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Build a stronger future for Maryland with the Maryland Chamber Foundation

Our mission

The Maryland Chamber Foundation supports sustainable solutions that drive Maryland’s future economy including talent, education, innovation, economic diversity, infrastructure, business climate, governance and quality of life.

Why our work is critical

Policymakers and the public tend to focus too much on the next four years and not enough on the next four generations.

Maryland’s business community needs original ideas to tackle the state’s unique current and future challenges. It’s time to share a new vision for success: an innovative, all-industry, all-encompassing approach that drives, with focus and resolve, toward greater growth.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Maryland Chamber Foundation’s board of directors share the vision of a better future for Maryland and contribute to making it a cornerstone of community-building in business.

A headshot of Maryland Chamber Foundation Board Member Jim Cantor

Jim Cantor

CHAIRMAN

Chief of Performance Excellence, Leidos, Inc.

A headshot featuring Maryland Chamber of Commerce Board Member Steven Edwards

Steven Edwards

TREASURER 

Founder, Edwards Performance Solutions

A headshot featuring Maryland Chamber of Commerce Board Member Fiona Ong

Fiona Ong

COUNSEL

Partner, Shawe Rosenthal, LLP

A headshot of Maryland Chamber Foundation Board Member Tim Adams

Timothy Adams

President & CEO, Systems Application & Technologies, Inc.

A headshot of Maryland Chamber Foundation Board Member Brandon Butler

Brandon Butler

Founder & President, Pinnacle Strategies, LLC

A headshot of Maryland Chamber of Commerce Staff Member Whitney Harmel

Whitney Harmel

Executive Director, Maryland Chamber foundation

A headshot of Maryland Chamber Foundation Board Member Mel Litter

Mel Litter

President & CEO, Elemental Impact Solutions

A headshot of Maryland Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Mary Kane

Mary D. Kane, Ex-Officio

President & CEO, Maryland Chamber of Commerce

PROGRAMMING

National Civics Bee

A family with three adults and two children pose and smile while holding a sign with the child's name during the National Civics Bee 2022.

Empowering youth to harness the power of their voices, be involved citizens and change our world for the better.

Each year, the Maryland Chamber Foundation proudly partners with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s The Civic Trust and local and regional chambers of commerce across the state to host the annual National Civics Bee statewide competition for Maryland. The competition is open to Maryland 6th, 7th and 8th grade students from public, private or homeschools, encouraging young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities.

PROGRAMMING

Teacher Externship Program

A group of educators participating in the Maryland Chamber Foundation's Teacher Externship Program alongside employees from their host company, Whiting-Turner, standing in a group at a construction site with safety equipment on.

Preparing Maryland’s future workforce via partnerships between extraordinary educators and innovative business.

The Maryland Chamber Foundation’s Teacher Externship Program is a unique workforce development program that pairs high school educators with leading businesses from across the state, equipping them with invaluable experiences and insights to prepare their students for in-demand careers and industries.

Throughout this immersive program, educators gain firsthand knowledge of various career pathways, in-demand skills and the variety of job opportunities that await their students as they prepare to enter the workforce.

Building a stronger Maryland through purposeful initiatives