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.

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

From the Executive Director  

Greetings

Summer is almost upon us and the weather has been pretty kind thus far in our area.  Is it too much to hope for this throughout the summer?

May brought the first annual five-county Mixer, sponsored by Kent, Queen Anne's, Caroline, Talbot and Dorchester Counties, and hosted by Chesapeake College.  We had approximately 300 in attendance.  A great turn-out with some fabulous door prizes, wonderful food and great networking opportunities!  So keep this in mind for next May.  There are plans to do this again in 2013.

The Chamber booth at Tea Party this year was another great success.  The booth, provided by the Chamber, was manned throughout the day by Upper Shore Regional Council, ShoreToBeFun.com, National Associates, Kent County Commission on Aging, East West Martial Arts, and Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites.  Each of these businesses had the opportunity to promote their business alone during their time at the booth, at no cost to them; something else to keep in mind for your business next year.

On May 21, the Chamber held a Ribbon Cutting for the newly opened Uncle Charlie's Bistro at 834B High Street, the former location of Red Brick Pizza.  Chuck Ministero, owner of the former Jammin' Jesse's has opened Uncle Charlie's with the assistance of his executive chef Brian Carter, formerly of Two Tree, and their capable staff.  Stop in and check out their extensive Eastern Shore Americana menu.  You won't be disappointed!

May 23 was the Senior Awards ceremony at Kent County High School.  Over $100,000 in scholarships were awarded by a large array of local businesses and service organizations.  The Chamber was proud to present the 2012 Chamber Scholarship Award to Kimberly Penny, a graduating senior who will be attending the University of Maryland College Park in the fall.  Congratulations Kim!

Come June, the Chamber will be joining Sue and Roy Crow for a Ribbon Cutting and festivities at Crow Vineyard and Winery on Saturday, June 23 at noon.  On Sunday afternoon, there will be musical performances by local musicians along with wine tastings.  So be sure to stop by. Crow Vineyard and Winery is located at 12441 Vansant's Corner Road in Kennedyville, MD.

Coming to your mail box soon!  Work on the 2012-2013 Chamber Business Directory continues.  We hope to have the Directory ready for distribution in July.

Lastly, I want to remind our readers of the Chamber's "Proud Member" logo.  This logo is available exclusively to our members.  It can be used for just about any advertising or promotion for your business; an added value that we know will help grow your customer base.  So don't forget to use this logo in your business print ads, direct mail, business cards, websites, email blasts, promotional items and anywhere else you want to let your customers know that you are proud to be a Kent County Chamber of Commerce member.  If you need an electronic version of this logo, please contact me at the Chamber office.

Until next month, enjoy this beautiful weather!

Loretta

Loretta M. Lodge  

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

  _________________________ 

THE HEARING CENTER

OF CHESTERTOWN 

Dr. Barbara J. McLendon

818 High Street, Suite #3

Chestertown, MD  21620

Tel 410.778.5170  | Fax  410.778.6195

 hearingcenterofchestertown1@gmail.com  

 www.chestertownhearing.com

We provide diagnostic testing with a patient-centered approach to solutions for hearing loss.  We offer the latest hearing technology available and our staff is ready to work with you to ensure you receive the most from your hearing.  

  

 HORSEY CONSTRUCTION, LLC
Gary E. Horsey - Owner
23828 Annie Crow Road
Chestertown, MD  21620

Tel 410.778.4549  |  Fax  410.778.2121
horseyconst@gmail.com

www.horseyconstruction.com 

With more than 30 years of experience, Horsey Construction LLC, offers honest, reliable, quality construction for all your needs.  We specialize in Custom Built Homes, Home Improvements and Renovations.  We do Additions, Garages, Kitchens, Baths, Decks, Window and Door Replacement, Siding and Roofing.  With professional service and reasonable prices, our business has earned us a reputation for providing the finest in quality workmanship and consistently exceeding our customer's expectations.
Please call us for a free estimate.  

   

UNCLE CHARLIE'S BISTRO
Chuck Ministero - Owner
Brian Carter - Executive Chef
834B High Street
Chestertown, MD  21620

410.778.3663
 jamminjesses@verizon.net

Eastern Shore Americana Cuisine

Starters include black bean and crab vegetable soups, vegetable tempura, ahi tuna salad and a strawberry-melon salad. Baby back ribs, steaks and a beef and mushroom pot pie are among the entree dishes. Ten ounce burgers are available with a variety of fixings. Seafood lovers will have plenty to choose from: fried oyster po-boy, clams, calamari,mussels, crab ravioli and of course rockfish. Chef Brian sources as much seafood locally as possible. Children have not been forgotten, with mac 'n cheese, hot dogs and chicken tenders all on offer. Look for homemade gelato, sorbet and ice cream in the near future. Uncle Charlie's will carry a full array of beer, wine and liquor to drink at the table. No bar, but sports fans can watch their teams in action on four big screen televisions. 

