attorneys. The spring session begins Feb. 28. The seminars are held on eight consecutive Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Moore Justice Center, 2825 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, in Viera. The seminars are held in the Jury Assembly Room. The seminar topics are: Divorce at Any Age, Veterans Benefit for Medical Expenses, Small Claims Procedures, Guardianships, Firearms Law/Stand Your Ground, Post Conviction Relief, Wills/Trusts/Probates, and Formation of the Constitution. Registration is available at or call Britta Hawkins at , or send an e mail message to CommunityLawSchool@yahoo.com. The website is Open a and receive $60! * No minimum balance requirements & NO monthly maintenance fees! Plus,. CECU. 2/04/13. page 8. Call us or stop by to open an account today! ccuflorida.org FREE ebranch (online banking) FREE estatements (required) FREE account alerts FREE text balance & transfer¹ FREE mobile app for iphone & Android Over 50,000 FREE ATMs Celebrating years Bouvier Navigating Your pick Entire up BBN Financial World 2/11/13 Expect page More 3 From Us Even Offering Tax & Accounting Services } as well as Wealth Strategies All Under One Roof with Our Sister Company: Your Business is Our Business *New members receive a $60 bonus after 60 days if the account is in good standing, has a minimum direct deposit of $100 monthly, and estatements. Budget Checking receives no dividends and has no minimum balance requirement or monthly service fees. ¹Text balance & transfer fees may apply depending on your wireless carrier. Check your wireless plan. Membership share account with a one-time fee of $5 is required. Membership is available to Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Indian River, Volusia, & Polk County residents. Federally insured by NCUA. Securities offered through 1st Global Capital Corp. Member FINRA, SIPC. Investment Advisory services offered through 1st Global Advisors, Inc. BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 18 Call Adrienne Roth at for Advertising Information

19 Health First Health Plans Continued from page 1 About one in four small business owners is uninsured, roughly the same as for the non elderly adults, according to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Small business owners rely heavily on the individual insurance market. Weintraub said Health First Health Plans wants to be a greater and greater anchor for small business groups within our community. They see us as a local employer, providing local service and working to keep costs down. Health First Health Plans has been serving businesses in the region for more than 15 years, building its membership through a local sales force. To better position itself in the marketplace and reach more people, Health First Health Plans will be offering new products as well as more choices and options for customers. Part of our mission is to expand coverage in the community, said Weintraub. We are an integrated health care delivery system that includes a health plan. In fact, the health plan is the integrator. He said an integrated delivery system such as Health First is uniquely positioned to thrive within the world of health care reform because we manage all aspects of the integration including the financing, the insurance, the coverage, the delivery of care, and wellness prevention, for example. Health First is not only a provider of care but also a growing insurer that is now reaching into Vero Beach, having established an outpost there last year. The trend toward health systems playing both roles seems to be gaining across the nation among hospital operators, driven by spiraling costs, reduced reimbursement, and incentives in the health laws. This is a reversal from last decade when hospitals with health plans were scrambling for the exit door, said Weintraub. There was a trend in the 1990s for health systems that owned health plans to sell them. There was a lot of talk that it was a different business and hospitals really didn t understand insurance, and they should stick to their knitting. A number of hospitals did exit the insurance market, unloading their health plan business, including a health system that Weintraub worked for in the Midwest. I think there are regrets over those decisions that were made by health systems at that time to get out of the insurance market, he said. Today, as the industry moves toward a payment structure based on quality as opposed to fee for service it s not happening overnight but there is definitely a movement the health plan concept works within that world to manage care and manage costs, and to deliver quality health care and be paid on that basis. Roughly 20 percent of hospital networks today market an insurance product and another 20 percent are considering entering that arena, according to a survey in 2012 of 100 hospital leaders conducted by research firm The Advisory Board Company. Health First launched its plan to provide an alternative to the out of state insurance giants. That was in It is now laying the groundwork for expansion into neighboring Indian River County and giving businesses there another health insurance option. There is pent up need in Indian River County and we are working to fill that need, said Weintraub, whose organization is looking to build its membership over the next two years in Indian River County. Employers and individuals have told us there aren t enough health plans to make it a truly competitive marketplace. On the commercial side, there are only a couple of competitors. We are enthusiastic about the opportunity. We have been well received, and we believe we will