April 28, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
William Burns, Director of Communications
(410) 269-0642, (301) 261-2858

Maryland Chamber of Commerce to Induct
Three Into the Maryland Business Hall of Fame

Annapolis, MD (April 26, 2010) - The Maryland Chamber of Commerce will induct three outstanding business leaders into its Maryland Business Hall of Fame on Wednesday, April 28, during its Annual Membership Meeting and Business Hall of Fame Awards Dinner at the Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport. The event, which will attract more than 500 of the state’s top business leaders, will begin at 5:30 p.m.

“This year’s inductees have inspirational stories of business success and community involvement,” said Chamber Chairman Austin J. Slater, JR., President & CEO of Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative. “Through their expertise, leadership, and caring, this year’s honorees have made a meaningful impact on Maryland’s economy and in our communities.”

This year’s inductees are:

Kenneth R. Banks, Founder & President, Banks Contracting Co., Inc. - After first working for a New York-based contracting company, Banks set up his own company in Baltimore. What began as a small three-man operation in 1980 has grown into an award winning, multi-million dollar company with a staff of 40. In 2001, Banks expanded into the world of real estate development. He began acquiring commercial properties in the region through Banks Development Group, which now owns numerous facilities ranging from 8000 square feet to more than two million, including University of Maryland, Biotech Park, Johns Hopkins Hospital Technology Park and the 750-room Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel. Banks serves as Vice President of the President’s Roundtable, Board member of the Greater Baltimore Committee, and Member of the President’s Advisory Council of his alma mater Adelphi University. He recently chaired the Baltimore Gala for the American Heart Association.

Karen Myers, President, Wisp Resort Development, Inc. -
Myers leads a development group that has invested more than $30 million into making Wisp a four-season resort since acquiring the ski area in 2001 for $12 million. Recognized by the Garrett County Chamber as being a main driver of the local economy, Wisp has expanded its ski and sports adventure facilities, including the only circulating whitewater course in the country. Residential development near the ski area has also been developed by her team during the past decade. Myers is a member of the Governor’s Economic Development Commission and is the first Western Maryland business leader to be inducted into our Business Hall of Fame.

H. Thomas Watkins, President & CEO, Human Genome Sciences - Watkins joined Human Genome Sciences (HGS) as Chief Executive Officer and a Director in December 2004, and was named President in December 2005. He came to HGS with nearly 20 years of experience at Abbott Laboratories and its affiliates in the United States and Asia. Watkins began his career in 1974 with Arthur Andersen & Co., and was a management consultant with McKinsey and Company, Inc., from 1979 to 1985. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the National Symphony Orchestra. He currently serves as Chair of the Life Sciences Advisory Board of the State of Maryland, and is a member of the Board of Visitors of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute.

The Maryland Business Hall of Fame was established by the Maryland Chamber of Commerce in 2000 to recognize the accomplishments of entrepreneurs and business executives whose contributions, in business and in the community, have helped advance the quality of life for Marylanders and improve the state's business climate. Individuals are nominated throughout the year by members of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber's Executive Committee selects the inductees, who are honored each year during the Maryland Chamber's Annual Membership Meeting and Business Hall of Fame Awards Dinner.

Including this year’s inductees, there are 32 members of the Maryland Business Hall of Fame. Previous inductees include:

• William Couper, Bank of America
• June Streckfus, Maryland Business Roundtable for Education
• William R. Teel Jr., 1 Source Consulting, Inc. and Energy Enterprise Solutions, LLC
• Linda Gooden, Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services
• Karen H. Oertel, W.H. Harris Seafood Inc. and Harris Crab House
• John J. Oliver Jr. (Jake), The Afro American Newspapers
• Sister Helen Amos, RSM, Mercy Health Services
  
• Jeong Kim, Ph.D., Bell Labs at Alcatel-Lucent
  
• Walter Sondheim, Jr. (posthumously), Greater Baltimore Committee
  
• Susan J. Ganz, Lion Brothers Co., Inc.
  
• Stephen A. Geppi, Diamond Comic Distributors
  
• John P. McDaniel, MedStar Health
  
• Roger R. Blunt, P.E., Blunt Enterprises, LLC
  
• Ronald R. Peterson, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System and Johns Hopkins Medicine
  
• Marge Thomas, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc.
  
• John M. Derrick, Jr., Pepco Holdings, Inc
  
• Eddie C. Brown, Brown Capital Management, Inc.
  
• Robert J. Lawless, McCormick & Company, Inc.
  
• Wayne T. Hockmeyer, Ph.D., MedImmune, Inc.
  
• Brice and Shirley Phillips, Phillips Seafood
  
• Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
  
• Henry S. Rosenberg, Jr., Rosemore, Inc.and Crown Central Petroleum
  
• John Paterakis, H&S Bakery,Inc and Northeastern Foods, Inc.
  
• Stephen A. Burch, Comcast Mid-Atlantic Division
  
• J.W. Marrott, Jr., Marriott International, Inc.
  
• Christian H. Poindexter, Constellation Energy Group
  
• Cathy L. Hughes, Radio One
  
• Raymond A. “Chip” Mason, Legg Mason
  
• Frank Perdue, Perdue Fames, Inc.

The Maryland Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit coalition of 830 businesses who employ more than 440,000 people in the state. Its mission is to maximize opportunities for its members and their employees to grow and prosper. For more information about the Chamber, visit its website, www.mdchamber.org or call (410) 269-0642 or (301) 261-2858.

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