BizWeekly – January 14, 2014
Ulman Announces $10M Pledge to HCGH Development Plan
Howard County Executive Ken Ulman announced the completion of a $10 million public commitment for major campus improvements at Howard County General Hospital (HCGH), and thanked county taxpayers for their support of and commitment to a valued community institution.
Ulman was joined by Maryland State Sen. James Robey, a former Howard County executive; and Victor Broccolino, the outgoing HCGH president and CEO, to commemorate the completion of the contribution. HCGH launched a $105 million Campus Development Plan in 2007, and current and former county executives Ulman and Robey led an effort to provide one-third of a $30 million public and private funding contribution for the plan. The public funding was proposed by the county executives across four budget years and approved by the Howard County Council.
“As this county has grown and thrived, the hospital has grown with us. It is an important partner in our efforts to make Howard County a model health community,” Ulman said. “This remarkable milestone was reached only because of the trust that the people of Howard County have in the mission and leadership of Howard County General Hospital. We were able to fulfill this commitment despite the Great Recession, because of tough decisions and shared values.”
“When I look around this campus, I am pleased and amazed to witness everything that the development plan has accomplished,” said Robey. “Howard County General Hospital is better positioned than ever to fulfill its mission of innovation, service excellence and a commitment to patient safety.”
The Campus Development Plan included a five-level pavilion which features a rehabilitation center, a critical care floor, a modern surgery area and larger information technology space; a new lobby and 550-space parking garage; and a complete renovation of the hospital’s older space, which included the creation of private rooms for all patients. In addition to public and private funding, loans and operating funds were used to complete the Development Plan.
Neuman Names Willoughby Executive Director of the CIC
Anne Arundel County Executive Laura Neuman announced the appointment of Laura Willoughby as the executive director of the Chesapeake Innovation Center (CIC), the county’s technology business incubator. Willoughby brings more than 13 years of executive management experience, with much of that time focused on the technology and national security sectors.
Willoughby will lead the CIC into its second decade of helping technology companies grow and expand their impact on the county business community; enhance the center’s programmatic offerings; strengthen its relationships with current academic, government and corporate partners; as well as seek new connections and grow the incubator’s membership of emerging technology companies.
“Laura’s outstanding technology and business development experience dovetails very well with our plans to grow the incubator’s footprint in the cyber community in and around Fort Meade,” said Ed Rothstein, president and CEO of the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation. “With her insight and strategic focus, I have no doubt that Anne Arundel County will take on a much larger role in the growth of the region’s emerging high tech ecosystem.”
Prior to arriving at the incubator, Willoughby was the Washington, D.C., metro regional director of Business Executives for National Security (BENS).
Howard County Unemployment Hits Five-Year Low
Statistics from November indicate that Howard County’s unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level since December 2008. It has dropped to 4.5%, the lowest in the state, along with Montgomery County; the November figure represents a 0.8% decline from the revised October number.
The county has consistently maintained the lowest rates of unemployment in the state and the rate remains nearly 1.5% lower than the statewide unemployment rate of 6% for the same time period.
“Our targeted economic development initiatives and promotion of entrepreneurism are paying dividends,” said Howard County Council Vice-Chairperson Courtney Watson. “We have a diverse employment base, and a solid transportation network that allows residents to take advantage of jobs at home, as well as nearby in Baltimore and Washington.”
The decline also represents a recovery from the 16-day shutdown of the federal government in October. That shutdown impacted not just federal agencies, but many private companies that do business with the government. For the complete November report, visit http://dllr.maryland.gov/lmi/mlr/monthlylaborreview.pdf.
Annapolis Manager, P&Z Director Leave City Employ
Annapolis Mayor Mike Pantelides has announced that Mike Mallinoff has stepped down as city manager and that Jon Arason has left the city as the director of planning and zoning.
Mallinoff came to the city in 2002 as the director of neighborhood and environmental programs. He was named acting city manager in July 2010 and was confirmed as city manager two months later.
