State Senator Rob Garagiola (MD - 15), chair of the Senate Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on Health Care and Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Delivery and Financing, is working on legislation that would reform the small group insurance market with the goal of making health insurance more affordable for Maryland businesses. Senator Garagiola has asked GSSCC and some of our sister Chambers in Montgomery County to survey our members about the costs of health care and health insurance. Please take time to complete the survey and follow the instructions for returning it to Senator Garagiola’s office.
For Survey Click Here




THE LATEST NEWS FROM GSSCC
4th Annual Discover the Taste of Silver Spring®
This year’s “Taste” held on November 19 at the Discovery Communications headquarters showcased 24 member restuarants and caterers and had over 300 participants. Restaurants included: Across the Street Cafe, Asian Bistro, Capital Bleu, Caribou Coffee, Dish Catering, Eggspectation, Ghar-E-Kabab, Gifford's Ice Cream & Candy Co., Kirsten's Cafe, La Prima Catering, Lebanese Taverna Cafe, Mayorga Coffee Co., McGinty's Public House, Moorenko's Ice Cream Cafe, My Kitchen, Nicaro, Noodles & Company, Olazzo, Party Rescue Team, Romano's Macaroni Grill, redDog Cafe, Silver Spring Thai Flavor, Whole Foods Market and York Castle Tropical Ice Cream.
Additionally, GSSCC issued a special PASSPORT, printed courtesy of Minuteman Press, that encouraged participants to visit as many restaurants and caterers as possible in the three tasting rooms. Debbie Keller, EagleBank, won the drawing for a holiday gift basket, donated by the Sweet Tooth Fairy. Other winners included: Avi Halpert, United Therapeutics – gift certificate for Thanksgiving Dinner (valued at $100) from My Kitchen; Bruce Lee, Lee Development Group – gift certificate for dinner for two at Capital Bleu; and Kirsten Aymer, Mary Kay; Amy Bartley-Vigil, Randstad; Danny Deffinbaugh, Joseph McCartin Insurance; Michael Trembly, Everest Institute; and Marc Bloom, FDA – gift certificates from York Castle Tropical Ice Cream.

A special thanks to James Tkatch Photography for providing photos of the event, some of which can be seen here.

GSSCC Recognizes Members
Who Make a Difference

The Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce (GSSCC) recognizes the contributions of those members who make Silver Spring a better place in which to live, shop, work and manage a business. GSSCC’s annual Awards & Installation Dinner, held at the Crowne Plaza in Silver Spring, honored eleven individuals and organizations that care, that do, and that make a difference in the community. The 2008 recipients include:

Arts & Entertainment Award
Silver Spring Regional Center
for the Silver Spring Jazz Festival

Business Beautification Award
United Therapeutics Corporation

Business/Education Partnership Award
Holy Cross Hospital and Montgomery College

Small Business of the Year
Marcus Johnson’s Three Keys Music/Studio 8121

Silver Spring Public Safety
Montgomery County Police Officer Robert Sheehan

Lifetime Achievement Award
Dewey Thomas, Jr.

GSSCC Chair’s Award
Social & Scientific Systems
Eggspectation

Business Appreciation Award
Digital Industry and La Prima Catering

The Chamber sincerely thanks those members who generously contributed to the success of the evening as our sponsors. They included: Platinum Sponsor – Washington Adventist Hospital; Gold Sponsors – Bud Miller Associates, Inc., Chevy Chase Land Company, Discovery Communications, Lee Development Group, and The Peterson Companies--Downtown Silver Spring; Silver Sponsors – EagleBank, Holland & Knight LLP, Linowes and Blocher LLP, M&T Bank, Montgomery College, Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., and United Therapeutics Corporation; and Table Sponsors – Adams Bank, Bond Beebe Accountants & Advisors, City Place Mall, the Maryland Youth Ballet, and PEPCO.


Here is a slideshow of the night's award winners and guests.



Another Successful Year at the
GSSCC 2008 Business Golf Classic

Congratulations to Larry “The Banker” Bolton, EagleBank, and his team of Mike Himmel, EagleBank, Ali Noshirvani, MotionSoft,Inc., and Brian Smith, Palmer Brothers Painting, who snagged the first place award with a score of 67 at GSSCC’s Business Golf Classic last week. 83 players – Chamber members and their guests – participated in this year’s tournament, held once again at Hampshire Greens Golf Course.

Chamber Turns 15

15th Anniversary Celebration Attracts More Than 100 as members and guests who attended came from near and far (former President Ray Timmerman from West Virginia takes the “far” prize) to enjoy a great evening of networking and noshing. Ten of the fourteen former Presidents and Chairs were on hand to greet old and new colleagues.

Chamber will Support
Executive’s Proposal to Streamline
County Procurement Process

When County Executive Ike Leggett’s recently announced 10-point plan to improve the procurement process for County businesses comes before the Council, GSSCC will be there to support this effort. For more information about the plan, go here.