Chamber Update

Please give a warm welcome to our newest members: Institute for Cultural Communicators, True You – Navigating Through Change, Maria the Trainer LLC, Refill Goodness, Oxblood Ink, and Capital Rug Cleaning. And we thank all our renewing members for keeping us “chamber strong!”

We are gearing up for a fantastic parade on Monday, July 5! We have over 50 sponsors and robust participation in the parade. Enjoy music, animals including a potbellied pig, decorated bikes, firetrucks, Mopars, community floats and more!

Here is our updated list of sponsors:

“Open for business” sponsors include Chick-fil-A of Severna Park, Bernward Mechanical and Construction, Kogen Dojo and Brow Craft Boutique. Our “judges table” sponsors are Romilos Restaurant and Bar and Emidio Vincenzo Escape Salon and Spa. The judges table is sponsored by Primary Residential Mortgage Inc. and Park Tavern. Awards sponsor is JB’s of Severna Park. Our tent sponsor is Comcast Business. Our “freedom” sponsors are Coffee News Maryland, Christina Josephs Salon, Budding Voices LLC, EscapeTime, Live! Casino and Hotel, Transworld Business Advisors, and community members Liz and Leo Courtney.

Independence sponsors are M&T Bank, Citizens for Heather Bagnall, Jackie D’Amico Designs, McDonald’s of Severna Park, Sandy Spring Bank, SERVPRO of Annapolis, Franklin’s Toys, Premier Insurance Advisors, Mosquito Squad, The Big Bean, Fishpaws Marketplace, Park Plaza, Severna Park Community Center, Christine Joyce and Jean Andrews – Team of Long and Foster, Broadleaf Tobacco, Steak ‘n Shake of Millersville, Peggy Love – Annapolis Fine Homes Long and Foster Real Estate, Firehouse Subs, Honey Baked Ham, Lisa’s Cakepops, LogoZone Promotions, Griswold Home Care, Severna Park Racquetball and Fitness Club, and AGT Title.

Our “sparkler” sponsors are Brightview Senior Living, Meridiem Dermspa, Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi, Christ Embassy Church Anne Arundel, Higgins and Friends Pet Sitting, Golden Consulting LLC, Clean Sweep of Anne Arundel County, Living with the Magic Vacations and Live Laugh Love and Lavender.

Star-Spangled Restaurant Week will be held July 3-11. Participating restaurants will donate 5% of the proceeds to ACAN, a local food pantry. Please patronize our wonderful restaurants that have been so negatively impacted by the pandemic and enjoy the specials they are creating for our Star-Spangled Restaurant Week! Visit www.gspacc.com for the latest updates.

Our Learn and Lead committee wrapped up its final meeting before summer break with a presentation on all things related to boards of directors. Joy Cortina of the Life of Joy Foundation discussed strategies to ensure that the best people are selected to serve on boards, and how to communicate expectations and hold people accountable. Many thanks to Jenn Triplett of the Treebranch Group and Larry Sells of Larry Sells Consulting for your great work with the committee. We look forward to resuming in September.

Our Successful Women in Business group held an in-person event at Anne Arundel Dermatology’s Meridiem DermSpa. It is a full-service spa offering a variety of skin treatments and products, injectables and much more. Many thanks to Alyssa Thomas for organizing the event and arranging for the expert staff members to discuss the latest treatments for healthy skin.

Our pet health and wellness committee held a fun “yappy hour” at Kinder Farm Park. Attendees brought their dogs, and our featured speaker was Mariah Johnston of Constellation K9 Training. Mariah is a veteran who brought her gorgeous Malinois shepherd for a few demonstrations. The Malinois dogs are trained in protection and law enforcement; drug, bomb and gas detection; search and rescue; tracking; obedience; sledding; agility; and therapy assistance to disabled, ill or elderly people. The dogs are also used in the military.

On June 1, we held a ribbon-cutting celebrating the newest physical therapy business in Severna Park, Lynch Physical Therapy. Owner Ryan Lynch is an active member of an elite group of physical therapists specializing in the treatment of orofacial and associated cervical pain. With the distinction of CCTT, he is one of only 75 physical therapists in North America who have qualified to specialize, through the PTBCCT (Physical Therapy Board of Craniofacial & Cervical Therapeutics), in this unique area.

On June 17, we were honored to participate in a ribbon-cutting celebrating the 30th anniversary of Fence & Deck Connection. They had a fantastic celebration that featured a band, food truck, games and more. Founder Jim Rubush spoke about starting the business and Fence & Deck’s philosophy of providing the best products and services in the community. They are also very philanthropic and frequently donate to charitable causes. To reach a major milestone such as this takes leadership, dedication and teamwork, and this company demonstrates all these qualities and more. They employ over 150 people in Anne Arundel County.

As always, please visit www.gspacc.com for more information about the chamber and our activities. You can also email me at ceo@gspacc.com or call 410-647-3900.