Over the past year, the Maryland Chamber of Commerce has made a commitment, through our Business Development Council, to provide more support and programming to our small and medium-sized, women and minority-owned business members. So far, in 2008 we have held a seminar with Henry Gilford on the SBA 8(a) program, we are about to conduct seminars around the state on health insurance alternatives. We are also preparing to host the Maryland Small Business of the Year Awards Luncheon on June 6 and hold two programs in the Fall on employee recruitment/retention and keys to business success.

I am pleased to announce that Deborah Stallings, President and CEO, of HR Anew in Columbia has agreed to chair the Maryland Chamber’s Business Development Council. Deborah has many years of business and HR experience, and has been a small business owner for the past nine years. Deborah sits on several local and national Boards and has clients around the country, making her uniquely qualified to lead the Business Development Council and Maryland Chamber of Commerce small business program to the next level. We are very grateful to Tom Davis, formerly of Bozzutto Landscaping and now with Brickman, who helped the Chamber reinvigorate our small business program over the past two years.

The success of the Business Development Council, and the Maryland Chamber, is dependant upon the participation and support of our members. The new and improved Business Development Council will meet on Thursday, May 8 at 8:30 a.m. at HR Anew, 6350 Stevens Forest Road, Suite 302 in Columbia, Maryland. As a member of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, and a small business in Maryland, I encourage you to attend this meeting and to help us continue our efforts to provide value-added education and high level networking programs to small and medium-sized, women and minority-owned businesses. Get connected to other small businesses, and have your voice be heard in the development of the small business programs of the Business Development Council.

For more information on the Business Development Council and the upcoming meeting and to confirm your attendance, please contact Greg Buckler, Vice President of Membership for the Maryland Chamber at 410-269-0642 or 301-261-2858 or gbuckler@mdchamber.org or Deborah Stallings, Business Development Council Chair, at 410-381-5220 or Deborah@hranew.com.

We’re looking forward to collaborating with you and preparing for a great year to come!

Kathy Snyder, CCE
President and CEO
Maryland Chamber of Commerce
60 West Street, Suite 100
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 269-0642
(301) 261-2858
(410) 269-5247 fax
ksnyder@mdchamber.org

Insurance premiums for traditional health insurance plans are rising drastically each year. There are alternatives on the market for small employer groups to cut their costs and put cash back into their pockets. Attend one of the Chamber’s upcoming Health Insurance Forums to learn more. This is an informational program, not a sales pitch.