Thursday, July 02, 2009

Thurmont Goodwill to Host Cookout for Independence Day Celebration

Goodwill® Industries of Monocacy Valley, serving Frederick and Carroll Counties in Maryland, will host a free cookout in front of its Thurmont retail store on Sunday, July 5, from Noon to 2 p.m. The store is located at 202 East Main Street, Thurmont, MD 21788.

Food is being donated by WEIS Supermarkets in Thurmont.  All Goodwill® retail stores in the two-county area will be open throughout the holiday weekend with regular hours according to their 7 day a week open schedule.

“We’re inviting donors and shoppers to stop by to check out the store and see what bargains are available,” said Dave Marselas, store manager.  Marselas will be assuming grilling duties during the cookout.  A similar event was held at the recently-opened Goodwill® retail store in Hampstead, MD, where a crowd gathered to shop and share in that cookout’s goodies.  Goodwill’s mission is to “Create Hope, Jobs and Futures in Our Community” and is now celebrating its 40th anniversary throughout 2009 with a series of special events and programs, all of which may be noted on the organization’s website at http://www.gimv.org or by calling them at (301) 662-0622. 

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Goldner Named Managing Partner of Gross, Mendelsohn & Associates

Gross, Mendelsohn & Associates, P.A., a full-service CPA and business consulting firm based in Baltimore, named David A. Goldner its Managing Partner today.

“I hope to implement a number of new strategies to capitalize on the firm’s deep service offerings as we continue to raise our position as one of the leading independent, locally-owned and managed CPA firms in the Baltimore region,” Goldner said.

Founded in 1960, Gross Mendelsohn is approaching its 50th year of doing business in Maryland. Goldner, who has been with the firm since 1982, steps into the role formerly held by Lawrence E. McCanna, CPA. The firm described the move as significant because it represents the transition from its first generation of leadership to its next generation.

“One of David Goldner’s biggest strengths is his ability to make creative, sound business decisions. He has served for many years on the firm’s executive committee and will provide the firm and its clients with a seamless transition to the next generation of leaders,” McCanna said.

Goldner’s areas of specialization include tax and financial planning, business valuation and investment planning. In addition to being a CPA, Goldner is a Certified Financial Planner, a Certified Mutual Fund Specialist and a Certified Valuation Analyst. He graduated from the University of Maryland in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, and received a master’s degree in taxation from the University of Baltimore in 1983. He serves on the board of directors of the Baltimore Estate Planning Council. In addition, Goldner serves on the investment committees of the Susan G Komen Foundation of Maryland and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Maryland. 

Linda Gooden Appointed to University System of Maryland Board of Regents

Linda Gooden, Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin Information & Global Services and 2008 Maryland Business Hall of Fame inductee, has been appointed to the University System of Maryland’s Board of Regents.

Gooden is succeeding Michael Gill, CEO of investment firm Hoyt Capital Corp., to the 17-member board. The regents are appointed by the governor and oversee USM’s academic, administrative, and financial operations.

For more information about the USM’s new board members visit http://www.usmd.edu/regents.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Washington Gas Light Company & WGL Holdings, Inc. to Transition to New Executive Management Team

Washington Gas Light Company and WGL Holdings, Inc. have announced Terry McCallister as the new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the companies effective October 1. He will succeed James DeGraffenreidt.

Other changes will also take place in the executive leadership team. Adrian Chapman, who presently serves as a Vice President for Washington Gas, will become President and Chief Operating Officer of WGL Holdings and Washington Gas.

Roberta Willis Sims, who currently holds the position of Washington Gas’s Director of Corporate Communications and is a member of the Maryland Chamber’s board of directors, will become the utility’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Energy Acquisition.

Utility Vice President Douglas Staebler will assume increased responsibilities for Washington Gas’s field operations, and Gautam Chandra will become the companies’ Vice President of Business Development, Strategy and Business Process Outsourcing.

For more information about WGL Holdings visit http://www.wglholdings.com

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Career Quest 2009

Career Quest, the largest MBA career fair in the Mid-Atlantic region, will be held Friday, October 2nd at the University of Maryland’s Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center. The event is sponsored by the following top area MBA programs:

• American University
• Drexel University
• George Mason University
• George Washington University
• Georgetown University
• Johns Hopkins University
• University of Maryland, College Park
• University of Virginia
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Wake Forest University

Last year, CareerQuest 2008 was attended by over 65 employers and 1200 MBAs. This year’s student attendance is expected to be one of the largest ever. Whether you seek diverse MBA candidates for internships, full-time opportunities, or immediately available opportunities, Career Quest 2009 is where you will find them. Students pursuing Master Degrees in Accounting, Finance, Project Management, Real Estate, Marketing, Organizational Behavior, Information Systems, and Tourism Administration will also attend.

