CAGLCC Names 2012 Board of Directors
Five new members added to eight continuing members serving as board aims to grow Chamber membership
The Capital Area Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CAGLCC), the local affiliate of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, elected a new board of directors for 2012 at its annual meeting on Dec. 12, according to a press release from Mark Guenther, executive director of CAGLCC.
The new board consists of five new members and eight already serving on the board. The newly elected board members are: Jeanie Adkins, development manager of Mautner Project; Manuella Hancock, owner, Hancock Legal PLLC; Scott Miller, Rosslyn branch manager for Eagle Bank; David Rowley, president of Minuteman Press Crystal City; and Ted Smith, a Realtor with Long & Foster.
Guenther welcomed the new board members in the Chamber’s release, noting their participation as members of various CAGLCC committees. He also said he was confident that 2012 would bring ”effective collaboration between new members and recurring members in shaping the Chamber’s future.”
”These new directors in combination with our seasoned board members and newly elected executive committee promise to be the best leadership our Chamber has ever seen,” Guenther said. ”I am really looking forward to a transformational 2012!”
Among the returning board members are: Ebone Bell, president of B.O.I. Marketing and Communications LLC; Tavarious Butts, assistant vice president of BB&T Bank; Kim Rosenberg, president of Mixology DC; and Jay Vilar, principal of Plan A Consulting.
The remaining four members who are returning will comprise CAGLCC’s executive committee. They are Ernesto Santalla, president of Studio Santalla Inc., serving as board president; Sean Bugg, co-publisher of Metro Weekly, serving as vice president; Mike Larson, sales manager for Spectrum Printing and Graphics, as treasurer; and Kate Karasmeighan, board management and relations director for the Victory Fund.
As the new president, Santalla said he was eager to expand on the resources and networking opportunities that the Chamber provides to its currently active 400 members.
”Our membership, which will continue to grow in 2012, is at an all-time high,” Santalla said in the Chamber release. ”We reach more than 4,000 individuals through social media and recurring email communications. We have over 100 events scheduled for 2012, which will provide a myriad of networking and educational opportunities.”
A few of the 2012 events Santalla cited were the Chamber’s ”Mega Networking” event in March, awards dinner in April and a series of events in June to help celebrate Capital Pride.
Bugg emphasized that CAGLCC can help all types of businesses, whether LGBT-owned, LGBT-operated or LGBT-friendly.
”Personally, it’s been really good for my business, because I, just as a member of the Chamber, get to make a lot of connections and build a lot of friendships within the LGBT business community,” Bugg said. ”But in terms of serving on the board, I think what’s cool about that is coming up with ways to grow the organization and make it more valuable to the members so they can learn different ways to grow their own businesses, so they can network, find new clients, and find people to provide the services they need.”
For more information about CAGLCC, visit caglcc.org.
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