continue to grow there. Health First, he said, is in the process of developing its physician network to wrap around the new contract with Indian River Medical Center in Sebastian. The growth of the physician network will help make its health plans more attractive to people in that market, he said. It s a building process. We are building relationships with insurance brokers on the commercial side. We had our first annual enrollment period for Medicare and picked up some clients in that market. We would really like to build toward the next open enrollment period. Because of the Affordable Care Act, by next Jan. 1 all adults will be required to carry health insurance, either through their employer, a government program, or an individual policy. Small businesses and consumers will have access to marketplaces starting in Consumers in every state will be able to buy insurance from qualified health plans directly through these marketplaces and may be eligible for tax credits to help pay for their insurance coverage. An analysis by the Congressional Budget Office projects that millions of people will gain access to insurance coverage through Obamacare, once the program is fully in place. When there are more people coming into the marketplace, be it individuals or groups, there is the potential to pick up business, said Weintraub. And there is also the possibility of losing business from the group side if group customers eliminate their coverage. He added, In the short term, we are working toward and preparing for a growth phase, and will be reaching out to support the community and those people who have been without insurance. The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions is projecting that in 2014 there could be up to 11 million people enrolled in health insurance exchanges, with up to 69 million enrolled by 2021, putting exchange readiness at the top of a health plan s can do list. As of December, nearly 20 states have elected to run exchanges themselves. The other states will partner with the federal government in setting up exchanges. Florida is one of the states partnering with the government. Employers with fewer than 50 employees are exempt from new employer responsibility policies. They don t have to pay an assessment if their employees get tax credits through an exchange. Weintraub, who has been in his position with Health First Health Plans for nine months, coming here from the Tampa area, said his organization has become much more competitive in the marketplace in a number of ways over the past year. Number one is our premium cost. Nine months ago, we were competitive but we weren t a driving competitor. We have been able to adjust our pricing because we control our cost structure, in a way that allows us to continue to focus on improving the care of the community, he said. Health First Heath Plans has increased its product scope, too. We have introduced new benefit plans; it s a continuing process. And we have increased our capacity to speed that process. So where, frankly, we were doing a little catch up, there are some areas where we think we have jumped ahead. Health First Health Plans now offers new options for co pays and for premium funding, for example. We have a mechanism that allows employers to buy coverage with lower requirements for employee participation, said Weintraub, a liberal arts graduate of Pennsylvania State University who leads business development for the commercial group plans, Medicare Advantage plans, Medigap (Medicare supplemental insurance), and Medicare prescription drug plans. Most health plans in the employer market require 70 to 75 percent participation by the employees. With this mechanism, we are able to lower that to 50 percent. For instance, if an employer is struggling to be able to afford the premiums, they can reduce how much they pay for the premium, meaning the employee pays a little bit more. In general, We are offering affordable choices that allow more employers to continue to afford coverage in a tough economic environment. We re packaging our products in a way to make it easier for employers to apply for and be covered by a health plan. According to HealthCare.gov, these are the key things for small businesses to consider, as it pertains to health care reform: l If you have up to 25 employees, pay average annual wages below $50,000, and provide health insurance, you may qualify for a small business tax credit of up to 35 percent (up to 25 percent for nonprofits) to offset the cost of your insurance. This will bring down the cost of providing insurance. l Under the health care law, employer based plans that provide health insurance to retirees ages 55 to 64 can now get financial help through the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program. This program is designed to lower the cost of premiums for all employees and reduce employer health costs. l In 2014, small businesses with fewer than 100 employees can shop in the Affordable Insurance Exchange, which gives small firms the power similar to what large businesses have, better choices and lower prices. l Exchanges will offer a choice of plans that meet certain benefits and cost standards. Starting in 2014, members of Congress will be getting their health insurance through exchanges, and you will be able to buy your insurance through these exchanges, too. We are preparing for the exchanges, said Weintraub. It s going to be a very interesting time for the industry in general. Visit BrevardBusinessNews.com for Advertising Information BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS / 19

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