The Central Maryland Chamber (CMC) hosted its Awards Gala on March 20 at Live! Casino & Hotel. We would like to thank all of our sponsors, Chamber and community members, elected officials and special guests, and the staff at Live! Casino and Hotel for a magical evening. 

The event recognized and honored the companies and volunteers who partner with the chamber to be the voice of businesses, create jobs, and help our region thrive. We also presented our Community Awards to recognize outstanding individuals in the areas of public safety and education. Our guests left feeling informed and inspired hearing the accomplishments of our nominees and award winners who are impacting the Central Maryland region.

The CMC is thrilled to announce the 2023 Hall of Fame Inductees: 

Start-Up of the Year: 3P Consulting 

Woman-Owned Business of the Year: Stewart Technologies, Inc.

BIPOC Business of the Year*: Tocar Spa 

*Black, Indigenous, and People of Color

Small Business of the Year: Chesapeake Think Tank, LLC

Large Business of the Year: BGE

Business Partner of the Year: Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation (AAEDC)

Volunteer of the Year: Bethe Brekke

And our 2023 Spirit of Community Award winners are:

Public Safety Volunteer of the Year: Rosa Maher, Office of Emergency Management, City of Laurel

Sheriff’s Deputy of the Year: Corporal Will Cogle, Office of the Sheriff, Anne Arundel County

Police Office of the Year: Officer Hunter Martin, Anne Arundel County Police Department

Firefighter of the Year: Lieutenant John Shoemaker, Anne Arundel County Fire Department

Volunteer Firefighter of the Year: Lieutenant Kyle Norman, Odenton Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.

Military Service Member of the Year: Staff Sergeant Giovanni Sims, U.S. Air Force, Fort George G. Meade

Elementary Educator of the Year: Courtney Kenney, South Shore Elementary School

Middle School Educator of the Year: Josh Ritter, Ruth Parker Eason School

High School Educator of the Year: Carolyn Plitt, Arundel High School

Administrative Support Staff of the Year: Latasha Savoy, Van Bokkelen Elementary School

Facilities Support Staff of the Year: Dorcell Holland, Ruth Parker Eason School

Administrator of the Year: Dr. Christopher Wooleyhand, Pershing Hill Elementary School

School Business Partner of the Year: Sheehy Toyota of Laurel

We are so excited to have celebrated and honored some of the incredible individuals and businesses who serve our chamber and community. Our chamber’s success and region’s high quality of life is due in large part to the people and organizations we recognized. Thank you to our Spirit of Community Award Winners and Hall of Fame inductees for making our region one of the best places to live, work, and do business.

On June 20, the Central Maryland Classic Golf Tournament will be back at Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City. We expect a sellout crowd for a day of food, drinks, networking, contests, awards, our popular whiskey pull, and of course, golf! 

Not a golfer? You’re welcome to take advantage of networking opportunities throughout the day, get a relaxing treatment at the luxurious Turf Valley Spa, and attend our post-tournament reception in the ballroom. You won’t want to miss this great event. Sponsorships and foursomes are available- reach out for more information. 

And we would like to welcome our new members who have recently joined the Central Maryland Chamber! They are: AWARE Worldwide, Inc., Catapult Image, Committed Change Health and Wellness, Maryland Therapeutic Riding, Nemagnesh LLC, Sam’s Club Severn, and Venture X Columbia East. 

Visit www.CentralMarylandChamber.org to learn more about all that’s new at the CMC. We hope to see you soon!