Local Resident Receives State Recognition

The Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) has named a Frederick resident Volunteer of the Year.

George Dredden, a former businessman and entrepreneur, was honored for his 40-plus years of service aimed at improving the business climate in Frederick County and the state of Maryland. Dredden served on the Frederick County Business Development Advisory Council (BDAC) for six years. The council advises the Frederick County Office of Economic Development (OED) and the Frederick County Board of Commissioners on economic issues.

In addition to his contributions to BDAC, which included serving as Chairman, Dredden also served as Chairman of the Frederick County Planning Commission. He was active with the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, Frederick Memorial Hospital Board of Directors, Rotary Club of Frederick and many other organizations.

Dredden worked with OED to increase capital investment and employment growth in Frederick County. He was a champion for small and minority owned businesses and helped establish Frederick County’s first technology business incubator.

In other MEDA news, during the organization’s recent annual conference, Laurie Boyer, Executive Director of the Frederick County Office of Economic Development, was voted in as Vice-President of the MEDA Board of Directors. Boyer has worked for OED for 10 years and has been a member of MEDA’s governing board for four years.

All Nine Frederick County Public High Schools on Newsweek's 'Best' List

Originally published June 15, 2010 in the Frederick News Post by Marge Neal

For the first time, all nine comprehensive high schools within Frederick County Public Schools have been named to Newsweek magazine's America's Best High Schools list.

On the list are slightly more than 1,600 schools, or about 6 percent of the nation's 27,000 public high schools.

The list ranks schools based on the number of advanced placement, International Baccalaureate and Cambridge tests divided by the school's number of graduating seniors.

Topping the list for Frederick County is Urbana High School at No. 479. Making the list for the first time is Tuscarora, the county's newest high school, at No. 1,555.

The Newsweek list, known as the Challenge Index, measures the availability of college-level courses that challenge high-achieving students.

The list does not include "any magnet or charter high school that draws such a high concentration of top students that its average SAT or ACT score significantly exceeds the highest average for any normal-enrollment school in the country," according to the Newsweek article.

To be included on the list, schools had to have an average SAT score below 1,975 or an average ACT score below 29.

Honors for Frederick Chamber

The Maryland Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (MACCE) named Frederick County Chamber of Commerce President & CEO M. Richard ‘Ric’ Adams its 2010 Chamber Executive of the Year during a recent luncheon at the Westin BWI Airport Hotel.

“Ric is an energetic leader who has helped position the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce at the center of its community, promoting economic growth and community engagement,” said Jane Redicker, President & CEO of the Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce and 2010 MACCE President.

Under Adams’ leadership, the Frederick County Chamber has:

-Developed a five-year Strategic Plan “Vision 2012,” which is the “road map” of the Frederick County Chamber that outlines goals for the Chamber to achieve by its 100th anniversary in 2012. One hundred community leaders and a final committee of 12 representatives developed the plan. The Chamber also now hosts an annual event, “Envisioning 2027,” where more than 80 community leaders have an open dialogue about how to improve Frederick County for the next generation.

-Launched the Frederick County Business Roundtable for Education, which connects the business community with the classroom in an effort to shape Frederick County’s future workforce.

-Developed a new series of Social Media Conferences to teach beginner, intermediate, and advanced users how to use new media and technology to improve their businesses.

-Positioned the Chamber as the voice of business for the Frederick community by hiring a professional lobbying group to help represent the Chamber in Annapolis.

-Rebuilt the Chamber Board with Frederick’s key business leaders and hired new professional staff.

-Strengthened the financial management practices of the Chamber.

Adams is a 2007 graduate of Leadership Maryland. He has served as a past Treasurer (2009) and Director at Large (2008) of MACCE and is serving as co-chair of the 2010 Mini Institute. He is involved in a number of community organizations including the Frederick County Workforce Development Board, the Frederick County United Way Board, the Hood College Board of Trustees, the Rotary Club of Frederick, and many others.

The Frederick County Chamber of Commerce also supported several member nominations for the Maryland Chamber’s Small Business of the Year (SBOTY) Awards, presented at the same awards luncheon. Café 611 won the award in the 1-10 employees category. Restaurant owners Randy and Karen Jones accepted the award for Café 611. BridgePath Scientific was a finalist in the same category, and President & CEO Patrick Haley was recognized at the event.

Business Travels the World for Coffee

New Market, Maryland - Business is truly percolating for a Frederick County company. Dublin Roasters, a gourmet coffee roaster in New Market, has distributed its coffee through Frederick County stores and restaurants for several years.

Serina Roy, owner and master roaster, takes great pride in providing roasted-to-order coffee for each of her customers. In 2009, she decided to take a major step and open a retail store. “I had been taking my small coffee roaster and setting up at various locations to educate people about the art of coffee roasting,” Roy explained. “People would ask where they could purchase our coffee and I would have to send them to our distributors around the area. It was a natural step to open our own retail space, where customers can come and experience the roasting process firsthand.” Roy is quick to clarify that, while Dublin Roasters does provide a complimentary cup of coffee to those coming into the store, it is not a coffee shop. “Our business is all about roasting the fresh beans so you can take them home and enjoy.”

