Chamber News May 2012
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The Mission of the Kent County Chamber of Commerce is to serve, represent and be the leading advocate for the business interests of its membership in ways that enhance the environment of the business community and quality of life and well being of residents and visitors.
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LEADERSHIP
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EXECUTIVE BOARD
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
LORETTA LODGE
PRESIDENT
DOUG CAMP
The Investor's Friend
VICE PRESIDENT
DAVID BOWMAN
PNC Bank
TREASURER
DIANE BRANDT
CNB Bank
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
DAVID BOWMAN
PNC Bank
BOB GREENWALD
East Coast Storage
JON HANLEY
Hanleyman Services, LLC
JIM RICH
Inn at Huntingfield Creek
JIM ROSS
Chester River Health System
BILL RUCKELSHAUS
Champion Realty, Inc.
KATIE WARRINGTON
Horizon Organic Dairy
LANSING WILLIAMS
Washington College
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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1st Annual Regional Mixer
Wednesday, May 16, 20125:30 to 7:30 PMTodd Performing Arts CenterChesapeake CollegeWye Mills, MD
Online RSVP's ONLY
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From the Executive Director
Greetings!
Spring is indeed here and with it brings Mother's Day, Armed Forces Day, graduations and Memorial Day - a time for all of us to reflect on the good things in our lives as we honor our mothers, celebrate the accomplishments of our children, pay tribute to our men and women in uniform, and honor those who have given their lives for our freedom.
There have been some good things happening here at the Chamber as well.
The Chamber confirmed its support for the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve on April 12, 2012 by signing an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Statement of Support. See details later in this newsletter.
On April 17, the Chamber sponsored the Legislative Wrap-Up Breakfast at Heron Point. We had 40+ in attendance, including nine of our legislators and their representatives. It was a good turn-out and gave everyone present the opportunity to hear first-hand from the 36th District Legislators about what has transpired during this year's General Assembly. Our representatives continue to stand and speak for the best interests of our businesses and communities here in Kent County as well as on the Eastern Shore.
On April 19 David Keating of K&L Services (Winner of the Chamber's 2011 Environmental Awareness Award), and Caitlin Patton & Richard Rosenberg of the National Music Festival, co-sponsored a Business After Hours networking event. This was a great opportunity for those in attendance to learn about what steps David has taken to reduce his carbon footprint. Stop by his shop at 609 High Street and find out for yourself. You will be amazed.
Caitlin and Richard brought us up to speed on the status of the National Music Festival to Kent County, scheduled for May 21st - June 15. It promises to be a fabulous event with 200 rehearsals and 32 concerts scheduled, with over 190 musicians from around the world. For a schedule of events, go to http://www.nationalmusic.us/schedule.html.
April 24 brought the New Members Breakfast with almost 40 in attendance. The new members had the opportunity to introduce themselves and give a brief synopsis of their businesses. This was a wonderful networking opportunity for both our new members and our long-time members alike.
Applications have been received and are being reviewed for the Chamber's 2012 Scholarship, being offered to a deserving high school senior. The announcement and presentation of the Scholarship Award will be made at the Kent County High School (KCHS) Senior Awards Ceremony on May 23rd at 6:30 P.M. at the KCHS auditorium in Worton.
We are in the final stages of production of the 2012-2013 Chamber Business Directory. To ensure accurate listings in the Directory, Membership Directory Update Requests have been sent out to each of our members. If you have not returned your signed form(s) to the Chamber, please do so today! Don't assume that we know if there have been any changes to your information. Even if there are no changes, please sign and return the form to confirm that.
Plans are underway for the 1st Annual Regional Mixer to be held on Wednesday, May 16th at the Todd Performing Arts Center at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills. This is your opportunity to meet and mingle with, not only business leaders from Kent County, but also from our neighboring counties of Queen Anne's, Talbot, Caroline and Dorchester - a great way to expand your circle of contacts. So mark your calendars!
The Chamber will once again sponsor a booth at the Chestertown Tea Party Festival on May 26 to be manned by our Chamber members. We are currently taking reservations for space at the Chamber Booth. If you would like to work the Booth and promote your business, please contact me at the Chamber. You may sign up in one-hour increments for as many as you would like. First come, first served!
Finally, as I have said in the past, you get out of your Chamber membership only as much as you put into it. So mark your calendars and join us for these upcoming events.
