South County Chamber of Commerce Will Elect New Board on Tuesday

The Southern Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerceis holding their annual membership meeting on Tuesday where half of the members of the board of directors will be elected. The chamber is a working group of businesses that help each other by networking and working towards the betterment of the community. In all, there are over 200 businesses as members.

SoCo Chamber booth at the South County Festival earlier this year, manned by Nickie Zancan and Stacy Greenstreet.

The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday (Sept. 18) at the West River Center in West River. Dinner will be served. Reservations are required. RSVP to president Cindy Morgan here.

The group needs over 50 chamber members  to participate in the meeting in order for a vote to be held. Each business is eligible for one vote. Proxy and absentee voting is permitted. The chamber’s bylaws allow the organization to have 24 board members, 12 of which are elected in even years; the other 12 are elected during odd years. If you are a member of the chamber, email the president of the South County Chamber for an absentee ballot.

There are nine candidates on the 2012 ballot, with three openings. Additional names may be presented at the Tuesday meeting. At this time, there are more seats than candidate, so no member will be running against any other member.

The candidates on the ballot include:

• Lisa Garner, Garner Exteriors. Lisa and Steve Garner are the owners of Garner Exteriors in northern Calvert Co. Their services include Landscape design, pavers and hardscapes, lighting and water features. Their company also offers assistance with seasonal displays. They have been members of the chamber since 2010.
• Kenneth Graham, Joy Kids Learning Center. Ken Graham is the part-owner and business director of Joy Kids Learning Center at Joy Reigns Lutheran Church in Edgewater. Graham holds an MBA. Prior to his career in child care, Graham worked as a substitute school teacher. He also worked at Wachovia Bank and as a facilitator/trainer at a marketing company. Joy Kids joined the chamber in January of 2012.
• Charlee Harris. Tender Loving Care, Adult Day Care. Charlee Harris is the owner of Tender Loving Care, an adult daycare facility in Shady Side. Tender Lovin Care joined the chamber in December 2011.
• John Hiser, Paradise Marina. John Hiser is not only the owner of Paradise Marina, he is also one of Deale’s foremost philanthropists, helping the Deale Fire Department acquire necessary equipment, helping students and families in need, aiding wounded warriors and reviving Skipper’s Pier, one of the landmark restaurants in Deale.
• Shirl Johnson, Lighthouse Limousine. Shirl Johnson co-owns Lighthouse Limousine, an executive car service, limousine and coach transportation company. Johnson is currently a board member, so she is on the ballot for re-election.
• Cynthia McGivern, The Sassy Shoppe. Cynthia McGivern’s Sassy Shoppe in Dunkirk got its start in 2007 when McGivern’s children went to school and she got a monogram machine. In 2010, she opened the boutique which carries gifts, Trollbeads, baby items and personalized and household gifts.
• Amy Reilly, Reilly Benefits. Amy Reilly and her husband David run Reilly Benefits, a firm that helps develop and manage benefit programs for small and mid-sized businesses.
• Teresa Schrodel, MedArt Galleries. Teresa Schrodel is a second generation owner of the Dunkirk art and frame company. A Frostburg State University graduate, Schrodel is the gallery director, choosing artists and managing the financials and marketing.
• Josh Zancan, Zancan Media, LLC. Josh Zancan is the sales representative for Zancan Press in Upper Marlboro, a family owned, full service provider of printing, marketing, mailing, fulfillment and digital media solutions.

Officers whose term ends in 2013: