Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber Young Professionals Celebrate 6 Years While Supporting Treehouse

Cornhole is not only played in parking lots while tailgating, sometimes it’s played for charity.

Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce (GGCC) members and guests gathered at Smokey Glen Farm Barbequers, Inc. in Gaithersburg to celebrate the six year anniversary of the Chamber’s Young Professional Group (YPG) and to raise money for The Tree House Child Advocacy Center of Montgomery County.

“Our Young Professionals group is great and they show how important it is to give back to the community. Not only did they plan a great networking event, but they made sure that giving back was an integral part of the event,” said Marilyn Balcombe, GGCC Executive Director.

The Chamber’s YPG is packed with lots of enthusiasm and high aspirations. The mission of the group is to make the Gaithersburg-Germantown communities and surrounding areas a great place to live and work by harnessing the strength of our communities to make positive change.

The purpose of the cornhole tournament and picnic was twofold – increase awareness for the Chamber’s Young Professional Group and raise funds for a local charity. The group chose the Tree House Child Advocacy Center of Montgomery County as the beneficiary this year.

“It is gratifying to know that the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce recognizes the importance of the work The Tree House CAC does to help abused children heal from their trauma. We are so happy to be a part of your organization and send our deepest thanks for your support of our mission,” said Nina Blecher, Director of Community Partnerships, Tree House Child Advocacy Center of Montgomery County,

Tree House is dedicated to reducing trauma and promoting healing for child victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. Their services include forensic interviewing, medical examinations, trauma-focused mental health therapy, and victim advocacy. They are Montgomery County’s only child advocacy center and provide all of their services free of charge. Learn more about them at: www.treehousemd.org.

Over the past year, the group held several happy hours to strengthen their connections and improve their networking skills at various Chamber Member locations such as Barking Mad Café, Tommy Joe’s, Lucky Strike, Copper Canyon Grill, and Attaboy Beer. In the fall of 2018, they held a Regional Young Professional Group Happy Hour with the Silver Spring, Rockville, and Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chambers & Leadership Montgomery’s Emerging Leaders. Last winter, they named their 5th Annual Young Professional of the Year, Brett Rough of Aerotek and raised funds for Family Services, Inc and Operation Second Chance.

The group held their first educational seminar entitled “Level Up”. The focus of the seminar is professional development and to build skill sets to advance to the next level. And earlier this year they started YPG Socials, fun and recreational events – no fuss, no formalities, no name tags – just giving the group a chance to bond and enjoy one another’s company.

The event was sponsored by JCH Financial and Ted’s Montana Grill. PJ Horan of JCH Financial works with businesses and individuals to get them from where they are to where they want to be financially. Ted’s Montana Grill is committed to serving honest food served with genuine hospitality in Downtown Crown Gaithersburg.

The Chamber’s Young Professional program is a networking group of professionals ranging in age from 21-40 and designed to help emerging leaders further their career and strengthen their professional image. Learn more at: www.ggchamber.org/get-involved/young-professionals.

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.

The GGCC is located at 910 Clopper Road, Suite 205N, Gaithersburg, MD. To learn more about the GGCC visit us at www.ggchamber.org.

Find us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gaithersburg-Germantown-Chamber-of-Commerce/64339954570. Or on Twitter at: @GGCCNEWS.

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.

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