Archive for the ‘non profit’ Category

LINTHICUM – The monthly breakfast of the BWI Business Partnership was as much a celebration of where it has been as it was where it is headed.  When it started in 1985, the group’s mission focused on getting employees to and from work around the area.  It has since expanded to advocate for education, workforce development as well as enhanced connectivity through rail, transit and highway systems.  The Partnership’s guest speaker, President James Pitts of Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, affirmed the importance of transportation in stating that his company is the largest private-sector employer in Anne Arundel and the largest industrial company in the state (11,000 staff in Maryland).  Pitts, also chairman of the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education, called attention to the need for cultivating young people to solve transportation and other challenges.  “We need creative thinkers who challenge orthodoxy and are open to new ideas.”

Driving home the celebratory atmosphere, the Partnership named the following awardees: Carl Balser, Howard County’s Transportation Chief, as recipient of the Vision award; and the National Security Agency as Employer of the Year, which was accepted by Deputy Director John (Chris) Inglis.  Of course, I can neither confirm nor deny that anyone from NSA was actually there, and the award was bestowed with the cryptic phrase “Johnny gets an ice cream cone.”

L to R: NSA’s Deputy Director Chris Inglis, Chairman of BWI-BP Tom Osborne, NSA’s Kay Hill and BWI-BP’s Linda Greene

LINTHICUM – At the group’s annual meeting, President Rosemary Budd said the executive committee re-evaluated its need for a full-time leader and decided in favor of the existing contractual arrangement with interim manager The O’Ferrall Group.  Tim O’Ferrall will serve as general manager, and Donna De Marco takes the role of chief of staff.

The meeting featured remarks from Fort George G. Meade Installation Commander Col. Daniel Thomas who noted that the BRAC activity is only part of the coming changes; growth is planned for NSA and the Cyber Command.  The latter will include operations from each of the service branches as well as the Intelligence and Security Command.

Bottom line is lots of personnel, technology and construction.  The structures for DISA are 84% complete (and were scheduled to only be 75% complete by now); DMA’s buildings are 47% complete vs a scheduled 25%.

Hoping to keep the pump primed with good candidates for security-cleared positions, the Alliance plans on expanding Project SCOPE, which helps students understand how behavioral decisions can impact future employment.  It also intends to pursue a scholarship program and sponsorship of youth sports programs.  Contact the Alliance for a copy of the well-done annual report with greater detail on the programs.

LUSBY – The Dominion Foundation has provided a $200,000 grant to Coastal Conservation Association Maryland for an open-water monitoring buoy on an artificial reef in the Chesapeake Bay. The foundation is part of Dominion Resources, which owns and operates the Dominion Cove Point liquefied natural gas facility.

See full release.

ROCKVILLE – Larry Letow of Glen Burnie-based Convergence Technology Consulting is the new chairman of the Tech Council of Maryland.   The state’s largest technology trade association, TCM has two divisions: MdTech and MdBio.

ANNAPOLIS – Sailing legend and TV commentator Gary Jobson emceed the evening with a timeline-based look at how his favorite sport has been chronicled over the years.  Early documentaries couldn’t show the tension, strategy and teamwork of a race, so he pioneered the introduction of on-board cameras that has since been copied by car racing.  He didn’t set out to install cameras, but instead wanted to make an obscure sport more attractive.  He asked lots of questions that technology was able to answer.

Jobson also shared the news story he did paralleling sailing challenges with aircraft carrier operations.  While on board the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, he was thanked by an officer who said he was motivated as a young boy to pursue a Naval Academy education based on a sailing presentation Jobson made years ago.  “All of us have the power to inspire people with our words,” he concluded.  Makes me wonder how many future Pulitzer winners are reading this issue.

And now for the award winners:

Tech Company of the Year
Vision Technologies, Inc.

Innovator
Zenoss

Tech Service
G-Security

Good Chip Award
RelianceNet

Legend’s Circle
Dave Troy, a serial entrepreneur with Toad Computers (1986-1997), ToadNet (1995-2004), Popvox LLC (2003-present), Roundhouse Technologies (2008-present) and Bmore Fiber.  And no, he doesn’t blame his parents for his success, he really is just a motivated guy.

CRTC Prez Kevin Lancaster, CEO Bill Karpovich of Innovator Award Winner Zenoss, and CRTC Past Prez Michael Ryan

ANNAPOLIS – ABC Chesapeake Shores is the name of the newly combined local chapter of Associated Builders & Contractors, the 320-member organization devoted to merit shop construction.  It will maintain two offices in Annapolis and Salisbury.

See full announcement.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Laura Willoughby is the new regional director of Business Executives for National Security (BENS), a national non-profit that aims to adapt private-sector models to help strengthen the nation’s security.  A former staffer with iJET and ED of the Chesapeake Regional Technology Council, she will manage programs for BENS members from Virginia to Baltimore to Annapolis.

See full release.

Bob Hannon, AAEDC

GAMBRILLS – This development has inched closer to reality now that 15 amendments to the master plan were approved last week.  Anne Arundel Economic Development chief Bob Hannon said it is up to the county council to approve the plan, which includes significant zoning changes for greater density and mixed use.  There are 76 property owners with a stake in this, so it has been tough to get consensus on issues such as transportation (e.g. Route 175 now will keep its current width) and infrastructural systems for water, sewer and power.  Even after council approval, challenges remain such as funding the upgrade to the sewer system and working with Fort Meade to coordinate the BRAC impact.  Master plan approval could occur at the next county council session.

SEVERNA PARK – Linda Hanifin Bonner, Ph.D. is serving as association manager for Entrepreneur’s Exchange, the organization for small business owners.  She is part of association management firm Next Wave Group, LLC, which has managed Entrepreneur’s Exchange since 1992.  Next Wave Group President Pat Troy and Nancy Badertscher will both continue to serve in advisory roles.

ANNAPOLIS – The Chesapeake Regional Tech Council named its volunteer leadership that will start in 2010.  They are:

• President Kevin Lancaster (principal of The Winvale Group)
• Vice President Finley Foster (executive vice president and general manager of American Systems)
• Treasurer John Elstner (principal of Venture Point Partners)
• Secretary Dan Buan (president/CEO of Buan Consulting)
• Steve Kolbe (president of ANALYSYS)
• Brian Sailer (senior VP at Dutko Worldwide and managing director, Dutko Global Risk Management)
• Jason Silva (COO of Sidus Group)
• President Emeritus Michael Ryan (president/CEO of South River Technologies).

CRTC also announced the January 15 deadline for nominations to the 2010 tech awards.  See the site for details.