The Central Maryland Chamber Educational Foundation, a 501(c)(3) arm of the Central Maryland Chamber, has been in existence since 1982 with a mission to provide scholarships for local high school students. 

The Foundation is governed by its own Board of Directors and is currently chaired by Rhonda Tomlinson with RJ Tomlinson & Associates, LLC. Rhonda leads a group of 14 board members and subcommittees that award scholarships each year. 

The Foundation, started as the BWCC Foundation and renamed to the Central Maryland Chamber Educational Foundation in 2020, has produced a variety of scholarships for deserving high school students. The Foundation awards up to 18 scholarships each year to students on their way to higher education locally, state, and nationwide. 

Local high schools are in a rotation to receive awards. Each winter, the Foundation notifies the principal of the recipient school and asks that the faculty select the student it feels is most worthy and deserving of the award. Some of last year’s recipients received scholarships to University of Maryland College Park, Anne Arundel Community College, Towson University, High Point University, Bowie State University, New York University (NYU), University of Maryland Eastern Shore, North Carolina A&T, and more.

The foundation is funded by generous donors who support the program. As a donor, you can make a one-time or annual donation, which is tax-deductible and supports students in our region. The Foundation, in partnership with the CMC board and staff, put on an annual Holiday Mixer each December where proceeds from the event and silent auction go towards the scholarship fund. 

Thank you to the Foundation’s dedicated board of directors for their service. They are Rhonda Tomlinson- RJ Tomlinson & Associates, LLC, Larry Bormel- Bormel, Grice & Huyett, Kristi Simon- Central Maryland Chamber of Commerce, Cathy Barret- LMD Agency, Mary Bello- Upwell Advisors, Eric Harris- Marathon Financial, Rich Ohnmacht- Woodsboro Bank, Mike Cammarata- Tide Creek Financial, Chris Riismandel- Epoch, Inc, Josie Thompson- Josie Designs, Walt Townshend, Frans vanWagenberg, and Wayne Wilhelm- Wilhelm Commercial Builders. 

For more information on how to contribute to the foundation or to participate as a volunteer, please don’t hesitate to connect with the Chamber staff to learn more.