Business Resources Center
Lake-Sumter Community College
Advisory Board Meeting Minutes
November 15, 2007 – 10:00 a.m.
LSCC Magnolia Room
Present:
Dr. Wes Estey, Vice President, Educational Services, LSCC
Russ Sloan, Director, Business Resources Center, LSCC
Ray SanFratello, Chairman, Business Resources Center Advisory Board
Gwendolyn Manning
Everett A. Kelly, President & CEO, Thomas Langley Medical Center
Ken Branwell
Jan Zacharchuk, Executive Director, Leesburg Area Chamber
Robert Johnson, Vice President, Gov. Affairs/Investor Relations, Commerce Park
Bob Jones, Business Development Manager, WorkForce Central Florida
Gerry M. Marim, Business Development Manager, WorkForce Central Florida
Tom Popieski, Area President, BankFIRST
Lanny Huesbo, President, Husebo Advertising
Al Haliday, CPA, Haliday, Blair, Hux PA
John Mittermaier, SCORE
Martha Moses, SCORE
Shannon Elswick, Vice President, Orlando Regional Health Care
Barbara Shaw, Key Accounts Manager, SECO
Drew Davis, State Farm Insurance Agency, Inc.
Lucy Torman, Assistant Director, Business Resources Center
Bob Vehmeier, Manager of Training Services, Business Resources Center
Noela Banta, Enrollment & Reporting, Business Resources Center
Robert Bone, Attorney At Law
Welcome and Introductions

Russ Sloan, Director of Business Resources Center, opened the meeting welcoming. Ray
SanFratello would be attending the meeting a little late because of an important meeting
with the Impact Fee Committee.
Plaque Presentation
 Barbara Shaw will be stepping down as a member of the Business Resources Center.
Russ presented her with a plaque in grateful appreciation for her dedicated services.
Barbara is one of the founders of the Business Resources Center.

Martha Moses was introduced as the new Score Chapter Chair, and talked about a new
program with American Express and SCORE.
Director’s Report


Entrepreneurial Institute – There are 48 people enrolled in the course. The attendees have
the opportunity to hear from people that have been immensely successful in launching a
business. There has been tremendous positive feedback from attendees. Graduation will
be December 11th in the Magnolia. The next Entrepreneurial session will held at the
South Lake Campus beginning Wednesday, March 19th.
Corporate visitations – Russ and Bob Vehmeier continue to visit Area Corporation along
with the area Chamber Executive, a County Economic Director and the area County
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Commissioner. Russ has found from past experience that about 70% of the problems are
government related to some degree.

Business to Business luncheons – At this time we have had 3 luncheons. Each time we
invite 5 businesses at Random for an informal lunch and discuss their business and
community needs, and how the Business Resources Center might be able to help. We
plan to do 30 luncheons in Leesburg, and 20 in South Lake.

Russ was offered by the Daily Commercial, to write a column, each Wednesday,
exposing the BRC and the College’s role in helping businesses and the economic
development.


Executive Training Room – Should be ready by January, 2008.
Chair sponsorship – We have 30 executive chairs to be sponsored at $250 a chair. We
have 9 chairs sponsored at this time. The High Tech Executive Training Room will be
available not only for the Business Resources but for our Business Community as well.
 Online courses- Are up and running on Edtogo.
 Additional business awards –There has been a lot of brainstorming going on to create a
Lake County Business Hall of Fame. The award would be a career achievement award
offered to a business man or woman with 20 years achievement presence in Lake County.
It would acknowledge no more than three businesses a year.
 Robert Johnson informed us that the Chamber Alliance is also interested in a Business
Awards Program. Robert approached the Community Service Awards and suggested
gather the program under one umbrella. After a positive meeting with the League of
Cities, it was suggested to put together an Exploratory Committee which included: Jim
Meyers (League of Cities), Russ Sloan, Robert Johnson and Ron Wallace (Community
Service Awards). The Committees conscience is to have three Hall of Fame Awards, for
Outstanding Business of the Year in three categories:
(Small) A Business with less than 10 employees
(Median) A business with 11 to 40 employees
(Large) A business with over 40 employees
 Lake County reports that 95% of its businesses have less than 15 employees.
 The Hall of Fame Awards will be ratified this week and nominations will be in the
Chamber Alliance Flyer, December 1s.t.
Staff Reports
 Lucy Torman, Assistant Director, Business Resources Center, reported that this is the
Business Resources Center’s busiest time of year.
 Lucy reported that many small companies have been sending 2 or 3 employees to
join open enrollment courses with the Computer Institute.
 Lucy and Bob Vehmeier are working with Lake County Schools to develop training
programs for customer service in their maintenance dept.
 Out pouring demand for Ed2Go online courses and training
 Ongoing training on Vista and Windows 07 for LSCC employees.

Bob Vehmeier, Manager Training Services, Business Resources Center, reports that
he has been working with Life Stream, on customer service training and retail
training. Sumter County Rescue unit has been meeting with him to start an EMT
unit.
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Topics for Discussion
 South Lake Campus will be housing the Small Business Development Center,
which is out of Orlando and serves 6-7 counties. To better serve Lake County
they needed a physical presence. They will be used for a back up and
supplemental addition to SCORE and Business Resources Center. Russ will
invite them to attend our next Advisory Board Meeting to explain their role in
the community.
 Russ introduced Bob Jones, Business Development Manager, WorkForce
Central Florida, who emphasized the various training programs available to
serve our area businesses.
 Committee Structure and Agendas for 2008 will be address after the 1st of the
year regarding:
Micro Loans
Strategic Planning
Finance
 Russ is asking for recommendations on addition and replacement board
member.
 Dr. Estey thanked Russ for the steps that have been taken through this
Advisory Board and how it has strengthened the bond of partnerships in the
community.
 On the Academic side, Advisory Committees have been formed to look at
specific subject program areas and explore the best methods for staying up to
date with the curriculum so when LSCC students go out into the community
they are the best you can employ. Lake-Sumter’s record still stands, graduates
are either meeting or exceeding in every discipline of the native students at the
university. Dr. Estey went on to explain other programs of the college.

Motion to approve minutes of August 16, 2007

Russ brought attention to the Board that our greatest partners for what we do
here at the Business Resources Center are the Chambers of Commerce.

Meeting Adjourn

Next Advisory Board Meeting - Thursday, February 21, 2008
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