Loretta
Loretta M. Lodge
Executive Director
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Welcome New Members
The following businesses have recently made an important investment in their future and a significant commitment to the community by joining the
Kent County Chamber of Commerce
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MICHAEL P. FAWDRY
Engineering Consulting
Michael P. Fawdry - Owner
12203 Azalea Court
Worton, MD 21678
518.810.1395
wpfawdry@aol.com
I am a licensed professional engineer (in the State of new York) and possess over 30 years of diverse experience in effectively dealing with stakeholders in the energy, industrial, utility, renewable, commercial, and government sectors; encompassing, strategic regulatory planning, permit strategy development, energy and sustainability consulting, civil engineering, and construction management. My professional experience enables me to apply my skills to all levels within an individual organization or group of stakeholders to successfully create innovative, cost-effective solutions to complex problems.
  
NORTH SHORE RESTORATION, LLC
Disaster Recovery Specialists Commercial - Residential
Stepehen Redding - General Manager P.O. Box 398 Galena, MD 21635
Tel 410.708.3266 | Toll Free 888.NSR(677).8330 | Fax 410.648-5749 Fire and water mitigation, clean up and dry out. Mold remediation. Carpet and air duct cleaning. Dry ice blasting. Ultrasonic cleaning of fire damaged contents.
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Please join us in welcoming our newest
Chamber members!
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Notice
The Chamber office will be closed from Monday, May 7 through Friday, May 18.
There will be no Board meeting held in May.
The next scheduled Board meeting will be:
Chamber Office, 122 N. Cross Street, Chestertown
The meeting is open to all members. Please contact Loretta at 410/810-2968 or
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 Reservations for this event will not be accepted via email or phone
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Kent County Chamber of Commerce
Chestertown Tea Party Festival
Booth Space Available for Chamber Members!

Chestertown Tea Party Festival
DATE: Saturday, May 26, 2012
TIME: 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
LOCATION: Cross Street in front of Emmanuel Church
Downtown Chestertown
MORE: We're looking for a few good volunteers!
We are currently taking reservations for space at the Chamber Booth. If you would like to work the Booth and promote your business, please contact Loretta at kentchamber@verizon.net
You may sign up in one-hour increments for as many as you would like.
This is a great opportunity to have your business seen by County residents and visitors alike, without the cost of booth space rental. Space is on a first come, first serve basis and will go quickly!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!
Kent County Chamber of Commerce
122 N. Cross Street
Chestertown, MD 21620
410.810.2968
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Chamber Member News & Events
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Loretta Lodge, Executive Director and Doug Camp, President, Kent County Chamber of Commerce
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Press Release: Apr 13, 2012 MD ESGR Contact: Lt Col (Ret) Butch Hensel 410-234-3809
Kent County Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Signs Statement of Support
for the National Guard and Reserve
Chestertown, Maryland. Doug Camp, President of the Kent County Maryland Chamber of Commerce, and Loretta Lodge, Executive Director, confirmed the Chamber's support for the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve on April 12, 2012 by signing an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Statement of Support.
The Chamber was founded in 1928 as the Kent County Business Men's Association. The Association was incorporated in 1958 and evolved into the Kent County Chamber of Commerce. Today the Chamber is the leading advocate for business in the County, serving its members in ways that enhance the business community, the quality of life and the well-being of all residents and visitors. Our Chamber is a partner with the Maryland State Chamber to lobby for business interests of our members within the state legislature. Mr. Camp acknowledged the critical role our men and women in uniform fulfill and sincerely thanks them for their service to both our Country and the state of Maryland.
The signing took place at the Kent County Chamber of Commerce offices in Chestertown, Md.
The National Guard and Reserve make up nearly half of the military force of the United States. Because of this, the men and women of the Guard and Reserve play a key role in our national defense here at home and around the world. The men and women of the National Guard and Reserve cannot successfully accomplish their mission without the continued support of employers who recognize the importance of the Reserve Components in the defense of our nation.
The ESGR Statement of Support program offers a way for employers to show their support for service in the National Guard and Reserve. In signing a Statement of Support employers and organizations pledge to:
- Fully recognize, honor and enforce the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act or USERRA.
- Appreciate the values, leadership and unique skills service members bring to the workforce and will encourage opportunities to hire Guardsmen, Reservists and Veterans.
- Recognize and support our country's service members and their families in peace, crises and war.
Approximately 4,500 volunteers serve on local ESGR Field Committees across the nation. The 56 ESGR Field Committees conduct employer support programs, including informational briefings, mediation and recognition of employers whose policies support or encourage participation in the National Guard and Reserve. ESGR is the lead advocate within the Department of Defense for Reserve Component employers.
