WCC

Spirit of Community Awards

Don’t miss the West County Chamber’s (CC) Spirit of Community Awards honoring educators, public safety officers and a military service member of the year. This year’s event will be held on Monday, March 14, beginning at 6 p.m., at The Hotel at Arundel Preserve.

Sponsorships are still available. It is the support of our local business community that makes this event possible. Individual tickets are $65/person (all sponsorship packages include tickets). For more information, contact Claire Louder at 410-672-3422, or email [email protected].

Promoting Your Business at Fort Meade

The WCC’s March Box Talk, which will be held on Wednesday, March 16, at noon in the Chamber Conference Room, will feature representatives from the Fort Meade Office of Family, Moral, Welfare & Recreation and the Public Affairs Office, who will discuss opportunities to promote your business at Fort Meade and support military families.

There is no cost to attend, but space is limited; register at www.westcountychamber.org/events. Attendance is limited to chamber members only.

Women Mean Business

Looking to network with other professional women in a supportive environment? Come to the next Women Mean Business lunch on Wednesday, March 23, at the Towne Place Marriott BWI beginning at 11:30 a.m. Cost to attend is $20 per person.

Economic Trends Luncheon with Basu

The WCC is partnering again with the North County Chamber to bring renowned (and humorous) economist Anirban Basu for an Economic Trends Luncheon on Thursday, April 7. It will be held at Chartwell Country Club, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Cost to attend is $40 per person, and sponsorships are available as well.

For more information, contact the WCC at 410-672-3422 or visit www.westcountychamber.org.

April Mixer

The next WCC mixer will be held on Tuesday, March 12, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Newk’s Eatery in The Village at Waugh Chapel. If you haven’t tried their fresh food, this is your opportunity; they’re now serving beer and wine, as well. While there is no cost to attend, register in advance so our hosts know how much food to prepare.

Chamber Inclement Weather Policy

The WCC follows Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) for delays and event cancellations. If AACPS is on an opening delay, the chamber office will open at noon, and all morning meetings and events are cancelled. If AACPS closes school for the day, all meetings and events are cancelled. If AACPS is on a weather related early dismissal, all afternoon and evening WCC meetings and events will be cancelled.

Updates will be posted on the WCC’s Facebook page, which also feeds onto the chamber’s homepage.

HCCC

BizBreakfast: FY ’16 Health IT Forecast

GovConnects will welcome Brian Hebbel, group director, office of acquisition and grants management centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), on March 9 as the guest speaker at the March BizBreakfast. With the growth of the health information technology and technology industry in Howard County, the federal government customers are looking to this region for solution providers.

Learn about opportunities in the industry and what government customers forecast as the industry trends and growth areas. Connect with the Small Business Office and identify ways to make your company more competitive in this growth industry. Table sponsorships are available.

Multi-Organization Power Networking

More than 10 area chambers and business organizations will be hosting this networking breakfast, from 7:30–9:30 a.m., on March 16, at the Overhills Mansion, in Catonsville. Join us to make valuable contacts and new business relationships with others in this fantastic region.

Member Orientation

Not just for new members, but those who want to know more about the Chamber and how they can get involved in the premier business organization of the county. Join us on March 17, at Eggspectation, in Ellicott City, from 4–5:30 p.m., to find out how your business can benefit from Chamber membership.

Branding Your Business: Small Business Seminar

ADG Creative is hosting and presenting this morning seminar on March 23, from 8–10 a.m. Learn how to create a successful and enduring brand. You’ve got your logo, your website, your marketing material … now what? These seminars are small and intimate, thus perfect for getting the specific information you want to know.

For information and registration for these events, visit www.howardchamber.com or call 410-730-4111.

Women in Federal Government Contracting Leadership Forum

“Grow Your Business, Grow Yourself,” at The Hotel at Arundel Preserve, on April 1, will be the focus for the second annual conference for those in the federal contracting arena. We are excited to announce that Marta Wilson, founder and CEO of Transformation Systems Inc., will be our keynote speaker and address the importance of transformational leadership, and how to lead your team to success in changing times.

