Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber Names Crews Their Board Chair

Barbara Crews of Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus will serve as the 2018 Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber Chair.

The Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce (GGCC) has named Barbara Crews their 2018 Board of Directors Chair. Crews is the assistant executive director for community relations at the Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus

“I am really looking forward to the new year with Barbara at the helm. She is a great asset to the Chamber and the Community,” said Marilyn Balcombe, GGCC Executive Director.

Crews previously served the Chamber as a board member; vice chair for member recruitment and retention; and most recently as chair-elect. She has been involved with the Chamber since 2014.

In her role as chair of the Chamber’s board of directors, Crews will work to support the roughly 400 members, representing more than 31,000 employees. She will help businesses get the most out of their memberships, and will support the board and executive committee in their mission to “work with local city, county and state lawmakers to strengthen, enhance and protect businesses.”

She is responsible for all community outreach initiatives, with a special focus on K-12 students at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Montgomery County Campus.  She works closely with the JHU schools to develop and implement opportunities to enhance curriculum through hands-on learning. Crews is also the liaison to campus tenants and brings her years of hotel management experience with her.

In addition to her work with the Chamber, Crews is an active member of the Quince Orchard High School PTSA and Booster Club. She also volunteers at Our Lady of the Visitation Parish. She is a graduate of the Leadership Montgomery Class of 2014.

The GGCC is active in providing business-to-business networking opportunities throughout the year: a collective voice in local, regional, and state legislative affairs, professional development opportunities and other services that enhance the business environment.

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