Your Weekly News & Updates - December 22, 2016
  Information
Ellicott City continues to move forward

The series of the four rECovery meetings held October through December brought the community together to learn about recovery efforts of nearby jurisdictions that faced similar challenges and provided a forum to share ideas to help Ellicott City rebuild stronger and more resilient.Going forward, the County will continue to work to keep the community engaged in the next steps. The Master Plan process will begin in 2017 and will require public involvement and interaction.  

Downtown Columbia development nabs second big tenant
with 75K s.f. lease

Pearson PLC, an international publishing and education company, will merge four of its Maryland offices into new office space in Columbia's up-and-coming downtown. The company has leased 75,000 square feet in Two Merriweather, a $41 million Class A office development now under construction by the Howard Hughes Corp.

Major overhaul of state contracting proposed, along with hundreds
of changes to regulations

The Hogan administration has unveiled a major overhaul of how billions in state contracts are bid and awarded, along with a revamping of hundreds of regulations designed to making doing business in Maryland easier.

Making Maryland Great for Veterans & Military Retirees - Business

Did you know that Maryland is rated as the 18th best state for Veterans and the 29th best state for Military Retirees? Why aren't we among the Top Ten?Help by providing feedback to assist in assessing the issue, enabling proposal of viable solutions that will result in Maryland being rated among the Top Ten States for Veterans and Military Retirees.

Looking for Howard  County Government Procurement 
Opportunities? 
#ECStrong Links
  Membership News
welcome new members button
(As of the last 45 days)
Howard County Public Schools Passport to the Future program is looking for donations! Can you help?
 
The mission of the program is to provide high school students enrolled in the Career Research and Development academy with the opportunity to earn a workforce-readiness endorsement. HCPS is in need of food, sponsorships and prize donations for the upcoming conference event on March 17, 2017. For more information click here. 

If you have any questions or want to participate, please call (410) 313-7493 or email Stephanie_discepolo@hcpss.org.
Judges needed! 
Future Business Leaders of America, Region 5 Conference
Hosted by Marriotts Ridge High School 
January 17, 2017, 4:30 p.m.  
 
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is a career and technology student organization that aims to prepare students for the business world and any career they wish to pursue.
A crucial part to FBLA are competitive events, where students are able to demonstrate their knowledge and talents in over 60 events.  

If you have any questions or want to sign up, please email  Kimberly_Burke@hcpss.org.
  Chamber News 
Chamber Circle of Champion Sponsorships
As you prepare for the upcoming year, we hope that the Howard County Chamber is included in your firm's 2017 business development plans. It is a new day in Howard County and we are positioned for success. Support us and let us take your business higher.   

 
Upcoming Events

January 4, 2017 - YPN Mixer at One Merriweather, hosted by The Howard Hughes Corporation 
January 19, 2017 - Member Lunch
January 24, 2017 - Member Orientation
January 25, 2017 - GovConnects BizBreakfast
            
 

Circle of Champion Sponsors

       Columbia Bank 3 
      
Join Our Mailing List
STAY CONNECTED:
Twitter: @HoCoChamber | Facebook: @HowardChamber | www.howardchamber.com