HCCC
Signature Event Wrap Up
The business community came out in force on Oct. 2 to honor its own. Almost 500 people joined in the celebration at Turf Valley as the Howard County Chamber of Commerce (HCCC) recognize the achievements of the Damon Foreman Music Academy (Small Business of the Year), Clyde’s of Columbia (Large Business of the Year), Ciena Government Solutions (GovConnects Government Contractor of the Year), Mac Cassity of Mid-Atlantic Social Media (Entrepreneur of the Year) and Matt Eyre of Eyre Bus, Tour & Travel (Business Person of the Year).
From sinks and toilets equipped with “radar,” to the ironies of airport security questions, Jimmy Tingle’s sardonic, observant and humorous take on life’s little quirks touched on topics to which we could all relate.
Member Orientation: Nov. 11
All are welcome to find out more about the Howard County Chamber of Commerce. Join us from 4–5:30 p.m. at Eggspectation restaurant in Ellicott City, as chamber staff and board members offer an in-depth look at what we do.
Legislative Preview Breakfast: Nov. 18
Participate in the HCCC’s annual conversation with state elected officials about the issues that affect businesses in the region. The event provides an opportunity for attendees to share their insights into the issues that matter most to a successful business climate.
Find out what public policy issues will be a priority for the chamber in 2016. Make your voice heard. This wake-up breakfast discussion will be held at Turf Valley, in Ellicott City, from 7:30–9:30 a.m. and will be sponsored by AT&T and BGE.
Economic Forecast Breakfast: Dec. 2
Economist Anirban Basu is back for the HCCC’s annual Economic Forecast Breakfast on Wednesday, Dec. 2, at the Sheraton Columbia Town Center. What economic trends and developments will we be watching in 2016? How should we prepare? This lively and informative event starts at 7:30 a.m. and is sponsored by Sandy Spring Bank. Yes, we’ll bring the coffee.
Small Business Seminar: Dec. 3
Social Media and Measuring Your Return on Investment. What’s the most important social media metric? What can (and should) you measure? Why? How best to analyze each metric, and what’s the meaning of each? The event will be held from 8–10 a.m., at the University of Phoenix, Columbia.
For information and registration for these events, visit www.howardchamber.com or call 410-730-4111.
CFO Roundtable for Federal Contractors: Nov. 12
Are you a federal contracting CFO looking to connect with peers to discuss changes in the DFAR and other related accounting challenges? Join us for this roundtable for federal contractors held on the second Thursday of the month. Registration for the 2015–16 series has begun. The program has an alternating format of speakers/moderated discussions, selected by the participants. For more information, e-mail [email protected].
GovConnects C-level Dinner Set for Nov. 17
Join C-level federal contractors for the fourth in our 2015 C-level dinner/speaker series. Frequently sought out by national media for his opinion, Ron Gula is recognized as a leading cybersecurity thinker, innovator and visionary, and is passionate about promoting enterprise-wide security policy to C-level executives.
Since co-founding Tenable Network Security in 2002, Gula serves as CEO and focuses on product strategy and R&D to keep Tenable at the forefront of network security innovation. For information on sponsorship and registration, contact Maureen Thomas, executive director, GovConnects, at [email protected].
Fall Education Series: What Smalls Need to Know, on Dec. 8
The workshop is limited to 25 attendees. Small federal contractors will gain valuable insight into best practices for connecting with primes at this interactive workshop sponsored by Tower Federal Credit Union and hosted by GovConnects in partnership with the Chesapeake Innovation Center (CIC) and Leidos. For details and registration, visit www.GovConnects.com.
BWCC
Women Veterans Business Conference, Holiday Celebration and Mathematics
The Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber (BWCC) and its affiliated foundation are always working on programs and activities that support and develop the regional business community and its workforce.
On Friday, Nov. 13, from 8 a.m.–noon, at the Chesapeake Innovation Center in Odenton, the BWCC’s Women in Business will host the first Women Veterans’ Conference, “Transitioning to the Next Level,” that will feature prominent speakers and productive break-out sections. The keynote speaker will be Jackie Lopez, president of Premier Enterprise Solutions.
WIB Chair Connie Russell Gorum will moderate a veterans’ professional panel session that features David Muir, senior vice president of Veteran Staffing Network; Diana Dalakis, CEO of Greek Kitchen; Laurie Sayles Artis, CEO of Civility Management Solutions; Valerie Ormond of Veteran Writing Services; and Lisa Terry, executive director of the Howard County Office of Military Affairs and administrator for the Howard County Veterans and Military Families Commission.
Breakout sessions will focus on “Women, Veterans and Womenpreneurship” with Patti Senft, assistant director of the Veterans Business Outreach Center, and another on “Transitioning From the Military to the Civilian Workplace,” with Beth Colley of Chesapeake Career Management Services. Current sponsors for this event include Revere Bank and Target.Gov. Additional sponsorships are still available.
