GBC Leader - January 2001

For the Greater Baltimore Committee, the year 2000 was a year of accomplishment and impact.

"The past 12 months have seen an extraordinary involvement by GBC members whose work has achieved visible results toward improving our region's business climate and quality of life," said GBC President Donald P. Hutchinson.

In addition to the high-profile management and efficiency study for Mayor Martin O'Malley that was performed by more than 250 volunteer executives from the GBC and the Presidents' Roundtable, the GBC also played a key role in the development of crime-reduction strategies that are beginning to yield significant results.

Through its Homicide Reduction Fund, the GBC invested almost $250,000 to support reorganization of the city's police department, reduction of illegal guns, and the development of federal, state and local law enforcement teamwork that has reduced violence in the city's highest crime areas.

Early results of crime-reduction efforts are encouraging. Total crime in Baltimore is beginning to trend downward. For the first time in more than a dozen years, Baltimore City has an opportunity to experience a murder rate of less than 300.

The GBC also maintained a visible and highly credible presence as the premier advocate for the region's business community before the Maryland General Assembly. The GBC played a key role in persuading legislators to increase state funding for the treatment of substance abuse as a crime reduction strategy in the region and led the lobbying effort for approval of the state's funding share for the development of the Hippodrome Center for the Performing Arts. The GBC continues to lead the business community effort to support the development of the Hippodrome project, which will serve as the centerpiece of Baltimore's west-side revitalization.

"State of the Region" Update
Baltimore Region's Strengths Remain, Rankings With Competing Regions Mostly Unchanged

When compared to 19 other key competing regions, the Baltimore metropolitan area ranks among the Top Five in 20 benchmark categories of the more than 90 measured by the Greater Baltimore Committee and the Greater Baltimore Alliance in compiling the 2000 State of the Region Report.

The report, which updates the 1998 State of the Region Report, will be distributed to GBC members in January.

Greater Baltimore's highest ranking categories include low cost of living, high quality health care, high levels of research and development funding, and low air fares.

Competitive challenges facing Greater Baltimore as a region continue to include comparatively sluggish employment and population growth, and crime rates that remain high compared to other regions, the report indicates.

Greater Baltimore shows statistical improvement in most benchmarks. However, because other regions also show improvement, the Baltimore region remained in the same relative ranking positions for most measurements in the 2000 State of the Region Report.

As in 1998, the GBC and the GBA, with the assistance of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies, have collaborated in compiling data, reviewing it, and producing the 2000 State of the Region Report. The objective of the original report, and its update, is to compile data that is regional in nature and that measures Greater Baltimore's economic and cultural strengths and weaknesses against those of key regions in the U.S. that compete with our area for business growth and development.

Click here to view the 2000 Greater Baltimore State of the Region Report.

GBC's 2001 Maryland General Assembly Preview to Focus
On Budget, Surplus on Jan. 4

The 2001 Maryland General Assembly Preview will be held on Thursday, January 4, and will feature topics such as the status of Maryland's budget and the handling of the state's anticipated surplus. Regional priorities of the greater Baltimore and greater Washington region and issues such as drug treatment, education, public safety, transportation, and economic development will also be covered.

Speakers at the event include Baltimore County Executive C.A."Dutch" Ruppersberger, Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, and Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management T. Eloise Foster.

The event will take place on Thursday, January 4 from 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel. The cost for this event is $35 per person, and $300 per table of ten for GBC members. Contact Michele Armiger, 410-727-2820 - x29, to register to attend.

Ronald M. Shapiro, award-winning author of The Power of Nice, provided a lesson in negotiations at the December 6 GBC Business Education Seminar. He told more than 130 participants that when negotiating, the best way to get what you want is to help the other negotiators get what they want.

In January, the GBC will launch a television program on the Comcast cable network entitled "Issues and Answers," focusing on issues of major concern to the Greater Baltimore region and to the GBC. The show will air beginning January 1 before CNN Headline News from Monday through Friday, seven times per day.

"Issues and Answers" will be co-hosted by GBC President Donald Hutchinson and GBC Executive Vice President Donald Fry. Guests such as Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, Baltimore City Schools CEO Carmen Russo, and top elected officials from the region will be interviewed on the show.

Early shows will preview the legislative agenda, outlining specific issues affecting the region that will likely surface in the upcoming Maryland General Assembly 2001 session.

Other shows in January will provide an in-depth look at key education issues that impact Baltimore City, the region, and state.

Later programs will focus on a variety of issues, including crime reduction, business climate, transportation and regionalism.

GBC's "Issues and Answers" will air at the following times: Monday through Friday at 7:24 a.m., 9:24 a.m., 10:24 a.m., 11:24 a.m., 5:24 p.m., 7:24 p.m., and 9:24 p.m.

Baltimore County - Channel 18
Harford County - Channel 52
Howard County - Channel 55
Anne Arundel County - Channel 28
Annapolis - Channel 43

The Leadership, a program sponsored by the Greater Baltimore Committee, recently selected 50 members to its Class of 2001, creating the second-largest Leadership class in its 17-year history.

A diverse group of 94 leaders from Baltimore businesses, non-profit organizations, and government applied for membership to the yearlong program, which traditionally accepts 48 people per class. Applicants are selected based on professional and volunteer leadership experiences, judgment, civic activity, concern for the community, and potential to help build a better Baltimore.

Through seminars, weekend retreats, experiential activities and meetings with some of the region's most influential leaders, participants complete the program with a better knowledge of Baltimore, themselves, and each other.

The Leadership invites applications yearly from September through mid-October for the class that begins in January. Click here for a list of members of The Leadership Class of 2001.




			January 2001
	Headlines: Year in Review: For GBC, 2000 Was a Year of Impact "State of the Region" Update: Baltimore Region's Strengths Remain, Rankings With Competing Regions Mostly Unchanged GBC's 2001 Maryland General Assembly Preview to Focus on Budget, Surplus on Jan. 4 GBC Members Learn a Lesson in Negotiation GBC UPDATES: Mayor Implementing Key GBC-Presidents' Roundtable Recommendations GBC Seeks Event Sponsors GBC Welcomes 33 New Members in 2000 GBC's Member Activities Strengthen in 2000 GBC MEMBER NEWS: Six Local Nonprofits Receive MANO Seal of Approval McPhail Named Advisory Board Chairman Board Member Goes "Spicy" in Parade Magazine Venable to Help in Park Heights Community Center Renovation The B&O Railroad Museum Launches New Ad Campaign GBC Launches Program on Comcast Cable Network The Leadership Selects Second-Largest Class in Program History
Year in Review: For GBC, 2000 Was a Year of Impact For the Greater Baltimore Committee, the year 2000 was a year of accomplishment and impact. "The past 12 months have seen an extraordinary involvement by GBC members whose work has achieved visible results toward improving our region's business climate and quality of life," said GBC President Donald P. Hutchinson. In addition to the high-profile management and efficiency study for Mayor Martin O'Malley that was performed by more than 250 volunteer executives from the GBC and the Presidents' Roundtable, the GBC also played a key role in the development of crime-reduction strategies that are beginning to yield significant results. Through its Homicide Reduction Fund, the GBC invested almost $250,000 to support reorganization of the city's police department, reduction of illegal guns, and the development of federal, state and local law enforcement teamwork that has reduced violence in the city's highest crime areas. Early results of crime-reduction efforts are encouraging. Total crime in Baltimore is beginning to trend downward. For the first time in more than a dozen years, Baltimore City has an opportunity to experience a murder rate of less than 300. The GBC also maintained a visible and highly credible presence as the premier advocate for the region's business community before the Maryland General Assembly. The GBC played a key role in persuading legislators to increase state funding for the treatment of substance abuse as a crime reduction strategy in the region and led the lobbying effort for approval of the state's funding share for the development of the Hippodrome Center for the Performing Arts. The GBC continues to lead the business community effort to support the development of the Hippodrome project, which will serve as the centerpiece of Baltimore's west-side revitalization. top "State of the Region" Update Baltimore Region's Strengths Remain, Rankings With Competing Regions Mostly Unchanged When compared to 19 other key competing regions, the Baltimore metropolitan area ranks among the Top Five in 20 benchmark categories of the more than 90 measured by the Greater Baltimore Committee and the Greater Baltimore Alliance in compiling the 2000 State of the Region Report. The report, which updates the 1998 State of the Region Report, will be distributed to GBC members in January. Greater Baltimore's highest ranking categories include low cost of living, high quality health care, high levels of research and development funding, and low air fares. Competitive challenges facing Greater Baltimore as a region continue to include comparatively sluggish employment and population growth, and crime rates that remain high compared to other regions, the report indicates. Greater Baltimore shows statistical improvement in most benchmarks. However, because other regions also show improvement, the Baltimore region remained in the same relative ranking positions for most measurements in the 2000 State of the Region Report. As in 1998, the GBC and the