August 2 8:00 am Membership Committee Meeting Chamber Boardroom August 3 6:00 – 9:00 pm Chamber Crab Feast Ali Ghan Shrine Club August 7 3:00 pm Expo Committee Meeting Chamber Boardroom August 9 7:30 am Education Committee Meeting Chamber BoardroomAugust 15 8:00 am Economic Develop. Comm. Mtg. Chamber Boardroom August 20 8:00 am Leadership Allegany! Alumni Committee Meeting Chamber BoardroomAugust 21 8:00 am Leadership Allegany! Steering Committee Meeting Chamber Boardroom August 22 5:30 – 7:30 pm “Chamber After Hours” Cumberland Country ClubAugust 23 3:00 pm Expo Committee Meeting Chamber Boardroom August 30 Noon Board of Directors Meeting Chamber Boardroom

August Calendar Economic Development. Politicians, especially during election years, throw around the words “economic development” rather easily. Everyone would agree we need it but most don’t understand what it really is not to mention how it’s accomplished. From the U.S. Economic Development Administration: “Economic Development creates the conditions for economic growth and improved quality of life by expanding the capacity of individuals, firms, and communities to maximize the use of their talents and skills to support innovation, lower transaction costs, and responsibly produce and trade valuable goods and services. Economic Development requires effective, collaborative institutions focused on advancing mutual gain for the public and the private sector. Economic Development is essential to ensuring our economic future.” That’s a mouth full pretty much covering what it is but how it’s accomplished is the million dollar question. No, I’m not going to attempt an answer here but Allegany County Government is taking notable steps to get there. With little fanfare, County Administrator Brandon Butler and the Allegany County Commissioners took important actions at recent Business Meet-ings. They approved the members of the newly formed Regulatory Reform Commis-sion, appointed the Director of the newly formed Department of Planning and Growth, awarded a contract for development of an Economic Development Strategic Plan and approved a contract for Business Attraction Services. Though early first steps, do not underestimate the potential impact of these actions. Creating a business friendly

Executive Director

Chamberthe

environment combined with a well developed aggressive strategic plan with community support, working together, will be a game changer for all of Allegany County. Well done.There is still time to get your tickets for the best crab feast around. All Chamber members and their guests are invited to

the 37th Annual Chamber Crab Feast at the Ali Ghan Shrine Club Picnic Grounds on Friday, August 3rd from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. You need to get your tickets by Thursday the 2nd however as no tickets will be sold at the gate. The 37th Annual Chamber Crab Feast is proudly sponsored by Carl Belt, Inc., Northrop Grumman, Rehab 1st and Tips and Toes Too. To purchase tickets contact the Chamber office at 301-722-2820.Thank you to Grow West MD for hosting July’s “Chamber After Hours”. A beautiful summer evening of networking and great hospitality was enjoyed by the nearly 200 in attendance. Bishop Walsh School was drawn for Network & Win. Since no one from Bishop Walsh was present at the drawing, the pot grows to $1,250 for the next “Chamber After Hours” hosted by the Cum-berland Rotary Club, and the Cumberland Country Club at the Cumberland Country Club on Wednesday, August 22nd from 5:30-7:30 pm. The pre-registration deadline is the 16th. We look forward to seeing you there.Booth space is selling fast so now is the time to reserve your preferred location for Chamber’s Shake, Rattle and Roll Expo 2018 being held on Thursday, October 11th. This year’s theme has proven to be very popular and will be sure to bring attention to the event. Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your business or organization. For information go to www.alleganycountychamber.com or contact the Chamber office.We work for you. Stu Czapski Executive Director

August 3, 2018Ali Ghan ShrinePicnic Grounds

6 - 9 pm

ChAmbEr CrAb FEAst

Volume XXXVI No. 8 Bell Tower Building • Cumberland, MD 21502 August 2018

“Chamber After hours”Wednesday, August 22, 2018

5:30 to 7:30 pmHosted by:

rotary Club of Cumberland and Cumberland Country Club

Comfort Keepers11602 Bedford Road NECumberland, Maryland 21502 Phone: 240-362-7074Fax: 240-362-7116 www.cumberland-747.comfortkeepers.comContact: Lisa Claus, Care Coordinator Email: lisaclaus@comfortkeepers.comCategory: Health-Home Care Non-Medical Home Care Long Term Care Assisted Living Description: Provide in-home care personal care/companion care/transportation from 4 hours a day to 24 hour care and live-in care.

New member(patronize this member and welcome them to the Chamber)

ribbon Cutting CeremonyThe Allegany County Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the renovation of the Center City office of First United Bank and Trust located at 115 West Harrison Street, Cumberland, Maryland. To learn more about their renovations please visit their website: https://www.mybank.com/renovation.

Pictured left to right – first row:Dave Upole, Wealth Advisor, First United Bank and TrustWill Cessna, Senior Relationship Advisor, First United Bank and Trust Julieanna Broadwater, Relationship Advisor, First United Bank and Trust Second row – left to right:Karen Malecki, VP & Director of Strategic Initiatives, First United Bank and Trust Craig Pancake, Commercial Relationship Manager, First United Bank and TrustCarol Flowers, Trust Administrator, First United Bank and Trust Doris Holliday, Relationship Advisor, First United Bank and Trust Sally Horn, Relationship Advisor, First United Bank and TrustMary Bond, Community Office Manager, First United Bank and Trust Kathy Burkey, Board of Directors, First United Bank and Trust Carissa Rodeheaver, CEO, Chair & President, First United Bank and TrustCouncilman Richard “Rock” Cioni, City of Cumberland Robin Murray, SVP & Director of Retail, First United Bank and Trust

Julianna Albowicz, Representative, U. S Senator Christopher Van HollenCommissioner William Valentine, Allegany County Mark Widmyer, Western Maryland Representative, Governor Larry HoganSteve MacGray, Board of Director member, Allegany County Chamber of Commerce Third Row – left to right: Rod Barker, Chamber Membership Committee Vice Chair and Board Member, Allegany County Chamber of CommerceSenator George Edwards, Maryland Senate Jill Brooks, Senior Trust Administrator, First United Bank and Trust Bev Sines, SVP & Chief Credit Officer, First United Bank and Trust

Councilman Eugene Frazier, City of Cumberland Kathy Getty, Director of Business Relations, First United Bank and TrustTravis Bohrer, Residential Loan Originator, First United Bank and Trust Phil Rodeheaver, Market President, First United Bank and TrustR.L. Fisher, SVP & Chief Revenue Officer, First United Bank and TrustTonya Strum, SVP & Chief Financial Officer, First United Bank and TrustCharles Croft, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Allegany County Chamber of CommerceJason Rush, SVP & Chief Operating Officer, First United Bank and TrustStu Czapski, Executive Director, Allegany County Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Crab FeastFriday, August 3, 2018

6:00 to 9:00 pm

Ali Ghan shrine Club

member Profile: CAsA of Allegany County 111 south George street, suite 11 Cumberland, maryland 21502 301-777-1262 – Fax 301-777-1263 www.casaofalleganycounty.org misty raines, Executive Director Email: misty@casaofalleganycounty.org Happy Birthday CASA of Allegany County! Five years ago, in July 2013, new Executive Director, Misty Raines, sat in a closet sized office, on the floor, waiting for the CASA office telephone to be installed. She spent the morning reading an older version of a National CASA training manual and tried to create a vision for what CASA of Allegany County would be. The vision in 2013 is very different than what CASA of Allegany County has become five years later. Today’s CASA is so much more than could have ever been expected!Every day the CASA office phone rings with dedicated volunteers from the com-munity with stories of the children they serve. Who doesn’t love to hear that one of the children they serve, who has struggled with math, received a B on their test. Or that a sibling set they are all rooting for has had successful visits with their family. CASA volunteers make area foster children more than a statistic, CASAs are the voice for Allegany County’s foster children. They speak for the child. With every new train-ing that CASA has, Misty always shares

