May 12, 2005 -- GBC, Celebrates 50th Anniversary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2005

Contacts:
Gene Bracken
410-727-2820, ext. 33
Diane Funk
410-727-2820, ext. 11

GREATER BALTIMORE COMMITTEE, GROUP THAT LAUNCHED BALTIMORE’S DOWNTOWN ‘RENAISSANCE’, CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY

Baltimore, MD – The Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC), the group of business and civic leaders credited with driving Baltimore’s acclaimed downtown “renaissance,” will celebrate its 50th anniversary at its May 12 annual meeting. The organization, which now numbers 500 members, was founded when 83 Baltimore business executives met for dinner at the Elkridge Club on January 5, 1955.

The GBC has played leading roles in most of Baltimore's signature downtown projects during the last five decades, ranging from the development of Charles Center and the Inner Harbor in the 1960s and 70s, to the recent revitalization of the Hippodrome Theatre, which reopened in February 2004 as part of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center.

While Baltimore has a history of being home to many pioneers of business and industry, the GBC's founding marked a moment when its business community decided to get serious about working together to serve as a catalyst for major initiatives to strengthen the business climate and to work with government in a substantive way to improve the city and its quality of life.

“Over the years, the specifics of the challenges have changed as the GBC evolved from a singular focus on downtown redevelopment to a more regional perspective,” says GBC President, Donald C. Fry. “Yet in many ways the nature of the challenges remains constant -- building infrastructure, crafting and influencing public policies, and nurturing public-private teamwork that creates an environment in which the people and the economy of the city and region can thrive.”

A key element of the GBC's work continues to focus on the vitality of the city, recognizing that the most successful regions are those characterized by healthy and viable core areas.

At the GBC’s 50th anniversary annual meeting on May 12, Comcast’s Barbara A. Gehrig, will be elected the organization’s first female chairman. Gehrig, senior vice president for Comcast’s Maryland/Delaware Region, has served as vice chairman of the GBC since May 2003.

Atwood “Woody” Collins III, president & COO, M&T Bank, and Otis Warren, Jr., owner & CEO, Otis Warren & Company, Inc. will be elected vice chairs of the GBC. Robert C. Embry, Jr., president, The Abell Foundation, will be elected GBC secretary/treasurer.

"The charter members declared their intention of taking prompt and aggressive action looking towards the solution of many of the city's most pressing problems," announced a press release GBC founders issued at their first 1955 meeting. The organization was "not interested in glamour, platitudes or false promises," but instead was envisioned as an action committee dedicated to developing solutions to chronic problems that were impeding the city's business growth.

Clarence W. Miles, of Miles & Stockbridge and president of the Orioles, which he had brought to Baltimore in 1954, was named the first GBC chairman. Thomas B. Butler, president of the Mercantile Safe Deposit and Trust Co.; was vice-chairman. Daniel A. Lindley president of the Canton Company, was secretary, and Jerold C. Hoffberger, president of the National Brewing Co., was the first GBC treasurer.

James W. Rouse was named chairman of the GBC's founding executive committee. Rouse later served as the first chairman of the organization's urban renewal committee and was the GBC's chairman in 1964 and 1965.

Its founders envisioned the GBC as "a voluntary citizen-arm of government; non-sectional; non-political, and non-profit making," the founders' press release stated. "It comes into existence because the problems of civic improvement in Baltimore are so complex, urgent and diversified that as many citizens as possible should assume a share of the responsibility."

Among the city's needs cited by the GBC's 1955 founders were: accelerated construction of the Jones Falls Expressway, development of the city's port facilities, the need for a master transportation plan including mass transit, and construction of a convention hall and sports arena.

The GBC's top strategic priorities in 2005 are: nurturing the growth of the bioscience industry in the Baltimore region, developing comprehensive regional mass transit, building a strong minority and women-owned business sector, and strengthening the colleges and universities that serve as the economic engine and workforce incubators for our region and state. The GBC is also working to strengthen ties between business leaders in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. regions.

The idea of a business-led civic group to nurture major initiatives to strengthen a region’s business climate was not original. GBC founders cited as models similar groups that existed in 1955 in other cities, including Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Philadelphia.

The GBC is comprised of leading businesses, nonprofits, educational and civic institutions from Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties. The GBC offers a comprehensive, yearlong schedule of programs and networking events for executives and business professionals on topics ranging from corporate teamwork to updates on key business climate and public policy issues.