“Mike brought stability and professionalism to city governance over the last three years,” said Assistant City Manager Virginia Burke, who is Mallinoff’s acting replacement. “The city addressed a number of deep-seated fiscal liabilities and implemented a number of best practices, including citizen surveys, performance measurement and monthly reporting on expenditures, revenues, overtime,” under his watch.
Arason came to the city in June 1987 as the chief of comprehensive planning. He was promoted to deputy director in 1989 and became director in 1996. Sally Nash, the city’s chief of comprehensive planning, has been named acting director; and Cynthia Gudenius, planner, will be acting deputy director.
“I am grateful for all that Mr. Arason has done for the city and its residents over the past 27 years,” Pantelides said. “I know change is difficult, but I believe changes are necessary to thoroughly review the department and its policies and procedures. I wish Jon much success in his future endeavors.” A national search for a replacement is underway for both positions.
Evergreen Health Co-Op Announces Unique Agreement With Riverside Health
Evergreen Health Co-Op has announced an agreement with Riverside Health that will allow qualified Maryland residents to make a seamless transition between Medicaid and private health insurance. The agreement, which is believed to be one of the first of its kind in the country, goes into effect immediately.
“Thousands of Maryland residents every year experience potentially dangerous disruptions in their health care when they can no longer afford their private insurance,” said Dr. Peter Beilenson, CEO of Evergreen Health. “As a result of our agreement with Riverside Health, Evergreen members who suddenly find themselves unable to pay for private health insurance can switch over to Medicaid and still keep going to one of Evergreen’s four health centers,” Beilenson said.
Bluegrass Materials Announces Maryland Acquisition
Jacksonville, Fla.-based Bluegrass Materials Co. has reached an agreement to purchase the assets of Lafarge North America’s Maryland aggregates business, which includes operations in the greater Baltimore area and Western Maryland.
“This acquisition significantly expands our footprint along the eastern seaboard, and we are delighted to bring these quarries and their employees into the Bluegrass family,”
said Bluegrass Materials CEO Ted Baker II of the transaction with Lafarge, which operates an aggregate plant in Marriottsville and operates other locations in Annapolis and Jessup.
Bluegrass is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Panadero Aggregates Holdings. Panadero was formed in 2010 by John Baker II and Ted Baker II, formerly of Florida Rock Industries. The company currently owns and operates 11 rock quarries, one sand plant and two concrete block manufacturing plants located in Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia.
Tenable Named Emerging Partner of the Year by Iron Bow
Columbia-based Tenable Network Security has announced its selection by Iron Bow Technologies as Emerging Partner of the Year. The Emerging Partner of the Year award recognizes the Iron Bow partner that has demonstrated significant revenue growth over the calendar year, and has strategically engaged all levels of the organization and sales staff.
Tenable Network Security provides a comprehensive continuous monitoring platform that combines real-time vulnerability, critical log/event, and custom compliance monitoring to meet the needs of different compliance initiatives across numerous industries with groundbreaking technologies. By combining Iron Bow’s proven success in the government market and Tenable’s industry-leading vulnerability management software, federal customers have access to industry leading expertise and innovation.
Howard County’s 29th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday Celebration Scheduled
The Howard County Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday Commission will present its 29th annual celebration of the life and legacy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Sunday, Jan. 19, at Howard Community College’s Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center’s Smith Theatre.
The reception will begin at 2 p.m. and the program at 3 p.m. The celebration is free to the public; however, attendees are asked to bring a canned food item to support Howard County’s Food Bank.
This year’s keynote speaker is the Honorable Pamila Brown, Howard County District Court associate judge. The event also will include performances by diverse cultural groups and recognition of the 2013 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Student Essay Contest winners and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Living the Dream” award recipient.
Residents are also encouraged to sign up to take part in the county’s Day of Service Across Howard County Project on Monday, Jan. 20. Volunteer opportunities include learning Hands-Only CPR, donating food items and assisting Days End Farm Horse Rescue. Those interested should visit www.volunteerhoward.org/hocomlkserve to sign up or to learn more about additional opportunities.