Topical breakout sessions include “Delegate to Elevate,” while the business track offers “Leveraging Certification” and “Improving Your Value Chain.” For CPU credits. Additional information, sponsorships and registration can be found at www.govconnectswigc.com.

CFO Roundtable for Fed Contractors

Our series of 10 roundtable discussions continues to provide federal contractors with valuable contacts and information as we gather a small group of government contracting CFOs to brainstorm, share insights and best practices in working with the federal government. Lunch is provided, and meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month.

Save the Date for Cyber 7.0: Critical Infrastructures

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory’s Kossiakoff Center, Laurel, on June 22. We are seeking sponsors and exhibitors. Early bird registration ends March 25. Email [email protected] for questions or sign up on govconnectscyber.com for monthly updates.

For more information about these events, contact Maureen Thomas, executive director of GovConnects, at [email protected] or visit www.govconnects.com.

BWCC

Join the Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber (BWCC), the BWCC Foundation and hundreds of guests for the 2016 Annual Gala, to be held at Ten Oaks Ballroom, Clarksville, on March 10.

The event will feature ventriloquist Taylor Mason. Mason wows audiences across the country with his cast of “dummies,” including his latest, Donald Trump, complete with “talking hair.” The evening includes heavy hors d’oeuvres, beverages, a silent and live auction and Mason’s phenomenal show. What’s more, proceeds are used to support the BWCC Foundation’s Scholarship program, which last year awarded nearly $19,000 in scholarships to area students for their post-secondary education.

One of the auction items will be a night’s stay for two, with breakfast, at the birthplace of President James Madison, Belle Grove Plantation, in Port Royal, Va., an easy 75-minute drive from the Corridor. Belle Grove was awarded Virginia Wedding and Events Network’s “Best of 2013” as Best New Business, Best Wedding Venue and Best Accommodation.

Michelle and Brett Darnell, the innkeepers, will be your hosts at this restored, 6,000-square-foot mansion that was built in 1791 on the banks of the Rappahannock River. It features four master suites with luxurious, private baths, and enchanting views of the river and plantation; and each room is named after families that lived at Belle Grove Plantation and each is decorated in period antiques to reflect the period of that family’s residence. From the Conway Room with its rare 1830 Acorn Full Tester Bed and 1720 Highboy Chest, to the Turner Room with its 1860 Half Tester Victorian Bed and 1885 Cheval Mirror, Belle Grove’s rooms will allow you to visit history.

Walk the grounds where President James Madison drew his first breath. Take in the grounds where James Madison’s mother, Eleanor Rose “Nelly” Conway Madison, was born, grew up and returned to have James. Walk through the mansion that Union soldiers forced a family from to take it as a Union Headquarters. View where John Wilkes Booth rode the ferry across the Rappahannock River on the way to Garrett’s Farm and learn about the Union detachment pursuing Booth stopping to rest, eat and sleep at the plantation.

The honoree for this year’s Gala is the University System of Maryland (USM) Foundation, whose president and CEO is Leonard Raley, former board chair for the BWCC. The USM Foundation advocates and supports the advancement of public higher education in Maryland through visionary leadership in philanthropy, asset management and stewardship.

The USM Foundation got its start in 1979 when it was created to support the five campuses of what was then called the University of Maryland. Originally named the University of Maryland Foundation, its founding gift was cattle from Arthur Houghton, known as the “Wye” herd. The herd is maintained to this day through the College of Agriculture at the University of Maryland, College Park.

As the University of Maryland expanded from five campuses to 12 institutions within USM, so did the foundation, becoming the University System of Maryland Foundation, in 2004.

Today, the USM Foundation has expanded its services to include grants administration, gift administration and payroll services. In conjunction with the USM Office of Advancement and campus staff, the USM Foundation owns and maintains a database of more than 1 million alumni/donor records.

Additionally, the USM Foundation works closely with USM Advancement staff to provide campaign and strategic fundraising leadership support and professional development to all USM institutions and their affiliated foundations.