Registration is $600 for a booth with up to four recruiters and $800 for a booth with more than four recruiters. Registration includes career fair booth (Standard 8 foot table with pre-printed company sign), parking, lunch & refreshments, and access to an electronic student resume book (available on October 2nd, 2009). For more information, visit www.mbacareerquest.com. 

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Reznick Group Holds Third Annual Community Outreach Day

More than 130 employees of accounting firm Reznick Group participated in the company’s third annual Community Outreach Day last week.

The volunteers worked with several nonprofit organizations and volunteer projects throughout the Baltimore area including: the Baltimore Free Store, Comprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc., Great Kids Farm, the Humane Society of Baltimore County, the International Book Bank, A Moveable Feast, Friends of Patapsco Valley, and PACT: Helping Children with Special Needs.

“This is the third year that our office has participated in the day of service and everyone really feels like they’re making a difference.  We actually schedule the event a year in advance and employees look forward to the day throughout the year,” Bill Riley, principal in Reznick Group’s Baltimore office, said.

For more information about Reznick Group visit http://www.reznickgroup.com.

Member Spotlight: Girl Scouts of Central Maryland

For almost 100 years, Girl Scouts has worked with the mission to grow girls’ confidence and character. Today, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland (GSCM), working with volunteers and partner businesses, offers programs and events to over 30,000 girls through 2,053 troops in Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard Counties to achieve their mission.

GSCM was recently recognized as the Non-Profit Partner in Business Award at the Maryland Chamber of Commerce 2009 Small Business of the Year Awards Luncheon.  Traci Barnett, CEO of GSCM said that the award signified the organization’s success in reaching out to the community.

“I think it shows that we definitely are a collaborator with other organizations in Central Maryland and that we aren’t working in a vacuum but that we are reaching out to work with others,” Barnett said. “I think it’s particularly relevant because as a non-profit we still feel it’s very important to have the support of for-profits, and that can be done in many ways, it doesn’t always have to be through a donation. We have been able to leverage in-kind gifts and manpower and volunteer hours and many things from local businesses to help with our organizational needs.”

The Women’s Leadership Forum and the Distinguished Women’s Reception are two of several events GSCM has partnered with local businesses to present. The Women’s Leadership Forum features a panel of women from different industries who discuss aspects of their lives, businesses and careers with girl scouts and women from the community. The Distinguished Women’s Reception honors five women from various businesses. GSCM has presented these events in partnership with Lockheed Martin, Provident Bank, The Daily Record, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Murthy Law Firm, Comcast, Constellation Energy, and more.

The Cookie College is another popular program presented by GSCM through the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School where representatives from local businesses serve as professor the day, teaching the girls about running a business, marketing and sales skills, and financial literacy. Cookie College is offered in conjunction with the Girl Scout Cookie program, which millions of girls participate in across the country every year.

“We feel that offering the Cookie College is another way to give the girls some more skills and to provide them with some more input from women who actually have successful businesses so the girls can put the two together and realize that this can go a lot further than one year being a top seller. It teaches life skills to become very successful entrepreneurs in the future,” Barnett said.

Barnett said GSCM looks forward to continuing their current business partnerships and growing more in the future.

“We are very honored and flattered to be chosen for the Non-Profit Partner in Business Award and it definitely means a lot, not only to the staff but to our over 40,000 members throughout central Maryland. We’re all very excited about it,” Barnett said.

Incred-A-Shred Adds Fuel-Efficient Shredding Truck

Incred-A-Shred, an on-site document and media destruction company, purchased a new fuel efficient shredding truck recently, a move that showcases the company’s continued focus on environmental stewardship.

The Shred-Tech MDS-26GT meets the EPA’s strict new low emissions standards and operates on ULSD (ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel) or B5 Biodiesel fuel. The MDS-26GT is also equipped with Shred-Tech’s Predictive Idle with auto shutdown and remote panel start/stop. Predictive Idle senses low shredder loads and shuts off the high engine idle when the shredder is unattended and the hopper is empty. Moments later the PTO’s are turned off along with the engine. This means never wasting fuel and engine hours.

The newest edition to the Incred-A-Shred fleet allows the ability to maneuver tight streets in compact, urban areas.  It also allows for service to more rural routes due to its increased fuel economy.