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CHESTER RIVER ASSOCIATION sponsors Clean Your Stream! Radcliffe Creek, Chester River watershed Gateway Park, Chestertown On Saturday, April 14th, the Chester River Association gathered friends and associates to help in cleaning up Radcliffe Creek. Gateway Park, where Flatland Road dead-ends onto Route 20, is going to be the entrance park to Chestertown's Rails to Trails path. By spending just a couple of hours picking up trash at this site, volunteers became part of a project making our town more beautiful and our watershed healthier! Participants were rewarded with snacks from our local bakery, Evergrain! This effort was a part of Project Clean Stream, an annual, Bay-wide event coordinated by Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. On April 14th hundreds of people picked up trash around their local streams, participating in a mass effort to clean our waterways. Thanks to all of you who joined the effort by getting outside, picking up trash, improving our community, and participating in a Bay-wide event! |
Character Counts! Kent County Fundraiser
55" LG Flat Panel LED HDTV
$5.00 for one ticket/$10.00 for three tickets.
Drawing date: September 15, 2012.
Tickets are also available through The Scotties Shoe Store in Chestertown, school offices, and kent.charactercounts@gmail.com
Good luck! and thank you for supporting our non-profit organization.
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Chesapeake College
Press Release
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For immediate release: April 16, 2012
Contact: Bob Faiella
Director of Continuing Education and Workforce Training
Phone: 410-827-5833
E-mail: bfaiella@chesapeake.edu
COMMUNITY SUPPORTS COLLEGE
WELDING PROGRAM
(WYE MILLS, MD) - Chesapeake College recently received a generous donation from the Cambridge Veterans of Foreign War Post 7460 to purchase a new welding machine to use in their new pipe welding class. The donation was presented by Carl Anderson, Vice Commander of the Cambridge Post as well as a new student in Chesapeake's welding program. "Chesapeake College offers one of the best welding programs that I have ever participated in", said Anderson. "It would be a great program for any veteran to consider who is looking for training in a new career field."
After attending the classes, Anderson shared his experiences with Post 7460 Commander Craig Schnider about the high quality of instruction along with the variety of welding processes covered in the curriculum including Oxy-Acetylene, MIG, TIG, Stick, and even Plasma. Schnider readily agreed to support the program with a generous donation to the college. Over the past several years, Chesapeake College has updated nearly all of the welding machines to new state of the art machines to enhance the student's learning experience.
The welding program has been offered for over 20 years at Chesapeake College and each semester has a waiting list to register for the Basic Arc Welding class. This year Pipe Welding has been added to the program offerings as well as a basic and an advanced certificate. Most of the students who complete a welding program at Chesapeake College also become "AWS" certified welders.
For more information about the welding program, visit the website at www.chesapeake.edu or contact Bob Faiella at Chesapeake College by calling 410-827-5807 or by email, bfaiella@chesapeake.edu.
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(L-R), Bob Faiella, Director of Continuing Education & Workforce Training, accepts a donation from Carl Anderson, Vice Commander of Cambridge's VFW Post 7460 as welding instructor, Bruce Dempsey, looks on.
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IN THE NEWS & AROUND THE STATE
Maryland Chamber of Commerce 2012 General Assembly Session Recap
Get up-to-date information on current legislative issues by clicking here.
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Chamber Information
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- E-Blasts - Broadcast E-Mail Service Now Available!
The Chamber now offers an E-Blast service to all of our members. In an effort to help you build your business and get your message out efficiently and cost effectively, the Chamber office will send an email specifically on your behalf to all Chamber members and non-members who have signed up for our mailing list. This is an excellent way to announce new products, services or events. As a Chamber member, you can take advantage of this service at a very reasonable cost of $25. Please contact the Chamber office for further details.
- SCORE (Senior Core of Retired Executives)
Invites retired executives to become counselors for new and existing local businesses. Contact Damon Bradley at SCORE to get more information: windtryst04@aol.com
- Help Us Help You. Keep Your Business Information Current!
Please remember to contact Loretta in the Chamber office if you have any changes or updates to your business contact information. We want to keep all of our members' information current.
- Member-To-Member Benefit Program
This program allows any Chamber member to offer discounts on their products and services to other Chamber members and their employees. Even if you do not offer a discount to fellow members, as a Chamber member, you may take advantage of the discounts offered by other members.
Don't miss out! Sign up for this program today.
Call Loretta at 410/810-2968 or email at kentchamber@verizon.net
The following businesses are participating members.
Please support these businesses!
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