February 2003

===============
NEW THIS MONTH:
===============
- COMING EVENT: Learn to Market Your Business through Powerful Events on February 5
- SAVE THE DATE: GBC Lunch with the Orioles to be held April 2
- SAVE THE DATE: GBC Annual Meeting Scheduled for May 20
- REMINDER: GBC Inclement Weather Policy
GBC NEWS:
1. GBC, Presidents' Roundtable to Study City Schools' Fiscal Management Systems
2. State Panel to Examine Maryland Tech Climate, Says Pappas
3. Expect a Major Overhaul of State Government, GBC Members are Told
4. "Issues & Answers" Reports from Annapolis in February
5. "Geeks & Geezers" Share Similar Leadership Traits, Says Author
6. Expert Outlines Employee Retention Tips

===============
MEMBER NEWS
===============
- Comcast and Mayor O'Malley re-launch city grant program as part of Baltimore BELIEVE
- BB&T to acquire First Virginia Banks Inc.
- Ernst & Young seeks nominations for 2003 Entrepreneur of the Year
- Walters Art Museum appoints Kate Sellers Markert as associate director
- Villa Julie College to celebrate Vivat! St. Petersburg with rare Russian photographs
- gkv named agency of record by Martek
- UMB enters licensing agreement for liquid alternative to time-release capsules
- Sheppard Pratt offers private mediation service for family conflicts
- MPT launches interactive site highlighting Edgar Allan Poe
- Whiteford, Taylor & Preston elects six new partners
- NSA awards major contract to New Horizons to handle Windows 2000 training
- UMB exhibit illustrates university's role in state history
- AFP-MD to host November 5 National Philanthropy Day Luncheon
- College of Notre Dame hosts Black History Month event
- Walters exhibits to celebrate Vivat! St. Petersburg Festival, Black History Month
- BMA exhibit to present "Art of the Ballets Russes" during Vivat! St. Petersburg celebration

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

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

1. LEARN TO MARKET YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH POWERFUL EVENTS ON FEBRUARY 5
Find out from an expert how to develop and execute savvy events for your business at the GBC's Breakfast Briefing from 7:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. on February 5. Sandy Pagnotti of P.W. Feats will teach you how to plan events ranging from employee recognition ceremonies to product launches.

Click here for more information, or contact Alice Smith, 410-727-2820, x19.
Click here to REGISTER ONLINE.

2. SAVE THE DATE!
Wednesday, April 2, 2003: GBC Lunch with the Orioles 2003, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Hyatt Regency Baltimore.  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.

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.

4. GBC INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY
The following policies will take effect if there is inclement weather on the day of a GBC event:
For GBC morning events, the event is cancelled if Baltimore City schools are closed at the scheduled starting time of the event. For GBC afternoon or evening events, cancellations will be announced on the GBC website homepage, www.gbc.org. For inclement weather information regarding events of The Leadership program, call 410-727-2820 and enter ext. 22.

==================================================
UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND GBC EVENTS
==================================================
(See the GBC Calendar at www.gbc.org for more upcoming events.)

Tuesday, February 4
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, February 5
GBC Breakfast Briefing, 7:30 - 9:15 a.m. Topic: Special Events Planning. Guest Speaker: Sandy Pagnotti, vice president of event management, P.W. Feats, Inc. GBC Board Room. Contact Alice Smith, 410-727-2820, x19. Click here for more information, or click here to REGISTER ONLINE.

Wednesday, February 5
GBC Business Education Advisory Committee, 9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. GBC Board Room. Contact Alice Smith, 410-727-2820, x19.

Tuesday, February 18
"Tool and Techniques for Developing a Business Plan," a University of Baltimore
Small Business Initiative Course, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. University of Baltimore's Langsdale Library, Room 401
Sponsored by: Greater Baltimore Committee, Baltimore Smart CEO and Maryland Small Business Development Center. Cost: For individual course - $115 for GBC members; $125 for non-members. For four courses (to earn an Entrepreneurship Certificate) - $440 for GBC members, $500 for non-members.
Contact Dawn Eubanks, 410-837-6199 or deubanks@ubalt.edu.
For more information about the program, go to http://www.ubalt.edu/training/small_biz.html.

