Across the Board
Our biweekly Across the Board e-newsletter keeps you informed of Board of Trade activities. Members and non-members can subscribe.
November 14, 2007
Regional Committee on Green Advantages Established to Advance Action Agenda of Recent Potomac Conference. The Oct. 29-30 Potomac Conference drew more than 200 of Greater Washington’s leading business, government, and civic executives to address “Green” as a Competitive Advantage: Advancing a Regional Leadership Agenda for the Environment. As a next step, the Board of Trade will establish a new Regional Committee on Green Advantages. Subject to review by the Board of Trade's leadership and development of an overall mission statement, activities of the committee will include: 1) completing and advancing a Regional Leadership Action Agenda; 2) developing Board of Trade policy on issues of regional sustainability; 3) serving as a forum to engage government officials and NGOs in developing and advancing legislative initiatives consistent with the Regional Action Agenda. More Info
InterCounty Connector Cleared for the Future. On Nov. 8 US District Judge Alexander Williams Jr. upheld the Maryland State Highway Administration’s environmental study of the Inter County Connector (ICC), clearing the way for construction to begin this month. The ICC will connect existing and proposed development areas between the I-270/I-370 and I-95 US 1 corridors. The 18.8 mile, six lane road will help increase community mobility and safety as it provides cost effective transportation infrastructure to serve future and existing development patterns and travel needs. The ICC has been a top transportation priority of the Board of Trade for nearly two decades. Judge William’s decision represents a major success for the Board of Trade’s advocacy efforts and an key milestone for regional mobility. Read Article
Board of Trade-Supported Candidates Fare Well in VA Elections. The Board of Trade's Virginia Political Action Committee (VAPAC) endorsed or supported 24 candidates during the 2007 election season. After the election results were released, 20 of our candidates had won their races. Click here to see the winners.
Special Session in Maryland General Assembly to Address Budget Deficit Continues. As the special session of the Maryland General Assembly enters into its third week, the House of Representatives and the Senate continue to work towards meeting Gov. O’Malley’s goal to tackle the projected $1.7 billion budget shortfall. Under the Senate tax bill the corporate income tax would increase from 7% to 8%, while the House is looking for an increase of 8.75%. The House and Senate passed a measure to increase the sales tax and car titling tax from 5% to 6%. The gas tax remains untouched due to current high gasoline prices and other factors. The Board of Trade supports a $600 million increase in new transportation funding and for this increase to come from transportation related sources and be provided exclusively to Maryland’s Transportation Trust Fund. Questions?
Annual Meeting Luncheon is Dec. 6. Don't miss this annual gathering of the region's business and elected leaders to receive an update on the Board of Trade's priorities and celebrate the season. Please join Board of Trade Chair Barbara Krumsiek, Chair-Elect William Couper and President & CEO Jim Dinegar for this special event on Dec. 6 at the Hilton Washington. Register
Big Event for Small Businesses in Greater Washington. On Nov. 7, more than 200 members gathered to network and to celebrate the success of small business throughout Greater Washington at the Small Business Network Awards Gala. Three member firms were honored for their commitment to entrepreneurship, building the regional business community, and promoting small business growth: Video Solutions, Most Engaged Small Business, Cardinal Bank, Guiding Small Business Growth, and Incite International, One to Watch. Keynote speaker, Stephen Hills, President and General Manager of The Washington Post delivered relevant and practical insights on his entrepreneurial experiences and lessons learned. The Board of Trade thanks its sponsors for supporting this inspiring event: Mentor Level sponsors: Booz Allen Hamilton, CGI, NBC4/WRC-TV; Instructor level sponsors: Citibank, Geppetto Catering, Strategic Financial Associates, LLC and Small Business sponsors: Hodgson Consulting, Graves and Horton, LLC, Slice, and York Flowers. View Photos
Other News
Business Hall of Fame Dinner is Nov. 27. Join the Board of Trade, Junior Achievement and The Washingtonian for the 2007 Washington Business Hall of Fame dinner and awards ceremony on Nov. 27. This year's honorees are: Sidney O. Dewberry, Chairman, Dewberry; Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Senior Managing Director, Lazard Frères & Co. LLC; John P. McDaniel, Chief Executive Officer, MedStar Health, Inc.; David Reznick, Chairman, Reznick Group; and David M. Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Managing Director, The Carlyle Group. This special event brings together well over 1,000 of the region's business leaders for an evening of celebration and recognition of lifetime accomplishments. To purchase your table, visit www.washingtonbusinesshalloffame.org.
Help the Homeless Walkathon is this Saturday. The Fannie Mae Foundation's 20th Annual Help the Homeless Walkathon is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 17, 2007, on the National Mall between 7th and 14th Streets NW. Help the Homeless beneficiary organizations receive grants that are a combination of organizations' fund-raising efforts and Fannie Mae Foundation incentive funds. The grants may be used for program or operating support. More Info
