Chamber Volunteers Make a Difference

The Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce (GGCC) recently honored its volunteers at a Business Networking after Five event held at Smokey Glen Farm Barbequers, Inc. in Gaithersburg.

The GGCC holds its annual picnic in honor of its volunteers who generously give their time and talents to the Chamber. These remarkable people are an integral part of the Chamber and its success.

GGCC President Marilyn Balcombe personally thanked all of the Chamber’s volunteers noting their “participation on committees and at events is priceless”.

(l:r) Marilyn Balcombe, GGCC Executive Director presents Kent Fegani, JK Moving Services; Ibi Sofillas, MyRealtyTeam Real Estate LLC and David Marshall, Great Idea Video with 2013 Exceptional Volunteer Awards for their contributions to GGCC member programs and activities at the Chamber’s Annual Picnic and Volunteer Recognition on September 19, 2013. (l:r).
(Photo credit – Laura Rowles, GGCC Director of Marketing)

The GGCC has 99 active volunteers serving on one or more of the following committees:

• Board of Directors
• Legislative Affairs
• Economic Development
• Membership
• Events
• Young Professionals
• Golf
• Annual Celebration Dinner

The volunteers’ commitment helps the GGCC remain vital and meet the needs of our business community.

Why volunteer? First and foremost you make a difference!  You get a chance to give back. People like to support community resources that they use themselves or that benefit people they care about.

Volunteering is good for you too! Experts report that when you focus on someone other than yourself, it interrupts those usual tension-producing patterns. And you can learn a lot as well; volunteers can discover hidden talents they never knew they had.

One of the more obvious reasons why people volunteer is because they find something they are passionate about and want to help.

Aesop said “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted”. Here at the GGCC we recognize and value each and every one of our volunteers’ acts of kindness and encourage our Members to get involved and join one or many of our committees.

We invite you to take advantage of all that the GGCC has to offer. Learn more about us at ggchamber.org. And get out there and volunteer, it will make you feel good knowing you made a difference.

About Laura Rowles

Laura authors the blog Your Success is Our Business on MyMCMedia. Laura is the Director of Events & Marketing for the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce - a member-based organization of businesses that have joined together for the purpose of promoting the civic, commercial and industrial progress in our communities. The area's economic well-being is a result of the caliber of work that is done by the Chamber. The Chamber has a major impact on business, income and future growth of the area. My position at the Chamber - Director of Events & Marketing - affords me the opportunity to plan quality events for our Members and market the Chamber is a variety of avenues. At the GGCC, we typically have around 30 events each year including: breakfasts, lunches, after-five's, ribbon cuttings and special events. The consensus is we have high quality events with good energy. In 2012, we had over 2,040 people visit our events. Most our events are free to Members so securing sponsorships for all events. Additionally, I am responsible for planning networking, overseeing the budget and marketing of all events in order to make them successful. Lastly, I coordinate all marketing and communication efforts of the GGCC including weekly email blasts, its quarterly newsletter, all social media platforms, media relations and community outreach.

View all posts by Laura Rowles