“As our organization continues to grow, we have never lost focus on delivering exceptional customer service to our clients,” said Incred-A-Shred’s Jeff Rupp.  “This focus has allowed us to continue to add to our fleet and grow our sales each and every month, despite the slumping economy.”

“Our newest addition to our fleet will allow us to continue to grow our urban Baltimore and Washington, DC markets and our routes that are more rural in nature,” Rupp added.

Incred-A-Shred is an independently owned and operated on-site document and media destruction company. Headquartered in Baltimore, the company’s fleet of mobile shredding units serve commercial, government and residential customers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Clark School Names First UMERC Director

Eric Wachsman, an expert on solid oxide fuel cells, has been named the Eric Wachsman, an expert on solid oxide fuel cells, has been named the University of Maryland Energy Research Center’s (UMERC) first director.

UMERC is a multidisciplinary initiative dedicated to advancing the frontiers of energy science and technology, with a special focus on forward-looking approaches for alternative energy generation and storage. The Center focuses on a broad array of research areas critical for future energy technology development.

Wachsman spearheaded the creation of the Florida Institute on Sustainable Energy at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla. He has focused his career on developing advanced, efficient, energy conversion devices and technologies. His research is on ionic transport in solids and the heterogeneous electrocatalysis at their surface. This research includes the development of solid oxide fuel cells, gas separation membranes, solid-state gas sensors, the electrocatalytic conversion of CH4, and the post-combustion reduction of NOx using advanced ion conducting materials.

He has more than 140 publications and eight patents on ionic and electronic transport in ceramics, their catalytic properties, and device performance. Wachsman is also a frequent invited panelist on fuel cell and hydrogen energy research. He received a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Stanford University, and a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. Prior to coming to the University of Florida, Wachsman rose through the ranks from post-doctorate to senior scientist at SRI International.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Member Spotlight: Global Design Interactive

When he began his career, Joe Weaver never imagined himself as an entrepreneur. But after gaining experience in the corporate world and completing graduate school, Weaver, through “a process of divine intervention,” began what is today Global Design Interactive, a marketing communications firm specializing in interactive multimedia.

“I took a leap of faith. At the time I was an Oracle senior project coordinator, so it really was a leap of faith to jump into a whole new industry. But really, it combined a lot of the same skills in terms of how you think, how you produce results,” he said. The firm focuses on brand management tools, e-solutions and intelligent marketing applications and serves clients such as MedStar Health, Bowie State University, East Baltimore Development, Inc., MECU, the Maryland Transportation Authority and the Reginald F. Lewis museum. 

Founded in 1995, Global Design Interactive and has been profitable and growing steadily since its inception.

“We’ve been growing at a positive rate since we started, and it has been an organic growth in terms of staff, projects, things we’re involved in, hard work, and doing better on each project, improving our communications with clients and helping them solve their problems,” he said. “That’s really the focus of our organization—problem solving. And it creates a win-win situation. Our clients bring us their problems, we come up with creative solutions, and if they look good, we look good as well.”

Global Design Interactive was recently named the Maryland Small Business of the Year in the 1-10 employee category during an awards luncheon at the BWI Airport Marriott. Weaver said the award is a good motivation for himself and Global Design.

“I think it’s great to be recognized for doing great work. Along the journey you’re constantly looking for signs that you’re moving in the right direction, so when you get some form of recognition from an organization, especially like the Maryland Chamber, it gives you a sense of accomplishment that what you’re doing matters,” he said. “Being nominated for the award is just further proof that we’re moving in the right direction and we just need to keep doing the things we’re doing, but try to do them better.”

For more information about Global Design Interactive visit http://www.gdiconnect.com.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

HarVest Bank of Maryland Renews Support of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Strathmore

HarVest Bank of Maryland, a locally owned, full service commercial bank has signed a two-year agreement to support the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Strathmore.

The agreement includes title sponsorship of the Pictures in Music Concert being held in February 2010. The program will feature Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, and a newly completed arrangement by legendary jazz artist David Brubeck. The concert will mark the fifth year that HarVest Bank of Maryland has provided concert title support to the BSO at Strathmore.

“We are delighted to announce our renewed support of the BSO at Strathmore, and look forward to enjoying these great concerts with our Maryland neighbors,” Jack Hollerbach, President & CEO of HarVest and a Board Member of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, said.

For more information about HarVest Bank of Maryland visit http://www.harvestbankmd.com. For more information about the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and it’s upcoming performances, visit http://www.bsomusic.org.

KatzAbosch Holds Annual Community Service Day

Certified public accounting and consulting firm KatzAbosch closed its Timonium, Columbia, and Bel Air offices last Wednesday for its annual all-staff community service day.

