Taking Action

Although the topic of paid sick leave, and the future of legislation dealing with it, dominated the discussion at the Howard County Chamber of Commerce’s (HCCC) 2018 Legislative Preview Breakfast last month, there are many other policy areas the chamber will focus on during the coming legislative session.
In the policy area of labor, employment and health care, the HCCC has identified legislation involving mandatory paid sick leave, predictive scheduling, minimum wage, equal pay and Maryland exemptions from overtime pay as areas of major concern.

Through the chamber’s Legislative & Government Affairs Committee, work by chamber staff and lobbyists, the HCCC will also continue to advocate for the interests of Howard County’s business community in the legislative process for the Main Street Fairness Act, economic development strategies and related incentive policies, village center redevelopment, the Howard County Public School System, zoning and land use regulation and many other areas.

The HCCC will provide weekly updates as the 2018 legislative session proceeds and, for the first time, we also will be able to share real-time updates on legislation of particular interest to our members on social media and via www.howardchamber.com.

A Jingle Mingling Junction

The HCCC’s 2017 Jingle Mingle Holiday Party is in the books and it was truly a night to remember. More than 250 HCCC members, sponsors and guests packed The Great Room at The Residences at Annapolis Junction, which was decked out for the occasion.

Attendees dined on small bites from Clyde’s of Columbia, sipped on Signature Pomegranate Champagne Cocktails and networked for hours. When guests needed a break from talking, they enjoyed complimentary massages from Tocar Spa or put their feet up in the movie room to see a holiday movie montage and eat fresh popcorn. A roaming magician had crowds amazed at his sleight-of-hand tricks and the celebrants had fun taking pictures with the Santa Claus ice sculpture.

The event would not have been possible without months of planning by the members of our Jingle Mingle Committee and its sponsors, including Capital One Spark Business; The Residences at Annapolis Junction; St. John Properties; Strat Wealth; bgr CPAs; The Howard Hughes Corp.; Training by Design; PNC Bank; KatzAbosch; First National Bank; KCI Technologies; Bay Bank; Edwards Performance Solutions; Offit Kurman; The RMR Group; Oxford Planning Group; Pessin Katz Law; Joseph, Greenwald & Laake; Commercial Insurance Managers; Keller Williams/Juanita Matthews; NFM Lending; Endeavor Electric and Prime Lending; and our in-kind sponsors, Millennium Marketing Solutions, Anderson Minuteman Press, Pam Long Photography, Lord & Taylor, SL Nusbaum Realty Co. and Tocar Spa.

Focus on Health Care

With portions of the Affordable Care Act set to be repealed as part of the massive tax reform bill making its way through Congress, and the opioid abuse epidemic, health care is part of an ongoing conversation with residents and in the business community.

The HCCC is taking a cue from the public discourse and focusing our first member lunch of 2018 on the State of Health Care in Howard County. Moderator Paul Skalny, managing director of Davis, Agnor, Rapaport & Skalny, past chair of the chamber’s board of directors and current vice chair of the board of trustees of Howard County General Hospital, will serve as moderator for a panel discussion. Panelists will include Howard County General Hospital President Steve Snelgrove, Howard County Health Department Health Officer Dr. Maura Rossman, Columbia Medical Practice’s Dr. William Saway and Howard County General Hospital’s Vice President of Population Health Dr. Elizabeth Kromm.

Join the HCCC on Jan. 18 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Columbia Town Center Hotel. Register at www.howardchamber.com.