HCCC
Forum for Women in Government Contracting a Hit
“Confidence is 25%-50% genetic,” said Claire Shipman, co-author of Womenomics and The Confidence Code, explaining how research shows that men come by their confidence “honestly,” while many women need to be prodded in order to gain the confidence they need to succeed.
Shipman, the keynote speaker at the GovConnects organized event on March 20, was just the first of many speakers and panelists from the government and industry to share their experiences and insights with more than 100 women (and men) on their different approaches to success.
Do Some Business After Business
We know you have your taxes done. If not, here’s an excuse to get them done now. Hang out with us, relax and enjoy good company at a fabulous location: the Waverly Woods Golf Club. The event will be held on Wednesday, April 15, from 5–7 p.m.
Called “the best and most convenient upscale course west of the Charm City” by GolfStyles magazine, here’s your chance to check it out, enjoy good company and write off a business expense for next year’s taxes. Find more information and registration at howardchamber.com.
Join us April 30 for the Legislative Review
After convening in January for the 435th time and just wrapping up their calendar for the year, the Howard County representatives in the Maryland General Assembly will share their insight into the activities in Annapolis: What went right, what went wrong, what they learned and how it will be better the next time.
Confirmed panelists (as of late March) are Sen. Ed Kasemeyer and Dels. Vanessa Atterbeary, Bob Flanagan, Terri Hill, Trent Kittleman, Clarence Lam, Warren Miller and Frank Turner. Come join us for breakfast on Thursday, April 30, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Columbia, from 7:30 – 9:30 a.m., and find out what’s going on in Annapolis and how it affects you. For more information, visit howardchamber.com.
Keep Your Eyes Open
In May, The Business Monthly will contain the Annual Salute to Howard County Chamber of Commerce. Look for the special issue and find out about our staff, activities, events and our involvement in all things Howard County.
CyberConference 6.0 Set for APL
On June 17 at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory’s (APL) Kossiakoff Center, in Laurel, Lt. Gen. Rhett Hernandez, retired commander of U.S. Army CyberCommand, will be the keynote speaker addressing attendees at this annual event.
As has been the case at past events, Mentoring in a Minute (15-minute sessions) and Tech Talks — where small businesses can pitch their products and services to large primes and potential joint venture partners — will be part of the larger conference agenda. The deadline to submit potential TechTalks is May 15. More details are available at www.govconnectscyber.com/tech-talks.
WCC
New Conference Room Available for Rent
Thanks to a generous sponsorship by The Bank of Glen Burnie, the West Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce (WAACCC) recently opened a new conference room that will be made available for rental to members. The new space is completely separate from the existing office, providing a level of privacy not available in other area rentals.
Accommodations include seating for 20 around a long, oval table, whiteboard, wireless access (which is coming soon), serving area, coffee and water service and small refrigerator. A projector and screen are available by prior arrangement. For more information and reservations, contact Marnea at 410-672-3422 or e-mail [email protected].
Mixer at The Palisades at Arundel Preserve
The WAACCC’s April mixer will be held at The Palisades at Arundel Preserve, Anne Arundel County’s tallest apartment building, located just off the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Come experience this beautiful facility while networking with fellow chamber members from 5 to 7 p.m. on April 14.
There is no cost to attend for members, their guests and prospective members (whom we limit to two mixers/year). Register at www.westcountychamber.org or call 410-672-3422.
Sixth Annual Golf Tournament
Sponsorships and foursome reservations are now available for the 6th Annual West County Open Golf Tournament, which will be held on Friday, May 8, at Walden Country Club. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available, many including foursomes, or you can book your foursome for $600 (all inclusive), $175 for individual players. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., with the shotgun start at 9 a.m.
For more information, contact Kim Wirt at [email protected] or register at www.westcountychamber.org.
Working for You: Fort Meade Listening Session
WAACCC CEO Claire Louder represented the West County business community at the Army’s SPEA 2020 Listening Session on Monday, March 23. These sessions are being held around the country at Army installations to discuss the impact of the Army shrinking from 490,000 personnel to 450,000 personnel, and possibly 420,000 personnel if sequestration remains in effect. Yes, it’s still there (only the furloughs ended).
For Fort Meade, this is essentially a pencil-and-paper exercise, as the installation is slated for continued growth with the expansion of U.S. CyberCommand, among other agencies. However, Louder and other members of the Fort Meade Community Covenant Council used this opportunity to talk about the need for better resourcing of Fort Meade.