KatzAbosch personnel were divided into seven teams and volunteered at several nonprofit organizations, including the Baltimore County Humane Society, The Loading Dock, Parks & People Foundation, Herring Run Watershed, Maryland Food Bank, and Comprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc. (Jewish Community Federation).

“Community service and philanthropic endeavors have always been, and will continue to be, an important part of the KatzAbosch business plan and philosophy,” Alvin D. Katz, President and CEO of KatzAbosch and member of the Maryland Chamber Board of Directors, said. “We are proud to devote this day to community outreach as it not only provides us an opportunity to give back to these amazing organizations that do so much good for so many, but also offers a rewarding experience that our team can share together.”

Slater Honored by St. Mary’s County Chamber

The St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce recognized Austin J. Slater, President & CEO of Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO), as its Business Person of the Year during its Annual Meeting earlier this week.

Slater, who is Chairman of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, was recognized for his leadership in meeting his industry’s economic challenges and working to upgrade the quality and reliability of SMECO’s service to its customers. In addition, he was recognized for setting a high standard for community involvement for his work with nonprofit, workforce development and educational organizations.

Candidates for the award are nominated by St. Mary’s County Chamber members. The criteria for the selection of the recipient of this award, includes success in their profession, involvement in the community, personal attributes, and equally important is their support of the Chamber. 

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Turning the Social Media Hype into Real Value for Your Business

Matt Goddard, co-founder and CEO of R2integrated, a Canton-based Internet marketing and technology design agency, will be one of the general session speakers during the MD Biz Expo on June 16-17 at the Baltimore Convention Center.

Goddard will present “The Social Reality: Turning the Social Media Hype into Real Value for Your Business,” at one of the Expo’s general sessions. He will explain the difference between social networking and social media, dispel myths about both Web 2.0 phenomena, and demonstrate how social media can enhance a company’s business strategy. Goddard’s presentation will take place on Tuesday, June 16 at 10:15 a.m.

Matt is one of the Maryland Chamber’s favorite speakers on this topic because he cuts through the hype and the buzzwords and focuses on business outcomes. Don’t miss this presentation.

The Maryland Chamber of Commerce has joined with the Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA) in sponsoring this unique event. We want to make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to attend at very special pricing the Expo’s general sessions, workshops and networking events - all designed to help you survive the recession and thrive when it’s over.

The cost of the Expo is $400, but because of our relationship with the MACPA, our members can enroll for only $250 - a $150 savings! Register online here. If you are a CPA, you will receive one CPE credit for every 50-minute session and can obtain up 16 CPE credits in two days (general sessions qualify for CPE credit).

You can also register for a free ticket, which includes entry to the Expo Exhibit Hall and the four general sessions—including Matt Goddard’s session. To learn more, click here.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP Transitions to New Managing Partner, Executive Board

Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP has completed a 12-month transition to a new management team and structure. 

Martin Fletcher, who has served as the Managing Partner-Elect since 2008, succeeds Al Mezzanotte in the position of Managing Partner.  Mezzanotte has just completed his ninth year as managing partner.

The firm as also now streamlined its structure and is now managed by a single nine-member Executive Board in lieu of its former three-member Management Committee and fifteen-member Executive Committee.

The new Executive Board consists of:

-Martin Fletcher (Baltimore), Managing Partner

-Julie Dymowski (Washington), a partner in the Community Association’s Practice

-Frank Jones, Jr. (Baltimore), head of the Business Department and member of the Boards of both the Greater Technology Council and the Maryland Business and Technology Coalition

-William F. Ryan, Jr. (Baltimore), head of the Litigation Department and member of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

-John Gontrum (Towson), a partner in the Land Use practice group and Former President of the Baltimore County Bar Association.

-Harry Johnson (Baltimore), head of the Products Liability and Environmental Exposure practice, former President of the Maryland State Bar Association, Member of the Maryland State Bar Foundation Board of Directors, and the Fourth Circuit’s Representative on the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary.

-Paul Nussbaum (Baltimore), head of the Business Reorganization & Bankruptcy Litigation practice and Chair of the Firm’s Business Development Committee.

-Deborah Diehl (Baltimore), a partner in the Corporate practice group and Member of the Board of the Maryland State Bar Association.

-Andrew Terrell (Washington and Northern Virginia), a partner in the Community Associations practice and head of the Virginia office.

In addition, the firm’s Executive Director, Nick Politakis, is a non-voting, ex officio member of the Board.