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CEP News

Below you will find the latest news from the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership!

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Published: Apr 2, 2025

11th Annual Youth Business Plan Competition

The 11th Annual Youth Business Plan Competition is set to highlight Marion County’s brightest high school entrepreneurs. On Thursday, April 3, 2025, at 5:00 PM, the Power Plant Business Incubator will host the event, providing a platform for local students to pitch their business ideas to a panel of local business leaders and potential investors.

Published: Mar 7, 2025

Ocala Metro CEP Launches Search for New President & Chief Executive Officer

The Board of Directors of the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP) has initiated a search for the organization’s next President & Chief Executive Officer, retaining Waverly Partners, an executive search firm with extensive experience in chambers and economic development organizations nationwide. Waverly Partners is also the preferred provider of executive search services for the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.

Published: Dec 19, 2024

Ocala Metro CEP Announces Departure of CEO, Appointment of Search Committee

The Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership (CEP) announced today that its first CEO, Kevin T. Sheilley, CCE, has submitted his resignation after 12 years. It was simultaneously announced that he has been hired as the new President & CEO of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce in Charleston, SC.

Published: Dec 9, 2024

CEP Foundation Receives Grant from Papa John’s Foundation

CEP Foundation Receives Grant from Papa John’s Foundation The Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership Foundation is excited to announce that it has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Papa John’s Foundation’s Building Community Fund. This funding will directly support the CEP’s Leadership Ocala Marion Youth (LOMY) program, helping to keep participation costs affordable while also providing scholarships to ensure access for all students.

Published: Nov 27, 2024

Ocala Metro Catalyst Fund, Inc. Receives $300,000 Grant from U.S. Department of the Treasury to Expand Access to Underserved Communities

Ocala Metro Catalyst Fund, Inc. Receives $300,000 Grant from U.S. Department of the Treasury to Expand Access to Underserved Communities Ocala Metro Catalyst Fund, Inc. (OMCF) is proud to announce that it has been selected by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) to receive a $300,000 Technical Assistance (TA) grant through the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 CDFI Program. This grant will help the organization continue its efforts to expand access to capital, promote community development, and empower entrepreneurship in underserved communities across the Ocala Metro region.

Published: Dec 21, 2023

Rowland and Vanderhoof Graduate from the Advanced Economic Development Leadership (AEDL) Program

Rowland and Vanderhoof Graduate from the Advanced Economic Development Leadership (AEDL) Program Bart Rowland, Vice President of Job Creation, for the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership, and Tim Vanderhoof, Director of Business Attraction, for Lake Economic Area Development (LEAD) Partnership recently completed the Advanced Economic Development Leadership executive education program and have been awarded the Economic Development Master Practitioner certificate.

Published: Nov 30, 2023

The Ocala Metro CEP Announces the Creation of the Ocala Metro Catalyst Fund

The Ocala Metro CEP Announces the Creation of the Ocala Metro Catalyst Fund The Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership has established a new entity to address the growing need for small business capital and support. This new organization and its loan offerings will complement the already robust entrepreneurial programming and technical assistance offered by the Ocala Metro CEP.