Red Hat Signs on for Cyber Conference, Chamber Staff Day of Service & Register now for the State of Healthcare in Howard County!

December 21, 2017

CHAMBER NEWS

Red Hat Signs on as Premier Sponsor of our 2018 Cyber Conference

We've been putting together an annual Cyber Conference for the past eight years, but this year is going to be a bigger and better event than ever before. We are excited to announce that Red Hat has signed on as the premier sponsor for the 2018 conference!

Stay tuned for more big announcements in the coming weeks, including who you can expect to see at this year's conference.

Second Welcome to Howard County Reception Recap

Thank you to everyone who came out for our second Welcome to Howard County reception yesterday! The receptions are a collaboration between the Chamber, the Howard County Economic Development Authority and Visit Howard County. We look forward to continuing these events in 2018!

Last Coffee with the President of 2017

The coffee was hot and the conversations flowed at our last Coffee with the President of 2017 this week at Sunrise Senior Living. Chamber President/CEO Leonardo McClarty and our new Director of Membership, Brianne Yearwood, chatted with members and answered questions about Chamber benefits. Stay tuned for details about our first Coffee with the President in March of 2018!

Board of Directors' Executive Committee Treats Chamber Staff to Holiday Lunch

Thank you to our generous Board of Directors' Executive Committee for treating our staff to a delicious lunch this week at Maggiano's Little Italy. The Chamber is so lucky to have Board Chair Jeff Agnor, Esq., Chair-elect David Anderson, Mary Cannon, Stephen Wolf, CPA, Milton Matthews, Charles Phillips, Jr. and Thomas Meachum, Esq. working hard all year long on the Executive Committee. Cheers to a great 2018!

Chamber Staff Planning Day of Service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The Chamber staff is taking part in the county-wide Day of Service this January to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by volunteering at the Howard County Food Bank. We will be taking in donations from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on January 15th, and encourage you to stop by with canned fruit, cereal, soup, pasta, peanut butter and anything else on the Food Bank's Most Needed List .

If you want to take part in the Day of Service, but don't know where to start, check out the Volunteer Center of Howard County for a list of opportunities for individuals and families!

LEGISLATIVE ACTION UPDATE

Make Your Voices Heard in Annapolis at 2018 Business Day and Legislative Reception

The 2018 legislative session is almost here, so it's time to make sure our legislators know where Howard County's business owners stand on the policies expected to come up this year.

As part of that effort, the Maryland Chamber of Commerce is offering member pricing for our Chamber members who would like to participate in their 2018 Business Day and Legislative Reception on January 17th. Attendees will get to connect with state governmental policymakers, meet members of the General Assembly, build their networks with business leaders from across Maryland and add a voice in support of economic growth and private sector job creation.

For more information or to register at the member price, click here.

For a look at our 2018 Issues for Legislative Action brief, click here.

UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS

First Member Lunch of 2018 to Focus on the State of Healthcare in Howard County

Join us for a look at the state of healthcare in Howard County and a glimpse into the future from those who will shape it moderated by Paul Skalny, Managing Director of Davis, Agnor, Rapaport & Skalny, LLC and Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of Howard County General Hospital.

January 18, 2018

11 a.m - 1:30 p.m.

Sheraton Columbia Town Center Hotel

REGISTER NOW

January 10, 2018 - YPN Mixer at Two Merriweather

January 18, 2018 - State of Healthcare in Howard County Luncheon

January 24, 2018 - GovConnects BizBreakfast - Contracting Opportunities with Homeland Security on the State and Federal Level

January 30, 2018 - Free Member Orientation at Eggspectation

2018 Annual Partnerships & Event Sponsorships Now Available!

We have a new office, a new look, and now we're launching a new approach to our annual Chamber sponsorship opportunities! We have streamlined our offerings for 2018 to give you, our members, annual partnership packages and event sponsorship packages that are clearer and will help you ensure your business is getting the most out of your investment with the Chamber.

Thank you to The Columbia Bank, Apple Ford Lincoln, bgr CPAs, Columbia Association, Davis, Agnor, Rapaport & Skalny, LLC, Giant Food Kaiser Permanente, Howard Community College, The Howard Hughes Corporation, KCI Technologies , Howard Tech Advisors, Advertising Media Plus, PNC Bank, Howard County General Hospital: A Member of Johns Hopkins Medicine and Edwards Performance Solutions who have just signed on as our first Annual Partners for 2018!

For more information about our new 2018 Guide to Annual Partnerships, you can call Chamber President/CEO Leonardo McClarty at 410-730-4111 x107 or email him at [email protected].

CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS

Dr. Martirano Selected as Permanent HCPSS Superintendent

Congratulations to Dr. Michael Martirano on his selection as Permanent Superintendent for the Howard County Public School System. The announcement was made during the Board of Education meeting on the 19th. Once signed, Martirano's contract will run from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2022.

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Sheraton in Columbia Sells to Costello Construction

Costello Construction has purchased the Sheraton hotel in downtown Columbia according to the Baltimore Business Journal. The purchase will also include $10 million in planned upgrades to the property.

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Lots of Chamber Members on Best of Howard County List

Howard Magazine is out with their annual Best of Howard County list, so naturally, its filled with our fabulous Chamber members. Congratulations to Toby's Dinner Theater, Turf Valley Resort, O'Donnell Honda, Putting on the Ritz, Wegmans, Patient First, Environmental Systems Associates, Bob Lucido, Keller Williams Integrity, County Executive Allan Kittleman, Tower Federal Credit Union, Hillmuth Certified Automotive and Vantage House!

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BGE Ranks Highest in J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Study

Congratulations to Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), who just ranked highest in overall customer satisfaction among large utilities in the East Region, according to J.D. Power's annual study results, announced earlier this week.

Columbia Association Wants to Hear From Millennials

Columbia Association (CA) is seeking Columbia residents, employees and students between the ages of 17 and 35 to be part of the new Millenials Work Group and share ideas about how to serve them better.

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