Dublin Roasters buys directly from growers around the world. For example, Roy has established a relationship with a woman-owned farm in Villa Rica, Peru, an area that has little access to healthcare or fair wages, but is rich with coffee plantations. The farm was being significantly underpaid by the Seattle-based retail coffee giant previously selling its product. “When asked if I would start roasting the beans for her, I knew it was the right thing to do,” explained Roy, “We pay her the fair market value of the beans and also set up a profit sharing program with them. Her profits have increased significantly and this is something that we can feel good about.” Roy plans to travel to Nicaragua, Guatemala and other countries that export coffee to set up similar programs. Another important part of the business is teaching local distributors about the product and the roasting process, so they can be knowledgeable when talking to customers about the coffee beans.

The company’s worldwide search for fine fair trade coffee is paying off – this year, Dublin Roasters was nominated by Roaster magazine for Roaster of the Year, and Roy is a finalist for the Entrepreneur Council of Frederick County’s 2010 Entrepreneur Awards.

Dublin Roasters is located at 75B West Main Street in New Market and is open Thursday through Sunday from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Other days are by appointment only. Dublin Roasters offers a Coffee Lounge in its retail store, where customers can enjoy a cup of coffee while their order is roasted. The space is also available for groups, such as book clubs. “Our general rule is that if you smell coffee roasting, you’re welcome to come into the shop!” said Roy. Dublin Roasters also offers coffee tastings and other coffee-catered events.

Visit http://www.dublinroasterscoffee.com/ or call 240-674-1740 for more information and to access their online store.

Governor O'Malley to Visit the National Cancer Center Institute at Riverside Tomorrow

As part of the "Jobs Across Maryland Tour," Governor Martin O'Malley will make a stop at the National Cancer Center Institute at Riverside Research Park tomorrow. He'll be touring the newest construction project at Riverside that houses the consolidated advanced technologies for SAIC-Frederick, Inc/NCI, bringing 200 new jobs along with the new facility.

For more information, please contact The Matan Companies, Noelle Schilling at 301-815-9980 or nschilling@mataninc.com.

Lt. Governor Brown, Business Leaders Kick Off 'HEALTHIEST MARYLAND INITIATIVE'

Lt. Governor Brown, Business Leaders Kick Off 'HEALTHIEST MARYLAND INITIATIVE'
Initiative among actions recommended by Maryland Health Quality & Cost Council
Department of Health & Mental Hygiene News Release

BALTIMORE, Md. (May 19, 2010) - At a press conference today at the Baltimore Inner Harbor, Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown, Health and Mental Hygiene Secretary John M. Colmers, prominent members of the Baltimore business community and the Greater Baltimore Committee officially launched the first phase of the 'Healthiest Maryland' initiative. The initiative is one of the key action items recommended by the Maryland Health Quality and Cost Council to Governor Martin O'Malley and will promote healthy lifestyle practices in the workplace. In coming months, the Council will expand the initiative to include programs for Maryland's schools and communities. Immediately prior to the press conference, Brown led business leaders on a 'health walk' from the Center Club to the Inner Harbor, promoting one of several activities businesses can encourage to improve employees' health.

http://www.dhmh.state.md.us/pressreleases/2010/pr051910.html

Certified Professional Résumé Writers at FCWS

Five additional staff members at Frederick County Workforce Services (FCWS) recently fulfilled the requirements to become a Certified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW), bringing the total number of individuals who possess this credential at the agency to nine.

The newest CPRWs at FCWS include Veterans Employment Representative Tom Fisher; Career Specialist Joyce Bouchard; Business and Employment Consultant Max Douge; Workforce Development Consultant Janet Flanagan; and Career Specialist Teri Bisceglia.

According to the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC), Certified Professional Résumé Writers are the career industry's leading experts in the development of strategic resumes. Founded in 1990, PARW/CC was established for career professionals to exchange information, enhance their skills, and/or demonstrate their commitment to providing professional services to the general public.

To learn more about the respected credentials held by professional staff at Frederick County Workforce Services, please visit the Staff Directory under “About FCWS” at www.frederickworks.com.

New Members Named to BDAC

By a unanimous decision, the Frederick County Board of County Commissioners named Drexel Ryberg, John Shanton and Jason Stanczyk to the Business Development Advisory Council (BDAC), which advises the County Commissioners and the Office of Economic Development (OED) on economic matters.

Drex Ryberg is president of a Frederick-based company, Skyline Consulting, which primarily helps information technology businesses with marketing and support services. He is a member of the Technology Council of Frederick County and works with clients of the Frederick Innovative Technology Center.

John Lynn Shanton is president of the Strategic Marketing Group and publisher of Frederick Area Planning and Development News. He has served as a volunteer with numerous local organizations including: the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, Fort Detrick Alliance, Frederick County Builders Association and Habitat for Humanity.

Jason Stanczyk is marketing and organizational development manager at Equipment Development Company, Inc. (EDCO) in Frederick. He volunteers with the Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Frederick Partnership.

The Board of County Commissioners also reappointed Jon-Mikel Bailey to a second term on BDAC. Bailey is president of Wood Street, Inc., a web design and development firm.