Chamber Update Chamber Update

Please give a warm welcome to our newest members: The Pup Camp in Severna Park, Whoof on the Wharf, Lighthouse Insurance Agency, ZenBusiness, Cose Bella Collections, Annapolis Home Brew, Jennifer Harrison Design/Consulting, Constellation K-9 Training, Momentum Physical Therapy, Park Books and Literacy Lab, Soloday Marketing and Development LLC, and Melissa Dunkelberger of Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland. We also want to send a huge thank you to all our renewing members! We truly are Chamber Strong!

Our Successful Women in Business committee held a virtual lunch meeting on February 10 with the topic “Care and Housing Options for our Elders.” Presenters were Jennifer McAndrews of Synergy Home Care and Donna Butman of Assisted Living Locators. The speakers discussed the myriad of options available, from in-home support to residential living arrangements. Our community is so fortunate to have the many alternatives for our loved ones when it is time for living assistance.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, our March Successful Women in Business virtual luncheon will feature community “pioneer” Pat Troy, owner of the Next Wave Group LLC and founder of the Chesapeake Academy. Please join us on Wednesday, March 10, and meet this dynamic lady who has owned many businesses and created several nonprofit organizations to make our community a better place! The event is sponsored by Valerie McLaughlin of Emerald Financial Partners, another impressive woman business owner. The event is free and open to the public, and for more details, you may visit our website at www.gspacc.com.

On February 16, we launched our new Learn and Lead committee for nonprofits. Committee chairs are Jenn Triplett of Treebranch Group and Larry Sells of Larry Sells Consulting. Larry led a discussion to help participants identify their “why” of the nonprofit so they can craft a solid marketing and fundraising strategy. The conversation will continue at the next Learn and Lead meeting, which will be held on March 16 at 8:30am.

Our health and wellness committee held a brainstorming session to plan for our March panel discussion focusing on nutrition and the body/mind connection. The meeting will be held on Thursday, March 18, at 8:30. Speakers will be announced later, and please check our website and Facebook page for updates.

On February 11, we held a ribbon cutting celebrating Harbor Holistic Healing’s new location in Severna Park. Owner Lydia Wainwright brings decades of experience to her practice of acupuncture in managing pain and stress, and her new office is beautiful and serene.

Landmark Roofing was the recipient of the chamber’s 2020 Harmony Award. The award is presented to a business that strives for excellence in its practices and supports the community. Landmark Roofing has helped, at no charge, with so many construction projects including the SPAN building. Each year, the Landmark team selects a family in need and provides them with a new roof. I was happy to present the award in person to hardworking and philanthropic owners Artie Hendricks and Rob Calhan and thank them for all that they do.

We held our chamber networking eClub meeting on February 25 in the morning. This was a great opportunity to meet new chamber members and others who are interested in chamber membership. The event was sponsored by Andy Morsberger of Minuteman Press of Crofton.

On the same day, we teamed with another county chamber to hold a COVID-19 vaccine information session for members and the community. The event was hosted by the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center. We learned about the common myths and concerns about the vaccine, and the audience members were able to get their questions answered.

I was honored to speak at the Lake Shore Rotary Club’s monthly meeting, held virtually. They are an impressive group of volunteers who do so much work to support nonprofit organizations and provide scholarship money to students. Rotary International celebrated its 116th anniversary in February, and they are one of the original groups to focus on giving back. It was announced at the meeting that this Rotary Club has awarded over $300,000 in scholarships over the years to support students who are college bound. Their mission is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through our fellowship of business, professional and community leaders. If you would like to join them, please contact John Clark, president, at johnclarklakeshorerotary@gmail.com.

To learn more about the chamber, please email me at ceo@gspacc.com, call 410-647-3900, and visit our website at www.gspacc.com. You are welcome to join our mailing list at www.gspacc.com and receive our weekly newsletter.

As always, we urge you to support our small businesses in every way you can. Shop local, eat local, give local and support local to create a better community.