On Wednesday Dec. 2, from 5–7 p.m., at The Great Room at Savage Mill, the BWCC Foundation once again will host its Holiday Mixer, which has become the “place to be” in celebrating the season with business colleagues, associates and friends from across the region. Smaller businesses sometimes use this as a great way to thank employees and business colleagues for their work and business throughout the year. Bobby Mitchell, owner and executive chef, and his team from Putting on the Ritz make this a special event, complete with roast beef carving station, custom soup bar with shrimp, scallops, chicken and more. The desserts are always delightful. Make your reservations today, as space is limited.
On Oct. 16, the BWCC and the BWCC Foundation partnered strategically with the Maryland Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM), the National Security Agency (NSA) and many corporate partners to host the annual mathematics conference, drawing nearly 600 math educators from across Maryland to Baltimore Polytechnic Institute.
Dr. Uri Treisman from the University of Texas, Austin, was the keynote speaker. Treisman regularly serves on national commissions and working groups focused on strengthening mathematics and science education. During the past four years, he has served on the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Education Working Group of the president’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology; the Carnegie Corporation of New York–Institute for Advanced Study Commission on Mathematics and Science Education; and the International Benchmarking Advisory Group to a consortium of the National Governors Association, the Council of Chief State School Officers, and Achieve.
Treisman was named a MacArthur Fellow in 1992 for his work on nurturing minority student achievement in college mathematics and 2006 Scientist of the Year by the Harvard Foundation of Harvard University for his outstanding contributions to mathematics. In all of his work, he advocates for equity and excellence in education for all children.
In addition, there were nearly 100 breakout sessions during the day on all aspects of mathematics education, with master teachers and presenters for training math teachers from K–12.
And, for the first time ever, the BWCC arranged for bus transportation for pre-service student teachers from the University of Maryland, College Park, to travel to the conference.
For more than 20 years the BWCC and the BWCC Foundation have been involved in supporting math education in Maryland. In fact, experts tell us that they know of no other chamber in America supporting a statewide mathematics association, as the BWCC does for the MCTM. At the BWCC, we know that STEM is important, and mathematics is the key to a superior workforce for our highly technical employers in the region. Thanks again to all of our sponsors for this event.
To register for events or learn more about the BWCC, go to www.bwcc.org or call at 301-725-4000.
WCC
Not all chambers of commerce are created equal; in fact, the saying goes that if you’ve seen one chamber, you’ve seen one chamber.
The West County Chamber (WCC) is a proven advocate for the West County economy, including development of the Odenton Town Center, growth at Fort Meade, expansion at Arundel Mills and funding of the public infrastructure needed to support all of it. We actively work to improve the market for your business by growing the local economy.
We also keep you informed about what’s going on in the area, promote your business throughout West County, and connect you to opportunities through networking events and personal introductions. And we have professionally-trained staff that continually upgrade their skills to better serve you.
What is your chamber doing for you?
Relocation & Business Guide
Time is running short to get your business included in the WCC’s “Relocation & Business Guide.” Only members of the chamber are included in this publication, which is distributed on Fort Meade and throughout the local community.
In addition to business listings, it includes information about the growth occurring in the area and about local services, such as transportation, schools and relocation resources. Join the WCC by Nov. 30 to be included in this year’s edition. For more information, e-mail [email protected]; to advertise, contact [email protected].
New, Prospective Member Reception
Want to learn more about what the WCC is doing and how you can better leverage your membership? Attend the New and Prospective Member Reception on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 3 p.m. in the chamber’s conference room, located at 8379 Piney Orchard Parkway, Suite D.
CEO Claire Louder will discuss the ways in which the WCC advocates for local business, promotes member businesses, keeps you informed of area trends that impact your business and connects you to opportunity. There is no cost to attend, but please register in advance at www.westcountychamber.org.
Box Talks: Marketing Your Business
Don’t miss the WCC’s next Box Talk on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at noon. Charlie Wineke, of Comcast Spotlight, will be discussing cost-effective ways to market your business, including amazingly reasonable opportunities for cable advertising. There is no cost to attend for members, but don’t forget to bring your lunch.
Women Mean Business
Join the WCC’s Women Mean Business group for lunch at the brand new All American Steakhouse, in Odenton, on Thursday, Nov. 19, at 11:30 a.m. In addition to sharing a delicious meal and networking, the group is planning a presentation on personal security.
For more information, contact Kim Wirt at the chamber office at 410-672-3422 or register online at www.westcountychamber.org.
Small Business Saturday
The WCC will be supporting small, locally-owned businesses through American Express’s Small Business Saturday on Nov. 28 (the Saturday after Thanksgiving). This annual event provides a counterweight to Black Friday by highlighting the goods and services available locally. The chamber is sponsoring a Scavenger Hunt, with shoppers visiting local businesses to find a clue about that business; shoppers who visit at least five stores or restaurants (and record the clue) will be entered in a drawing for $25 gift cards.
There is no cost to chamber members to participate, but all signups must be completed by Nov. 10 in order for signs and other materials to be produced and distributed. Call the chamber at 410-672-3422 to sign up — and Shop Small on Saturday, Nov. 28.