Business Today And Tomorrow
The Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce’s State of The Chamber Breakfast Reviews Last Year and Prepares for the Future
By Raoul Dennis // PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIM JOHNSON
Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Alexander Austin and the staff at the chamber hosted the annual State of the Chamber Breakfast Jan 29.
U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer (D-Dist. 5) served as keynote speaker before an audience of some 220 business owners, elected officials and county and state leaders. The event was also attended by Tony Ruffin, the governmental and external affairs manager at PEPCO who is also a board member of the growing chamber.
Before the official start of the event, the room was abuzz with conversation s ranging from excitement over the start of the new Year and concern at the uncertainty of the years ahead under the new administration in Washington. Many county businesses are tethered to federal contracts and budget opportunities as Hoyer would later point out in his remarks.
“Keep in mind that what I say to you now may be obsolete five minutes after I say it,” the veteran statesman said jokingly. “So, you better stay woke!”
The room erupted in laughter.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2024 CHAMBER
> Revamped our events to be more collaborative and centered around cohesive networking,
>October 2024: Excellence in Business Awards Gala.
> Commemorating 100 years of service to the business community in Prince George’s County.
> The Centennial Excellence in Business Awards Gala marked a historic moment bringing together over 600 attendees
>As we expanded in this capacity (now over 800 members), we launched our first ever Business and Economics Summit. The event highlighted the power of collaboration and dialogue, inspiring optimism for the economy's future.
>Fireside chat with Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman to discuss the 2024 Maryland Procurement Playbook.
[Listen to the full speech: click above at PGCOC President Alex Austin Speech Jan. 29 State of the Chamber.]
“The summit addressed key challenges and opportunities in the business landscape, covering topics like AI's importance and accessing private procurement opportunities,” PGCOC leaders say..
ELECTED LEADERS DISCUSS THE CHAMBER
“The Chamber of Commerce is really a leader in our community and one of the things that's super important to us right now and always is [key to our] economic development,” said County Council Chair Jolene Ivey. “We don't have economic development without our partners at the chamber.”.
Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy, who was also in attendance, gave a nod to the chamber’s leaders and the importance of the organization.
"I appreciate President Austin's work and the continued growth of the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce. Congressman Steny Hoyer's remarks around the changes that are happening at the federal level helped to highlight the importance of the Chamber and the need to have a strong and vibrant local business community” Braveboy said.
Calvin Hawkins admired Austin’s remarks and vision.
“I thought he had some great comments regarding moving our county forward,” Hawkins said. “I’m excited about Austin’s leadership and what the chamber is doing. Better days are ahead and I’m looking forward to participating in them.”
Congressman Glenn Ivey: “I always come out in support of the business community here in Prince George's. I think we've got a lot of growth opportunities here. There are a lot of high tech assets here with NASA. NOAA, and the Agricultural Research Center, University of Maryland allocated close together, Johns Hopkins, APLs is right up the street NASA Goddard. The number of assets we have here Is astonishing, and you’ve got small businesses to build on that.”