Days/Hours Mon-Thu: 11:30am-8:30pm
Fri-Sat: 11:30am-9:30pm

Sun: Brunch 10am-3pm, Dinner 3-8:30pm  

   

WYE RIVER UPPER SCHOOL
Chrissy Aull
1000 College Circle
P.O. Box 36
Wye Mills, MD  21679

Tel 410.827.5822  |  Fax  410.827.5827
 chrissyaull@wyeriverupperschool.org

 www.wyeriverupperschool.org 

Wye River Upper School is a non-profit, Maryland, independent high school for grades 9 - 12.  We serve bright students, bound for college and post secondary edcuation, with dyslexia, ADHD< ADD, and other unique learning styles.  Our studens are from all five Mid-Shore counties and Anne Arundel, prince George's and Howard Counties.

 

_________________________  

    

 Please join us in welcoming our newest

Chamber members!

___________________  

   

 Chamber Membership & Marketing

Committee Meeting 

Thursday, June 7, 2012

12:00 P.M.

Chamber Office, 122 N. Cross Street, Chestertown

  

  

Chamber Board Meeting 

  Thursday, June 14, 2012

12:00 P.M.

Chamber Office, 122 N. Cross Street, Chestertown

The meeting is open to all members.  Please contact Loretta at 410/810-2968 or 

kentchamber@verizon.net if you plan on attending.


  

  

RIBBON CUTTING! 

Crow Vineyard & Winery 

Saturday, June 23 

12:00 P.M. 

12441 Vansant's Corner Road 

Kennedyville, MD 21645

Join us for the festivities and find out

what wine making in Maryland is all about!

 

Keeping Home a Safe Harbor

 Announcing

Chestertown RiverArts

It is official: 

Chestertown RiversArts has arrived and its new home will be in the center of our community at 315 High Street, Suite 106.

A Message from the Kent County Health Department 

Greetings Get Healthy Kent partners!

The Weight of the Nation

Some of you might have tuned in to the 4-part HBO documentary on obesity, "The Weight of the Nation", which aired this week. In addition to the series shown on TV, are several video shorts, one of which is focused on Overweight in the Workplace.  I encourage you to watch the short 18-minute video at the link below.

http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/films/bonus-shorts/overweight-in-the-workplace-how-wellness-programs-can-help-the-american-workforce

Healthiest Maryland Businesses Regional Symposium

With partnership from the Mid-Atlantic Business Group on Health, and Healthiest Maryland Businesses, "Get Healthy Kent" will be co-hosting a regional Worksite Wellness symposium in late June. This symposium will bring together experts in the field to discuss the implications of Health Care Reform, and highlight best-practices among businesses. Please stay tuned for details regarding the location and date.

Classes for Employees

If you would like to schedule an on-site health class (Yoga, Zumba, Healthy Eating, Quit Smoking, etc.) for your employees, please let me know soon! For a limited time, we can help pay for speakers/presenters.

Policy/Environmental Change Technical Assistance

Interested in creating a Tobacco-Free policy on work grounds? Want to change vending selections, but need some guidance? We can help you. Also, limited funding may be available to help support your efforts.

I look forward to our continued partnership!

All the best,

Nicole

Nicole Morris, M.S., R.N.
Program Manager

Chronic Disease Prevention

Local Management Board
for Children's and Family Services in Kent County 

Dear Kent,

I am writing to announce that Grant Manager, Jenny Randolph has accepted a new job, and  will be leaving the Kent County LMB, effective July 1, 2012.  We are accepting applications for the job opening of Program Administration and Monitoring Associate. The revised job description will support the LMB transition from a five person office, to a two person office. Please visit the Kent County website for details.  

 http://www.kentcounty.com/gov/jobs/job_description.php?ID=124

As the Director of the LMB starting in December 2011, I have had the honor to work with Jenny. She has helped me understand the job as no other could, working with me to monitor and report LMB programs, and steer the office as it has been carried for so many years. Below is a celebration of Jenny's vast accomplishments that will have long lasting effects in Kent County and at the office of the Local Management Board.  

As the LMB's Grant Manager since October 2004, Jenny has developed reporting systems, needs assessments, conducted performance measure evaluations, proposal writing, and provided support and leadership to coalitions and planning groups.

Over the course of nearly eight years at the LMB, Jenny worked with her counterparts and the LMB team to write many proposals which were funded, including the Drug Free Communities proposal (six years of funding) which supported the Youth2Youth program, the annual Post Prom party, Maryland Leadership Workshop scholarships, purchase of PBT's for the Sheriff's office and the initiation of "The Sheriff's Rx Round Up," the Smoking Aging Simulator, three Drug Prevention days at various locations around the county, and numerous smaller projects initiated by the Adolescent Substance Abuse Coalition (ASAC). She successfully secured funding renewals for the GOCCP Youth Strategies Programs, and obtained funding for three GOCCP truancy reduction proposals which supported the Truancy Diversion Case Managers in the schools and additional adolescent substance abuse outreach workers. Jenny wrote a successful regional federal planning grant proposal to address transportation as a barrier to health care, and obtained annual renewal of funding from MSDE for the Home Visiting Program and the Pregnant and Parenting Teens program. She prepared all of the LMB's proposals and performance measures to the Governor's Office for Children, funding programs such as Adolescent Substance Abuse Counselor, Early Morning Drop Off, Girls Circle/Boys Council/Mother Daughter Circle, Kent County Diversion Program and (previously) School Based Mental Health, Therapeutic Mentoring, High School Engagement (Clubs) and Academic Achievement (Drop Out Prevention), Adult Education, Vocational Services, Family Support Services, Youth as Resources, the Social Skills Program, Cultural Competency training, and Community Center planning.

