Business

Bank of America today announced a $115,000 donation – the equivalent of 230,000 meals – to the Maryland Food Bank (MFB) to address food insecurity in the region. An estimated two million Marylanders faced hunger in 2021, according to MFB’s Maryland’s Hunger Map analysis. As the pandemic continues, hunger relief organizations in Maryland and across the country are facing ongoing challenges such as increased demand for their services and rising food prices.

Bank of America says it remains committed to strengthening the communities it serves and one way the financial institution does that is through supporting local workforce development and education initiatives. With $150,000 in grant funding from Bank of America, The Lazarus Rite can now expand efforts to meet workforce needs in the region through job readiness and skill certification, providing stable employment for formerly incarcerated individuals and helping to reduce recidivism.

Social media is moving at a rapid speed and companies are expected to be responsible in different ways than ever before. As a CEO, it’s important to establish what kind of company you want to have and how you will respond to crises. Public Affairs experts Gordon Bronson, Colm O’Comartun, and Damian O’Doherty spoke with Advantage Foundry Network, LLC (AFN) for a CEO Roundtable discussion on public affairs, social media and crisis management.

Columbia has sometimes been viewed as a place on the road to someplace else, a quintessential suburb scorned by those who love cities. But these days, Columbia is a whole thing, attracting young residents, businesses and visitors wanting to be part of the action. Billions in investments are creating a city giving Baltimore, DC, Bethesda and Towson runs for their money in the intra-regional quest for coolness and vitality.

When the pandemic took root nearly two years ago, banking – at least the way most people had known it — was thrown into disarray. Gone were the days of walking into a local branch to deposit a check with a friendly teller or to sit down with a financial adviser. Banking became a new world of digital services and online meetings. Like banks across the country, Maryland banks have adapted to the pandemic with a wide range of technical innovations.

The Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce is starting off 2022 with two new leaders at the helm, including the organization’s first-ever woman executive director. Lenora Henry, who most recently worked for the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA), took over the executive director role on Jan. 3, succeeding William Honablew Jr. Kimberly Castle Royster, owner and chief financial officer of boutique accounting firm Kimberly Services LLC, also started her time as chairwoman earlier this month after being elected to a two-year term in November. She replaces Will Holmes.