Making Waves

>>Like the show horses that she loves to ride, Angela Schivinski has easily hit her stride since joining the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce in June 2007—and she’s found herself in the winner’s circle with a string of successful new business ventures.

Schivinski is in charge of membership development for the chamber. In her short time there, she has cemented her reputation by developing and launching the successful "Advancing Business Leaders" program. ABL is open to all, but also functions as an "alumni club" for area businesspeople who have successfully completed the chamber’s popular "Emerging Leaders" program.

"It’s a way for anybody … to stay active in the community and meet with like-minded people, people who are aggressive and forward-thinking and ahead of the curve," Schivinski says.

Her efforts have led to more than 230 new members joining the chamber, which meant more than $100,000 in new revenue.

This first year was apparently just a warm-up for Schivinski. She has several new revenue generators entering the ring.

The Greater Fort Myers Chamber recently launched a new Web site for business leaders. It is filled with blogs, employers seeking new team members and plenty of advertising opportunities to reach this targeted audience.

Schivinski also has come up with the idea for "spotlight" companies at the chamber’s monthly luncheons. Each month, 10 businesses will be able to put gifts, coupons, vouchers and advertising material in goodie bags, which will go to all the attendees.

"It’s a great advertising opportunity," Schivinski says. "If there is a time you can’t come because of other commitments, we’ll work with you to be a ‘spotlight’ and help make sure that you can have a presence at the luncheon even though you can’t physically attend."

In her spare time, Schivinski, a 2004 graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University, is indeed an avid equestrian.