Central to Jenny's grant writing success was the data she collected about Kent County, and from the LMB's vendors. Jenny brought greater rigor to LMB vendor reporting, allowing the vendors to document meaningful program outcomes. Jenny worked closely with her counterparts to develop quantitative and qualitative measures to evaluate results and highlight program accomplishments. She actively participated in preparing the LMB's contracts, ensuring that the terms of the proposals were specified in the vendor's agreements, with supporting forms to document results. Jenny's data gathering for the LMB began with the 2008 Needs Assessment, and continued thereafter. All recent planning work has been based on GOC's recommended Results Based Accountability framework.  

Jenny has also been very active in planning work, the step that comes between gathering the needs assessment data, and writing the proposals. In creating the Kent Health Needs Planning Group with then-director Candy Edwards, a planning group was formed that ultimately resulted in several successful health initiatives, including funding for the mobile school-aged dental program operating in Kent and Northern Queen Anne's County, the "CROC2" program which established a pediatric oral surgery program at Chester River Hospital Center, a planning group to evaluate Kent County as a location for a Federally Qualified Health Center or FQHC, and a needs assessment, planning group, and two proposals submitted in support of Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (one funded, one pending).

Jenny served in many capacities in support of the Adolescent Substance Abuse Coalition, working, as coordinator (when assigned to do so), and as secretary.

Jenny's new job is Director of Alumni and Public Relations at St. Anne's Episcopal School in Middletown Delaware. Jenny writes, "While I am very excited about this new job which will also include grant writing and other functions, it is bittersweet to leave the professional and personal relationships I have formed in my years working for the LMB. I may be reached via my personal email address: emacgill@msn.com."

Sincerely,

Hope Clark   

Graham Lee named Vice President of Philanthropy for Shore Health

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (EASTON- May 22, 2012)

Lee Named Vice President of Philanthropy for Shore Health

Graham Lee has joined the senior leadership team of Shore Health System as Vice President of Philanthropy.

A fundraising professional for 36 years, Lee has 25 years of experience in hospital philanthropy. From 1989 to 2002, he was Vice President of Development for the Memorial Hospital Foundation and Shore Health System. During this time he significantly increased the assets in the Memorial Hospital Foundation, enhanced the Foundation's planned giving program, and created and established relationships with donors, staff and volunteers.

Lee's other development experience includes leadership positions at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina, Geisinger Medical Center in Pennsylvania, Baptist Health System in Tennessee, St. Joseph's Medical Center in Towson and Mid Shore Community Foundation in Easton.

Lee began his professional career in development with the Boy Scouts of America. Most recently, he has been the Chief Development Officer at YMCA of the Chesapeake in Easton, where he led volunteers and donors in a successful capital campaign.

"We are enthusiastic in welcoming Graham back to Shore Health at a time when we are planning for a capital campaign to build the new Regional Medical Center while continuing our work on healthcare services and facilities throughout the Mid-Shore region," comments Kenneth Kozel, MBA, FACHE, President and CEO for Shore Health System. "This is an exciting time as we reach out to our current donors and build relationships with new friends to our health system."

Lee and his wife, Brenda, live in Easton. They have three grown children. He is an active member of the boards of Character Counts Mid Shore, the Mental Health Association in Talbot County and Easton Rotary Club.

"My family and I have enjoyed living in Talbot County for 23 years," Lee says. "I have learned so much from volunteers and donors who support Memorial Hospital, Mid-Shore Community Foundation, the YMCA, and members of the community in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's and Talbot Counties. I look forward to the opportunity to return to Shore Health, where I will work with members of the leadership team and with volunteers to launch what I expect will be the system's most successful capital campaign. I plan to do this with support from the Foundation staff and leaders as we continue the growth of philanthropy at Shore Health System and its hospitals."

Cutline: Graham Lee, Vice President of Philanthropy for Shore Health System

Kristine George

Communications Specialist, Corporate Communications

Shore Health System

219 S. Washington Street, Easton, Maryland 21601

410-822-1000, ext. 5212, cell: 410-310-0217
krgeorge@shorehealth.org

www.shorehealth.org

Be sure to LIKE Shore Health System on Facebook. 

Character Counts! Kent County Fundraiser  

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.