Community Forum Focuses on Jobs, Health

	Commissioner Santamaria's forum addressed jobs and health. « Previous | Next »

Commissioner Jess Santamaria held his first monthly forum of 2010 Wednesday night at the original Wellington Mall. Discussion topics were the local business climate and jobs, and the upcoming Palm Beach County Wellness Initiative.

Kelly Smallridge, president and CEO of the Palm Beach County Business Development Board (BDB), spoke for about an hour on efforts to attract major employers to the county. She cited 10 companies that are currently in the "prospect pipeline" -- very interested in setting up shop in Palm Beach County. Each would create 50 to 200 new jobs, she said.

Key ongoing BDB initiatives include business retention and visitation, shovel-ready sites, international outreach with Enterprise Florida, expedited permitting and green initiatives. Smallridge added the county has just begun the long-range transformation to a knowledge-based economy built around the biotechnology cluster anchored by and Scripps Florida and Max Planck. She noted that nine of the largest municipalities in the county have joined Palm Beach County government in adopting expedited permitting policies to make it easier and faster for new companies to get started.

Marty Rogol, of Marketing Concepts, Inc., spoke of the importance of taking responsibility for your own good health to control spiraling insurance and healthcare costs. According to the CDC, he said, 58 percent of Palm Beach County residents are overweight and 15 percent are considered obese. The county has teamed with the League of Cities, the United Way, the Health Care District of PBC, Florida Power & Light, the PBC School District, the Quantum Foundation and many other public and private agencies to launch a major workplace-based health and fitness program in April. Rogol urged audience members to being forming their teams now for the Palm Beach County Wellness Initiative.