Chamber Information
Howard County is
thriving…what a
great place to live
and work! As your
Board of Directors,
we represent a wide
array of
geographically
diverse, large and
small businesses.
Our goal is to
support the
Chamber’s mission
“to facilitate the
success of business
in Howard County
through advocacy,
communication and
education.”
Advocacy:
Your chamber is the
voice of business in
Howard County. Our
strong Legislative
Committee, supported
by our capable
staff, acts as a
resource to local
and state government
officials on issues
that matter most to
business. Issues
most closely
scrutinized include
budget and taxes,
economic development
and positive
business climate
(BRAC, regulatory
climate,
redevelopment, etc.),
education and
workforce
development,
environment (green
legislation,
recycling),
health care and
transportation.
We annually develop
a White Paper on key
issues which
outlines where
business stands so
that our local and
state
representatives are
aware of what is
important to
business. We also
give our members
access to their
elected officials by
sponsoring events
that give them an
opportunity to ask
questions and get
answers directly.
Communication:
The Chamber
realizes the
importance of
keeping our members
up to date on all
that is going on in
Howard County.
Communications come
in many formats to
assure that all
members are reached.
Electronic eblasts,
Advocacy Alerts,
Quarterly
newsletters and our
website, fulfill the
need for the written
word. Networking is
one of the most in
demand forms of
communications.
Members love to get
together to learn
and to share ideas
that help them do
their business
better. The Howard
County Chamber has a
reputation for
offering truly
memorable events
that hundreds of our
members take part in
on a monthly basis.
From monthly
Business after
Business mixers at
member businesses to
gala events
featuring headline
performers and max
capacity
crowds…nobody does
it better.
Education:
Education
initiatives focus on
two key areas:
-
Workforce Readiness
focuses on workforce
preparedness for
students in our
local schools. The
Chamber’s role is to
give a business
perspective to
career education in
our schools. One of
our key initiatives
is Passport to the
Future where
students who are
planning on entering
the workforce
directly after
school gain the
skills they need to
garner a worthwhile
position. In just
few short years
Passport has grown
from a graduating
class of 30 students
to over 150
students…resume in
hand.
-
Workforce
Development places
its focus on keeping
our current
workforce prepared
to meet the
challenges of today
and the future.
Seminars on latest
trends, conferences
on issues like BRAC
and Technology, job
fairs to match
employers with
talented employees,
and a highly
successful online
job posting site
www.howardjobsonline.com
are all Chamber
initiatives that
assist our members
in doing what they
do best.
Membership has its
privileges,
too…there is
certainly strength
in numbers. Just ask
any of our members
participating in our
popular Energy Co-Op
about the positive
effect of group
buying power on
their bottom lines.
We are proud to
represent you, our
membership. Please
let us know if there
are other ways we
can serve you
better. We are at
your service.
The Howard County
Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors