April 2003

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NEW THIS MONTH:
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- COMING EVENT: Be a Part of the Fun - Welcome the Orioles Back on April 2!
- COMING EVENT: Learn Crisis Management Tactics at April 2 GBC Seminar
- SAVE THE DATE: GBC Annual Meeting Scheduled for May 20
GBC NEWS:
1. GBC Supports Passage of Gaming Legislation this Year, Urges State to Inject Competition into
Licensing Process
2. Governor Changes Mind, Puts Baltimore Regional Mass Transit on Priority List
3. GBC, Presidents' Roundtable Launch Study of Baltimore City Public Schools' Fiscal Management
4. GBC Works to Keep Heritage Tax Credit for Commercial Properties
5. GBC, Members Contribute Sponsorship, Resources to 17th Annual Harvest for the Hungry Campaign
6. Vision 2030 Report Offers More than 100 Strategies for Region's Future
7. Statewide High-Speed Network Access is on Track, Says Expert
8. Principal "Looks Through a Different Lens" to Improve City School
9. Police Commissioner Says Teamwork is Critical in City Law Enforcement
10. Fry Says GBC Agenda will be Bolder, More Active on Regional Initiatives
11. "Issues & Answers" Focuses on Regional Rail Plan and Tourism in April

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MEMBER NEWS
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- Daily Record names 31 GBC members to Maryland's Top 100 Women list
- Washington Week editor talks politics at annual College of Notre Dame event
- Constellation Energy to acquire contracts of Nicor Energy L.L.C.
- Ernst & Young seeks nominees for 2003 Maryland Entrepreneur of the Year Award
- Hopkins Business School to present program on outlook for the economy
- Major health plan selects ViPs for healthcare technology services
- Maryland Institute College of Art sponsors Baltimore premiere of "Decasia"

For details on these member news headlines and more, click here.

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UPCOMING GBC EVENT NOTES
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(See the GBC Calendar at www.gbc.org for more upcoming events.)

1. BE A PART OF THE FUN - WELCOME THE ORIOLES BACK ON APRIL 2!
Welcome the 2003 Orioles back to Baltimore and pay tribute to the 1983 World Champion Orioles team at the 2003 Lunch with the Orioles event on Wednesday, April 2 at 11:30 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore. Test your pitching arm at the pitching cage and enjoy baseball-related fanfare, including exhibits from the Babe Ruth Museum and souvenir autographed player photos.

The ticket price for GBC members is $75 per person or $750 per table. Click here for more information, or contact Pat Kirkner, 410-727-2820, x11. Click here to register online.


2. LEARN CRISIS MANAGEMENT TACTICS AT APRIL 2 GBC SEMINAR
Learn the steps you can take to adequately prepare your business to withstand a crisis at the GBC's April 2 Breakfast Briefing Seminar. Beginning at 7:30 a.m. in the GBC Board Room, gkv communications Vice President and Director of Public Relations Kevin Kempske will discuss how to emerge from a crisis with your company's image intact.

The event costs $25 for GBC members and $40 for non-members. For more information, click here or contact Alice Smith, 410-727-2820, x19. Click here to register online.


3. SAVE THE DATE! Tuesday, May 20, 2003: GBC Annual Meeting, 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Renaissance Harborplace Hotel.  Contact Pat Kirkner, 410-727-2820, x11, for more information. Sponsorship opportunities are available for this event. For sponsorship information, contact Jay Stewart, 410-727-2820, x35.


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GBC CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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(See the GBC Calendar at www.gbc.org for more upcoming events.)

Tuesday, April 1
Education Committee, 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. GBC Board Room. Contact Liz Pettengill, 410-727-2820, x41. Meeting open to all GBC members.

Wednesday, April 2
GBC Breakfast Briefing, Topic: "Managing Crisis: Effective Crisis Management through Public Relations." Guest speaker: Kevin Kempske, vice president/director of public relations, gkv communications. 7:30 a.m. - 8:15 a.m. - Registration/Networking; 8:15 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. - Program.
GBC Board Room. Contact: Alice Smith, 410-727-2820, x19 Click here for more information, or
Click here to REGISTER ONLINE.

Wednesday, April 2
GBC Business Education Advisory Committee, 9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m., GBC Board Room. Contact Alice Smith, 410-727-2820, x19. Meeting open to all GBC members.

Wednesday, April 2
GBC Lunch with the Orioles 2003, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Sponsored by: Bank of America, Lord Baltimore Capital Corporation, Northrop Grumman, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, Ferris Baker Watts, Injured Workers' Insurance Fund, Video Production Consulting, The Daily Record, Metro Networks
Cost: $75 per person/$750 per table of ten for GBC members; $90 per person/$900 per table of ten for non-members. Contact Pat Kirkner, 410-727-2820, x11. Click here for more information.
Click here to REGISTER ONLINE.
Sponsorship opportunities are available! Contact Jay Stewart, 410-727-2820, x35, for details.

Thursday, April 3
Built Environment Committee, 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. GBC Board Room. Contact Devon Dodson, 410-727-2820, x40. Meeting open to all GBC members.

Wednesday, April 9
Hospitality/Tourism Industry Group, 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. GBC Board Room. Contact Alice Smith, 410-727-2820, x19. Meeting open to all GBC members.

Thursday, April 24
Public Safety Committee, Noon - 1:30 p.m. GBC Board Room. Contact Devon Dodson, 410-727-2820, x40.
Meeting open to all GBC members.

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GBC NEWS
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1. GBC SUPPORTS PASSAGE OF GAMING LEGISLATION THIS YEAR, URGES STATE TO INJECT COMPETITION INTO LICENSING PROCESS
Leaders of the Greater Baltimore Committee announced on March 14 their support for General Assembly passage of slots legislation this year.

In a 7-page policy report, the group also urged legislators to find a way to inject the element of competition into the process of awarding gaming licenses, suggesting that the state seek competing proposals and issue gaming licenses for up to four locations in Maryland.

Click here for more on the GBC's slots position.


2. GOVERNOR CHANGES MIND, PUTS BALTIMORE REGIONAL MASS TRANSIT ON PRIORITY LIST
Reversing an earlier stance, Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. announced March 12 that he will include planning and construction of the first phase of a Baltimore regional transit system on a state priority list to be submitted to Congress for federal funding assistance during the next six years.

As recently as last week, the Ehrlich administration was indicating that it did not expect to include a request for regional transit construction funding. However, GBC President Donald C. Fry, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, the region's county executives, Baltimore Delegate Maggie McIntosh, House Speaker Michael Busch and a number of state legislators vigorously urged state transportation officials to make Baltimore-area mass transit a priority.

Click here for more on the state's transportation priorities.


3. GBC, PRESIDENTS' ROUNDTABLE LAUNCH STUDY OF BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS' FISCAL MANAGEMENT
A task force of volunteer executives representing the Greater Baltimore Committee and the Presidents' Roundtable, an organization of leading African-American CEOs in Baltimore City, has begun a comprehensive review of financial management practices of the city's public school system.

Click here for more about the study.


4. GBC WORKS TO KEEP HERITAGE TAX CREDIT FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES
Arguing that Maryland's historic tax credit has been a key element in commercial redevelopment projects that impact revitalization of older neighborhoods, the Greater Baltimore Committee is urging state lawmakers to resist the temptation to eliminate the tax credit to help balance the state's budget.

Click here for details.


5. GBC, MEMBERS CONTRIBUTE SPONSORSHIP, RESOURCES TO 17TH ANNUAL HARVEST FOR THE HUNGRY CAMPAIGN
The Greater Baltimore Committee was a key participant in the spring campaign of Harvest for the Hungry, a volunteer effort by various corporations and organizations to raise food, funds and awareness for the Maryland Food Bank and its counterparts throughout Maryland.

Click here for more about the campaign.


6. VISION 2030 REPORT OFFERS MORE THAN 100 STRATEGIES FOR REGION'S FUTURE
Vision 2030, a 20-month, community-involved process chaired by GBC President Donald C. Fry to craft a consensus vision for the Baltimore region's future, has issued a report containing 100 strategies ranging from setting up a regional workforce development system to creating a coordinated, comprehensive mass transit system in the region.

Click here for more on the report.


7. STATEWIDE HIGH-SPEED NETWORK ACCESS IS ON TRACK, SAYS EXPERT
A plan to connect public sector networks throughout Maryland by way of affordable, high-speed access is expected to be in place for all state agencies by FY 2005, according to Margo Burnette, director of networkMaryland. Burnette met with the GBC Technology Policy Work Group on March 12 to explain what advanced technology infrastructure currently exists in the state, how it is being used, and what potential exists for public and private use or development of the infrastructure.

Click here for more on the GBC's Tech Policy Group meeting.


8. PRINCIPAL "LOOKS THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS" TO IMPROVE CITY SCHOOL
Principals have to be "risk-takers" to achieve measurable results in improving school performance, according to Baltimore City principal Stephen O. Gibson. At a March 4 meeting of the GBC Education Committee, the Hamilton Middle School principal said that to encourage student and teacher success, he looks at things "through a different lens," which has brought about positive changes in his school's environment.

Click here for more on Gibson's comments.


9. POLICE COMMISSIONER SAYS TEAMWORK IS CRITICAL IN CITY LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY
Teamwork is the critical element in policing strategy, Baltimore City's new police commissioner Kevin P. Clark told the GBC Public Safety Committee on February 20. The entire law enforcement community must work together to deal with crime in the city. One of his top priorities will be to establish close cooperation between the police, state's attorney, U.S. attorney, and the judicial system.

Click here for more on Commissioner Clark.


10. FRY SAYS GBC AGENDA WILL BE BOLDER, MORE ACTIVE ON REGIONAL INITIATIVES
The Greater Baltimore Committee's agenda will be bolder and more active on regional initiatives in the next few years, GBC President Donald C. Fry told members at a March 5 Breakfast Briefing Seminar. As a catalyst for transformation of the regional economy, the GBC plays multiple roles as a visionary, an educator/advocate, an agitator/instigator, and as a partner to numerous organizations.

Click here for more on Fry's comments.


11. "ISSUES & ANSWERS" FOCUSES ON REGIONAL RAIL PLAN AND TOURISM IN APRIL
"Issues & Answers," the public affairs show produced by Comcast in partnership with the GBC, will focus on the Baltimore Region Rail Plan and tourism in April. Guests will include Marshall Murdaugh, interim president & CEO, Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association; Dan Pontious, president, Baltimore Regional Partnership; Jamie Kendrick, project manager, Baltimore Region Rail Plan Advisory Panel, and Anne Perkins, co-chair, Baltimore Regional Rail Partnership. The show is currently on hiatus due to Comcast's 24-hour coverage of war activities but will resume on March 31.

Click here for "Issues & Answers" times, channels and schedule of guests.