GBA, with the assistance of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies, have collaborated in compiling data, reviewing it, and producing the 2000 State of the Region Report. The objective of the original report, and its update, is to compile data that is regional in nature and that measures Greater Baltimore's economic and cultural strengths and weaknesses against those of key regions in the U.S. that compete with our area for business growth and development. Click here to view the 2000 Greater Baltimore State of the Region Report. top GBC's 2001 Maryland General Assembly Preview to Focus On Budget, Surplus on Jan. 4 The 2001 Maryland General Assembly Preview will be held on Thursday, January 4, and will feature topics such as the status of Maryland's budget and the handling of the state's anticipated surplus. Regional priorities of the greater Baltimore and greater Washington region and issues such as drug treatment, education, public safety, transportation, and economic development will also be covered. Speakers at the event include Baltimore County Executive C.A."Dutch" Ruppersberger, Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, and Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management T. Eloise Foster. The event will take place on Thursday, January 4 from 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel. The cost for this event is $35 per person, and $300 per table of ten for GBC members. Contact Michele Armiger, 410-727-2820 - x29, to register to attend. top GBC Members Learn a Lesson in Negotiation Ronald M. Shapiro, award-winning author of The Power of Nice, provided a lesson in negotiations at the December 6 GBC Business Education Seminar. He told more than 130 participants that when negotiating, the best way to get what you want is to help the other negotiators get what they want. He outlined four key steps to conducting "N.I.C.E." negotiations: Neutralize your emotions. Identify the type of negotiator you're dealing with. Create options. End without escalating. Click here for more on Shapiro's negotiation tips. top GBC UPDATES: Mayor Implementing Key GBC-Presidents' Roundtable Recommendations More positive impact of the Greater Baltimore Committee-Presidents' Roundtable Report was felt in Baltimore City in December as Mayor Martin O'Malley implemented key recommendations that included closing nine neighborhood centers and aggressively collecting delinquent water bills. In early November, the mayor committed to implementing 80 percent of almost 200 recommendations reviewed by the city so far. Click here For more on the GBC-Presidents' Roundtable recommendations to Mayor O'Malley and his '"to do" list. top GBC Seeks Event Sponsors Sponsorships are available for GBC events in 2001. GBC events were rated by readers of The Daily Record as one of the top business networking venues in the region. Sponsoring an event is an excellent opportunity to gain visibility in the business community. Sponsors are recognized in all event marketing materials, including invitations, e-mail alerts, faxes, the GBC newsletter The Leader, and on the GBC website, www.gbc.org. Contact Don Fry, 410-727-2820, x41, for more information. top GBC Welcomes 33 New Members in 2000 The GBC has welcomed 33 businesses and organizations into its membership this year, more than double the number of those that joined the GBC in 1999. New GBC members in 2000 are: Comcast Cable Communications; Rosemore, Inc.; BB&T Corporation; DAP, Inc.; Hodes, Ulman, Pessin & Katz, P.A.; AMERICAID Community Care; AXA Advisors; SBC Telecom; CIANBRO Corp.; Howard Community College; University of Maryland University College; Frank & Associates; ALD Enterprises, LLC; Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley LLP; Brann Worldwide; Deaton Specialty Hospital and Home; Exceptional Software Strategies, Inc.; Funk & Bolton, P.A.; IA Construction Corp.; Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson; Lightyear Communications; Lucas Associates Architects; Maryland Institute, College of Art; Morris Goldseker Foundation of Maryland, Inc.; Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital; Nancy Kapp & Company; SMBC Incorporated; techies.com; The Staubach Co.; Welsh Construction Remodeling Company; Byrnes & Associates; Distributed Computing, Inc.; and the Law Offices of J. William Pitcher. top GBC's Member Activities Strengthen in 2000 The GBC has significantly strengthened its membership activities and member communications in 2000. The GBC conducted 22 special events for members, ranging from monthly breakfast briefings to the annual preview of the General Assembly session, that attracted a combined attendance of more than 4,000. The GBC also strengthened and integrated its printed and electronic member communications, including an expansion of its Internet web site, www.gbc.org, and development of electronic e-mail alerts. top GBC MEMBER NEWS: Six Local Nonprofits Receive MANO Seal of Approval United Way of Central Maryland was awarded a seal of approval on November 15 by The Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations as part of a program to encourage accountability in the nonprofit sector. The program, entitled "Standards for Excellence," is the first of its kind in the U.S. It requires organizations to comply with 55 