The post has seen no increase in garrison staffing and only modest increases in operating funds since the BRAC expansion and other growth almost doubled its size. This has led to maintenance and support challenges, some of which also impact off-post activities, such as traffic backups on Route 175 resulting from inadequate gate infrastructure accessing the post.
As Fort Meade continues to grow, the WAACCC will continue to advocate for its needs as a valued economic generator in our community.
Why It Matters
As the largest employer in the state of Maryland, Fort Meade has an estimated $23 billion economic impact on our economy, a significant portion of that in Anne Arundel County.
While the post itself does not pay taxes as a federal installation, the majority of its workforce is made up of civilians who live in Maryland, pay taxes and own homes here. They also do business within our local community, so ensuring that Fort Meade remains strong and receives the resources it needs helps our business community as well.
BWCC
The Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber (BWCC) will host its 68th Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 30, from 11 a.m.–2 p.m., at Martin’s Crosswinds, in Greenbelt. The day will feature, as our emcee, ABC 7/WJLA-TV News reporter and Washington Business Report anchor Rebecca Cooper. Just after his first Maryland General Assembly Legislative Session, Gov. Larry Hogan (who has been invited) will provide his perspective on business in Maryland and the opportunities for change that he envisions.
The BWCC’s 2015 Dr. Freeman Hrabowski Visionary Leadership Award will be presented by the UMBC university president himself to Southern Management Corp.’s Founder and CEO, David Hillman. We will also induct into the Corridor Hall of Fame three dynamic leaders in our region: Michael Cryor, CEO of the Cryor Group; Jennifer Bodensiek, CEO of Junior Achievement of Central Maryland; and, Wanda Draper, director of programming and public affairs, WBAL-TV 11, Baltimore.
This is a great opportunity to showcase your organization as a sponsor for this event, as well as provide a networking nexus for your company’s leaders and clients.
By the Numbers
Did you know that Fort Meade is the third largest Army post in America? At the recent Listening Event, hosted by the Military District of Washington’s Commander, MG Jeffrey Buchanan and post Garrison Commander Brian Foley, elected officials and guests were invited to view a presentation and comment on the U. S. Army’s plan for changes to the force structure, reducing the Army’s personnel level to 450,000 soldiers, making it the smallest Army since before World War II.
Fort Meade is a unique base, with all military branches represented in nearly equal numbers. Known as the nation’s pre-eminent center for information, intelligence and cybersecurity, Fort Meade encompasses 5,067 acres, with more than 1,600 buildings and 11 million square feet of space — and it’s growing. Thirteen major building projects, worth in excess of $1.8 billion, are under construction. All told, 117 tenant organizations call Fort Meade home, and plans are that nine of those will add 2,310 personnel during the next five fiscal years.
Additionally, personnel currently off-post in leased space will be migrating back to Fort Meade from 2022–28 — some 6,000 to 9,000 in number.
Cyberspace and cybersecurity are the watchwords for this time in history, and Fort Meade is at the vanguard, with five of the top cyber commands located there: U.S. CyberCommand, the National Security Agency, the Defense Information Systems Agency, Marine Cyber and Navy Cyber.
More than 51,000 people work or live at Fort Meade, with about 14,000 as active duty military, coupled with 8,525 contractors and 10,000 on-post residents. When one adds the retired military personnel and others who use the base’s resources, Fort Meade supports a total population of nearly 144,000.
Getting Around
As one can imagine, such traffic volume, using limited access points, means that the roadway infrastructure needs are great. Five roadway construction projects are currently underway along Route 175. It is estimated that nearly $59 million in highway upgrades are needed on post, which are currently unfunded.
At the meeting, BG Michael Hayes, ret., director of the Maryland Office of Military Affairs, a part of the Department of Business and Economic Development, noted that before the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), the economic impact analysis for all military bases in Maryland revealed a total impact of $36 billion, with more than half coming from Fort Meade. A new economic impact analysis is being conducted by Towson University’s Regional Economic Studies Institute (RESI), which should be ready in the future and will likely show a far greater impact on Maryland’s economy.
The BWCC is a leadership member of the Fort Meade Community Covenant Council, serving with other organizations in the region to provide a nexus for information, resources and advocacy of Fort Meade. It is a huge part of our social, economic and defense fabric, and we need to do all we can to keep it vibrant and adaptive.
For more information about the BWCC, including events, programs and sponsorship opportunities, contact us at www.bwcc.org or call 301-725-4000 or 410-792-9714.