that the very best part of her job is to be around people who want to make a differ-ence in the life of a child. She loves watching the CASA office fill up on training nights with like-minded volunteers who may not have a lot of time, who don’t necessarily have a lot of experience, but they show up because they see their community is strug-gling and they know that the silent victims of the opioid crisis are the children who are in foster care. 98% of the cases CASA of Allegany County has served over the past 5 years have had an addiction component and they have seen a 100% increase in the number of children in foster care in Allegany County! CASA of Allegany County has served more than fifty area foster children in the past five years! Not only is CASA of Allegany County celebrating five years of service in Allegany County, but as Executive Director, Misty Raines, is also celebrating her five years with CASA of Allegany County! Misty Raines says, “It has been an honor to serve as the executive director of CASA of Allegany County over the past five years. To serve

our community among such amazing and dedicated volunteers and staff, to hear the stories our CASAs shares about resilient area foster children, to work with area social workers who dedicate their lives to serving our community is a privilege I do not take lightly. Thank you to our community for five years of amazing support! I am excited to see what the next five years looks like for CASA of Allegany County.”For those interested in working with area foster children training classes will begin the end of August 2018. You do not have to be a resident of Allegany County to be a CASA, all that is required is an interest in giving back to an area foster child. Volun-teers spend approximately 5-10 hours a month volunteering their time. The CASA agency is grant funded, so resources are limited and there is always a need. CASA of Allegany County is a 501c3. All donations are tax-deductible.For additional information please visit their website at: www.casaofalleganycounty.org.

The 37th Annual Chamber Crab Feast will be held on Friday, August 3rd at the Ali Ghan Shrine Picnic Grounds from 6:00 to 9:00 pm and is open to Chamber members and their guests. This year’s event is being chaired by Jeremy Irons, Carl Belt, Inc., and Scott Pfeiffer, Northrop Grumman. There’s plenty of food for every taste bud – crabs, corn on the cob, hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled sausages, Queen City Creamery ice cream, Roaring Springs bottled water as well as Susie Miller’s super-secret recipe for Maryland Crab Soup.

Crab Feast 2018

Stephen Nelson, Nelson Marketing Solutions, Publisher Town Planner, and his Crabby Parking Crew will once again be assisting with parking. Tickets are $70.00 per person and must be purchased in advance. Tickets are non refundable – no tickets will be sold at the door. You must be 21 years or older to attend due to alcoholic beverages being served and the personal liability incurred with serving alcohol. No coolers or outside refresh-ments permitted.

sponsored by:

ChambertheStuart C. Czapski, Executive Director

Allegany County Chamber of Commerce 2018 Officers Chair: Charles L. Croft, Jr. First Vice Chair: scott C. PfeifferSecond Vice Chair: Nicole r. D’AtriImmediate Past Chair: Jeremy G. Irons

Bell Tower Building 24 Frederick Street, Cumberland, Maryland 21502 301-722-2820 • 301-722-5995 Fax e-mail: info@alleganycountychamber.comwww.alleganycountychamber.com

The Chamber News is published monthly by theAllegany County Chamber of Commerce

LUCILLE BALL SPONSORSAllegany College of Maryland

Holiday Inn ExpressKensington Algonquin

Staples

JAMES DEAN SPONSORSCASA of Allegany County

Evergreen Heritage Foundation CenterHorizon Goodwill Industries

Western Maryland Building and Construction Trades Council

AL’S DINER SPONSORSBuffalo Wild Wings

Chamber’s Shake Rattle and Roll Expo 2018 will be held on Thursday, October 11, 2018 at Allegany College of Maryland in the Gymnasium from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. This year’s theme is the 50’s and provides a great opportunity for local businesses and organizations to showcase their products and/or services. Please call and reserve your booth today and begin creating your own unique 50’s themed event. Again this year first, second and third place prizes will be awarded for the best decorated booth – everyone attending Expo 2018 is eligible to vote so be sure to invite your customers to attend and cast a vote for your booth. Limited booth space and sponsorship packages are still available.

Join the following vendor sponsors for a little fun – reserve your booth today before we sell out!!

ELVIS PRESLEY SPONSORSRocky Gap Casino Resort

U. S. Cellular

MARILYN MONROE SPONSORSM & T Bank

Northrop Grumman

Sponsored by:

Throughout the day 50’s themed games will be played and the bingo game, that encourages attendees to visit each and every booth, is back again this year.

For additional information visit our website at: www.alleganycountychamber.com.