standards, such as creating evaluation procedures to manage their programs, formulating policies on conflict of interest, and having their financial statements audited. Organizations that attain the standards get permission to use the association's logo of approval - a box with a check mark. United Way was one of the six organizations to gain the association's seal of approval in November. MANO has started a training program to help organizations comply with the year-old certification program. Approximately 350 agencies have taken part thus far. top McPhail Named Advisory Board Chairman Irving Pressley McPhail, chancellor of the Community College of Baltimore County, is the new chairman of the Executive Advisory Board on Higher Education for the county. The advisory board, formed in 1989, seeks to identify ways that higher education can help businesses and government address their employment needs. McPhail succeeds Hoke Smith, president of Towson University. top *Board Member Goes "Spicy" in Parade* Magazine GBC Board member Robert J. Lawless, chairman, president and CEO of McCormick & Company, Inc. was featured in Parade Magazine on November 12 in an article highlighting his company's newest flavorings. In the article, he stated that "people have come to enjoy a burst of flavor" in their food. "We call it the 'bite' that bites back." He predicted an expansion of consumer interest in spicy foods, which he described as "curry hot, chili hot, Mexican hot." top Venable to Help in Park Heights Community Center Renovation In celebration of its 100th anniversary, Venable attorneys and staff will help in the renovation of a 24,000-square-foot Park Heights industrial building, which will soon become the home to Agape, a community center for area residents. Once completed, the center will provide two Head Start programs for area children, a site for educational programs such as computer and GED classes, a farmer's market, and children's play areas. Venable employees will clean up the backyard and weed the grounds of the facility. The team will also prime the exterior of the building to prepare it for a mural, which will be painted on the building by community children. For more on this story, go to the "Members" section of the GBC website, www.gbc.org. top The B&O Railroad Museum Launches New Ad Campaign The B&O Railroad Museum is launching a new ad campaign, entitled "Share the Dream," designed to reposition the attraction to create a new generation of museum fans among families with young children. The campaign was created by the museum's new agency of record, Frank and Associates. The print campaign will begin in Baltimore area publications this month; other advertisements will be included on the radio and through direct mail, public relations, and on the Internet. top GBC Launches Program on Comcast Cable Network** In January, the GBC will launch a television program on the Comcast cable network entitled "Issues and Answers," focusing on issues of major concern to the Greater Baltimore region and to the GBC. The show will air beginning January 1 before CNN Headline News from Monday through Friday, seven times per day. "Issues and Answers" will be co-hosted by GBC President Donald Hutchinson and GBC Executive Vice President Donald Fry. Guests such as Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, Baltimore City Schools CEO Carmen Russo, and top elected officials from the region will be interviewed on the show. Early shows will preview the legislative agenda, outlining specific issues affecting the region that will likely surface in the upcoming Maryland General Assembly 2001 session. Other shows in January will provide an in-depth look at key education issues that impact Baltimore City, the region, and state. Later programs will focus on a variety of issues, including crime reduction, business climate, transportation and regionalism. GBC's "Issues and Answers" will air at the following times: Monday through Friday at 7:24 a.m., 9:24 a.m., 10:24 a.m., 11:24 a.m., 5:24 p.m., 7:24 p.m., and 9:24 p.m. Regional Comcast Channels Baltimore County - Channel 18 Harford County - Channel 52 Howard County - Channel 55 Anne Arundel County - Channel 28 Annapolis - Channel 43 top The Leadership Selects Second-Largest Class in Program History The Leadership, a program sponsored by the Greater Baltimore Committee, recently selected 50 members to its Class of 2001, creating the second-largest Leadership class in its 17-year history. A diverse group of 94 leaders from Baltimore businesses, non-profit organizations, and government applied for membership to the yearlong program, which traditionally accepts 48 people per class. Applicants are selected based on professional and volunteer leadership experiences, judgment, civic activity, concern for the community, and potential to help build a better Baltimore. Through seminars, weekend retreats, experiential activities and meetings with some of the region's most influential leaders, participants complete the program with a better knowledge of Baltimore, themselves, and each other. The Leadership invites applications yearly from September through mid-October for the class that begins in January. Click here for a list of members of The Leadership Class of 2001. top
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