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GREATER BALTIMORE COMMITTEE

Copyright © 2005 by GBC. All rights reserved.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2005

Contacts:
Gene Bracken
410-727-2820, ext. 33
Diane Funk
410-727-2820, ext. 11

GREATER BALTIMORE COMMITTEE, GROUP THAT LAUNCHED BALTIMORE’S DOWNTOWN ‘RENAISSANCE’, CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY

Baltimore, MD – The Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC), the group of business and civic leaders credited with driving Baltimore’s acclaimed downtown “renaissance,” will celebrate its 50th anniversary at its May 12 annual meeting. The organization, which now numbers 500 members, was founded when 83 Baltimore business executives met for dinner at the Elkridge Club on January 5, 1955.

The GBC has played leading roles in most of Baltimore's signature downtown projects during the last five decades, ranging from the development of Charles Center and the Inner Harbor in the 1960s and 70s, to the recent revitalization of the Hippodrome Theatre, which reopened in February 2004 as part of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center.

While Baltimore has a history of being home to many pioneers of business and industry, the GBC's founding marked a moment when its business community decided to get serious about working together to serve as a catalyst for major initiatives to strengthen the business climate and to work with government in a substantive way to improve the city and its quality of life.

“Over the years, the specifics of the challenges have changed as the GBC evolved from a singular focus on downtown redevelopment to a more regional perspective,” says GBC President, Donald C. Fry. “Yet in many ways the nature of the challenges remains constant -- building infrastructure, crafting and influencing public policies, and nurturing public-private teamwork that creates an environment in which the people and the economy of the city and region can thrive.”

A key element of the GBC's work continues to focus on the vitality of the city, recognizing that the most successful regions are those characterized by healthy and viable core areas.

At the GBC’s 50th anniversary annual meeting on May 12, Comcast’s Barbara A. Gehrig, will be elected the organization’s first female chairman. Gehrig, senior vice president for Comcast’s Maryland/Delaware Region, has served as vice chairman of the GBC since May 2003.

Atwood “Woody” Collins III, president & COO, M&T Bank, and Otis Warren, Jr., owner & CEO, Otis Warren & Company, Inc. will be elected vice chairs of the GBC. Robert C. Embry, Jr., president, The Abell Foundation, will be elected GBC secretary/treasurer.

"The charter members declared their intention of taking prompt and aggressive action looking towards the solution of many of the city's most pressing problems," announced a press release GBC founders issued at their first 1955 meeting. The organization was "not interested in glamour, platitudes or false promises," but instead was envisioned as an action committee dedicated to developing solutions to chronic problems that were impeding the city's business growth.

Clarence W. Miles, of Miles & Stockbridge and president of the Orioles, which he had brought to Baltimore in 1954, was named the first GBC chairman. Thomas B. Butler, president of the Mercantile Safe Deposit and Trust Co.; was vice-chairman. Daniel A. Lindley president of the Canton Company, was secretary, and Jerold C. Hoffberger, president of the National Brewing Co., was the first GBC treasurer.

James W. Rouse was named chairman of the GBC's founding executive committee. Rouse later served as the first chairman of the organization's urban renewal committee and was the GBC's chairman in 1964 and 1965.

Its founders envisioned the GBC as "a voluntary citizen-arm of government; non-sectional; non-political, and non-profit making," the founders' press release stated. "It comes into existence because the problems of civic improvement in Baltimore are so complex, urgent and diversified that as many citizens as possible should assume a share of the responsibility."

Among the city's needs cited by the GBC's 1955 founders were: accelerated construction of the Jones Falls Expressway, development of the city's port facilities, the need for a master transportation plan including mass transit, and construction of a convention hall and sports arena.

The GBC's top strategic priorities in 2005 are: nurturing the growth of the bioscience industry in the Baltimore region, developing comprehensive regional mass transit, building a strong minority and women-owned business sector, and strengthening the colleges and universities that serve as the economic engine and workforce incubators for our region and state. The GBC is also working to strengthen ties between business leaders in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. regions.

The idea of a business-led civic group to nurture major initiatives to strengthen a region’s business climate was not original. GBC founders cited as models similar groups that existed in 1955 in other cities, including Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Philadelphia.

The GBC is comprised of leading businesses, nonprofits, educational and civic institutions from Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties. The GBC offers a comprehensive, yearlong schedule of programs and networking events for executives and business professionals on topics ranging from corporate teamwork to updates on key business climate and public policy issues.

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