Blog
Greetings and happy February to our valued Kent Chamber Members. With the Annual Report published and our Community Excellence Awards presentations officially behind us, I am pleased to announce 2021 was an exciting and successful year for the Kent County Chamber of Commerce. As you will see in the Annual Report (a printed copy will be mailed to all members soon), the Kent Chamber accomplished a lot during 2021.
The Kent County Chamber of Commerce was honored to present organizations and two individuals with Community Excellence Awards at its Annual Meeting on Wednesday, February 9 at the Chester River Yacht and Country Club. The awardees were American Rock Hall Service Center, Cross Street Realtors, For All Seasons, and Kent Attainable Housing. The Persons of the Year award was presented to couple Robbi Behr and Matthew Swanson.
The Kent Chamber joined owners Christina and Bill Schindler for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the official opening of the Modern Stone Age Kitchen, an innovative Foodery in Chestertown, MD that fuses ancestral foodways with modern techniques based on Dr. Bill Schindler's research in learning how to "Eat Like a Human."
The Kent County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors issued an advocacy statement to Chestertown’s Mayor and Council recommending funds received from the American Rescue Plan Act be allocated to expand fiber-to-the-premise broadband access throughout Chestertown’s historic downtown district. The chamber’s advocacy statement was followed by an in-person presentation to the Chestertown Mayor and Council.
The Kent County Chamber of Commerce will host its Annual Meeting on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm at the Chester River Yacht and Country Club. In addition to conducting a business meeting, the Kent Chamber will also present four organizations and one Person of the Year with Community Impact Awards.
The Kent County Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce that nominations are now open for the 2021 – 2022 Community Excellence Awards. Nominations can be submitted online at www.kentchamber.org. The annual Community Excellence Awards recognize businesses, nonprofits, community organizations, and individuals who, during the past year, have excelled at serving and making a positive impact in our community.
The Kent County Chamber of Commerce successfully hosted BrewFest on Saturday, November 6 in downtown Chestertown. The event featured 20 craft beers from Delmarva’s favorite breweries, live music from band Bravenoise, and food from Aretha’s Creative Touch. The event was a fundraiser for the organization.
September has been an incredibly exciting month for us here at the Kent County Chamber. So exciting, in fact, I’m sending you the September update on the first day of October. Yes, yes, I’m late—but can you really blame me? September seemed to come and go in the blink of an eye… Actually, make that 2021 going by in the blink of an eye.
Each year, the Kent Chamber publishes a print version of the directory that lists each member business or organization by industry along with their contact information. As we prepare to begin the process of publishing our 2022 Annual Membership Directory and Resource Guide, we ask all members to visit their listing on our online directory to ensure all information pertaining to their business or organization is accurate.
The Kent County Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce that Kent BrewFest is back on the schedule this year and will take place on Saturday, November 6 from 12 pm – 4 pm in Downtown Chestertown. This year’s lead sponsor is Eastern Shore Tents and Events. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at www.kentbrewfest.com.
The Kent County Chamber of Commerce presented four businesses and nonprofits and one individual with Community Excellence Awards for their outstanding contributions to the community during the past year through service and leadership. The awardees were The Kitchen at the Imperial, Main Street Chestertown, Minary’s Dream Alliance, and Rebuilding Together Kent County. The Person of the Year award was presented to Dr. Gerard S. O’Connor.
The Kent County Chamber of Commerce excitedly joined Karla Robinson, Vice President of Community Partnerships, Mark Weldon, Director of Marketing and Business Development, and other staff at Optimal Health Care, Inc. for a ribbon cutting on Thursday, September 16 to celebrate the opening of their newest business location in Chestertown, MD.
As August comes to a close, I can’t help but wonder where the summer went! Between our last update in June and now, the Chamber has been focused on continuing the momentum the past year brought us with regards to launching new member benefits, refreshing our brand image, and setting the stage for a renewed focus on what we do best—in-person events. I am excited to present an overview of what the Chamber has been doing in our community on behalf of our members.