Thursday, February 20
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.

Thursday, February 20
Public Safety Committee, Noon - 1:30 p.m. GBC Board Room. Contact Devon Dodson, 410-727-2820, x40. Meeting open to all GBC members.

===========
GBC NEWS
===========
1. GBC, PRESIDENTS' ROUNDTABLE TO STUDY CITY SCHOOLS' FISCAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Leaders at the Greater Baltimore Committee and the Presidents' Roundtable, an organization of minority CEOs in Baltimore, are organizing a team of volunteer executives to conduct a study of the Baltimore City Public Schools' fiscal management systems.

The two organizations expect to announce project leaders soon. They are conducting the study at the request of Baltimore City Mayor Martin O'Malley and city school board chair Patricia L. Welch.

Click here for more about the study.


2. STATE PANEL TO EXAMINE MARYLAND TECH CLIMATE, SAYS PAPPAS
There is too much "intramural competition" between Maryland jurisdictions that hinders the creation of a statewide technology vision, George Pappas, who chairs a new state technology panel, told members of the GBC Technology Policy Group on January 21. Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. hopes to create a "One Maryland Vision" through Pappas' Commission on Development of Advanced Technology Business. Pappas, who is a partner with Venable LLC, created the firm's Intellectual Property Litigation Group.

Click here for more on Pappas' remarks.


3. EXPECT A MAJOR OVERHAUL OF STATE GOVERNMENT, GBC MEMBERS ARE TOLD
When a FY 2004 state budget has been adopted and the current debate over slots has been resolved, Marylanders can expect a sweeping overhaul of state government, several speakers told more than 250 members who attended the GBC Legislative Preview on January 27.

Click here for details from the GBC's Legislative Forum.


4. "ISSUES & ANSWERS" REPORTS FROM ANNAPOLIS IN FEBRUARY
GBC President Don Fry interviews leading Maryland legislators in February segments of "Issues & Answers," a public affairs show produced by Comcast in partnership with the GBC. Guests include Sen. Nathaniel McFadden, Sen. Lowell Stoltzfus, Del. Maggie McIntosh, Del. John Hurson, Sen. Katherine Klausmeier, Sen. Paula Hollinger, Del. James Malone, and Del. Sheila Hixson. This month will also feature segments from the GBC's Legislative Forum event, held on January 27, including comments from Del. Michael Busch and Del. Alfred Redmer, Jr.

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


5. "GEEKS AND GEEZERS" SHARE SIMILAR LEADERSHIP TRAITS, SAYS AUTHOR
How are the successful young leaders of today similar to the successful leaders of the mid-20th century? Many report "crucible experiences" that severely tested their patience or beliefs and played a key role in shaping their values, says author Robert J. Thomas. People who take advantage of these experiences shape themselves into more capable, insightful and competent leaders, Thomas told 75 members of the Leadership Association at its January 23 program on the book he co-authored, Geeks and Geezers: How Era, Values and Defining Moments Shape Leaders. GBC Senior Adviser Walter Sondheim was among those interviewed for the book.

Click here for more on Thomas' comments.


6. EXPERT OUTLINES EMPLOYEE RETENTION TIPS
Seventy-five percent of all hiring is to fill vacancies created by employee turnover, according to Mike Mitchell, president and CEO of Retention Consulting. Mitchell told more than 40 GBC members at a Breakfast Briefing on January 8 that replacing one employee costs two to three times as much as it does to retain that employee. Furthermore, he noted that 50 - 70 percent of employees leave their jobs as a result of discontent with a supervisor.

Click here for Mitchell's tips on how to retain employees.