For more information about the event, contact Mary Toth at 410-313-6430 or e-mail mtoth@howardcountymd.gov.
ACS Leadership Program Offers Training, Coaching to Nonprofits
The Association of Community Services (ACS) is offering a new leadership program developed to elevate the ability of local nonprofits to serve the community. The 2014 Nonprofit Leadership Series includes two full-day sessions on nonprofit sustainability and capacity building, presented by nationally respected speakers.
In addition, an organizational assessment session and three individual coaching sessions with local consultants experienced in working with nonprofits, as well as a toolkit of exercises and resources, are included. The attendance fee covers up to three people per organization.
Full-day trainings will be held on Feb. 25 (“Organizational Sustainability,” with Kevin Monroe, X-Factor Consulting) and May 6 (“Capacity Building,” with Bob Harris, The Nonprofit Center). An assessment session will be held on Jan. 29 from 10 a.m.–noon.
The series is co-sponsored by Columbia Association, The Horizon Foundation, Howard Community College, the Howard County Economic Development Authority and the United Way of Central Maryland. To register, or for more details, visit www.acshoco.org/nonprofitleadershipseries. Register before Jan. 25 to received $25 off the attendance fee.
Nonprofit Center Considered in Howard County
The Association of Community Services (ACS) is hosting a Visioning Session for a Nonprofit Center in Howard County on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 9:30 a.m. ACS, with support from Howard County Government and The Horizon Foundation, is exploring the development of a nonprofit center in the county. This session is the start of the process for visioning and planning for a center where services can be provided in a collaborative environment, and clients and organizations can reap the benefits of shared space.
The Nonprofit Centers Network, an organization with more than a decade of experience supporting the creation of nonprofit centers that improve collaboration, innovation and effectiveness, will conduct the study. Sarah Eisinger, director of the Nonprofit Centers Network, will be one of the guest presenters and a lead consultant.
Multi-tenant nonprofit centers are buildings that house multiple organizations and provide healthy, efficient, quality, mission-enhancing workspace. More than just offices, these facilities can become sustainable centers for strength for communities to dream together, work together and grow together.
The Visioning Session is free, but registration is required online at www.acshoco.org. The event will be held at the Robinson Nature Center, located at 6692 Cedar Lane, Columbia.
From MarylandReporter.com …
Common Core generates bill to drop old tests in Md. public schools: Emergency legislation to stop Maryland from administering a federally mandated student assessment test was introduced Thursday in the House of Delegates with strong bipartisan sponsorship. The Maryland Student Assessment test (MSA) is slated to be phased out after this year, when it will be administered once more this spring. But the test is considered outdated because it doesn’t test for what students are learning in classrooms this year under the state’s new Common Core education curriculum. Read more: http://marylandreporter.com/category/news/#ixzz2qFvwEFXw
Assembly leaders agree on cutting estate taxes: Democratic leaders have agreed to reduce Maryland’s high estate tax by recoupling it to federal standards for taxing a dead person’s assets. The “death tax” is considered one of the reasons that wealthy retirees choose to leave Maryland for states with lower taxes. Read more: http://marylandreporter.com/category/news/#ixzz2qFw2lfWU
$32 million spent on lobbying state, with health care industry at top: More than $32 million was spent last year lobbying state government, and the health care industry was the top spender at $7.1 million, according to State Ethics Commission reports. Not surprising in a year that saw the implementation of Obamacare, causing the further growth of state involvement in health care through Medicaid, 62 health care organizations spent $7.1 million on lobbying. The Maryland Hospital Association topped the list of firms at $665,000. Read more: http://marylandreporter.com/category/news/#ixzz2qFw8BEuc
MarylandReporter.com is a news site for government and politics in Maryland that is published and edited by Len Lazarick. For more information or to sign up for the daily e-news, go to www.marylandreporter.com.