From the President - Deborah Cornely
June 2010

  As we head into summer, we anticipate several interesting and exciting events over the next couple of months.

  We are looking forward to a presentation by David Iannucci, director of Baltimore County’s Office of Economic Development, who has been invited to attend the annual State-of-the-Chamber Breakfast at Boulevard Diner on Wednesday, June 16. Mr. Iannucci has been asked to offer his opinion on the current business climate and an outlook for the future of the county’s southeast sector. Before introducing our invited guest, I will give a rundown on the Chamber’s progress over the past year, and ask committee heads to update the membership on their activities.

  The Board has called a General Membership Meeting to coincide with the annual breakfast for the purpose of voting on proposed amendments to our Constitution. An announcement about the breakfast and the upcoming vote on proposed Constitutional revisions was sent to each member in late April along with a copy of the document outlining the recommendations. A vote on the revisions will be taken during the June 16 breakfast. Members who haven’t already done so, should take a moment to look through the proposed changes and plan to attend the breakfast to vote.

  We are well into planning for the Chamber’s annual Golf Tournament at Sparrows Point Country Club on Monday, July 26. Proceeds from the tournament are used to fund scholarships for local high school and college students and the Chamber hopes to use a portion of the proceeds to launch a fully paid summer internship program to benefit students and member businesses. Last year, the Chamber managed to award $5,500 in scholarships to area high school students and set aside an additional $3,000 for a future student internship program. The tourney will begin with a Continental breakfast at 7:30 a.m., followed by a shotgun start at 8:30. Lunch will be served on the course, with a buffet and awards in the clubhouse. Numerous sponsorships at various levels – from $100 for a tee sign to $5,000 for a platinum partnership – are available for the tournament. The foursome entry fee is $600, $150 per player. Organizers are again expecting a great turnout, so make your reservations now.

  The Chamber’s annual Crab Feast will be held in the late afternoon on Thursday, August 19, at the compound belonging to the Koch family, owners of the century-old Dundalk Florist Greenhouse and Gifts, right down the street from the florist shop on German Hill Rd. As in past years, crab-lovers can look forward to plenty of tasty crustaceans and beer, along with a seemingly endless variety of other delicious foods. Plan to attend and bring a friend or two.

  The Patapsco Bank, which is also celebrating its milestone 100-year anniversary this year, will host a reception at its office on the corner of Merritt Blvd. and German Hill Rd. for Chamber members and guests. Come and network with other business folks inside the bank after hours on Wednesday, September 16, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Light fare and refreshments will be served.

  The annual Teacher Recognition Banquet at Martin’s East in April was a sold-out affair. Four local educators were chosen to receive special honors from a slate of 21 teachers nominated by their respective principals. Award winners each earned a “swag bag” containing gifts donated by members and other businesses, an attractive plaque in honor of the occasion and a $500 check from the Chamber. Governor Martin O’Malley was among many officials who greeted and distributed citations to the honorees.

  It was unfortunate that the Chamber-sponsored St. Patrick’s Parade had to be canceled this year. Parade organizers made the right call, however, since it poured on parade day. The annual
event has no rain date, so money set aside for this year’s parade will help fund the event next year. That means we can look forward to an even more spectacular parade in 2011.

  Other Chamber events that occurred over the past several months are covered inside this edition of Chamber Notes. An informative legislative update was offered by local elected officials during May’s networking session at Dundalk Florist and a St. Patrick’s Day feast at Poplar Inn featured an equally informative presentation on plans for the area’s new high school. In April, the Chamber successfully partnered with other area business groups for a networking function at Brightview Assisted Living. Until next time...

Thank you all for supporting the Chamber.

Deborah Cornely
President