?Harford Chamber Celebrates Members at 50th Anniversary Celebration Annual Dinner & Gavel Exchange

Bel Air, MD – The Harford County Chamber of Commerce hosted its Annual Dinner and Gavel Exchange on Thursday, June 18th at the Chesapeake Welcome Center at Harford Community College, presented by University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health. This year’s event concluded the year-long celebration of the Harford Chamber’s 50th anniversary as the county’s voice for business.

Harford Chamber President & CEO, Angela Rose, welcomed attendees and recognized Harford County community leaders in attendance and Heather Beauchamp, DNP RN NEA-BC of University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health gave sponsor remarks.

Angela Rose, Chris Stone, FY25/26 Harford Chamber Board Chair, and Monica Worrell, FY27 Harford Chamber Board Chair, recognized the 2026 Member of the Year recipient, Christina Woodie, M&T Bank. Christina is an active Chamber member and highlights the Chamber at every possible opportunity. She is an active member of the Membership Development Committee, celebrates with us at ribbon cuttings and events, and assists
new entrepreneurs by connecting them with Chamber resources to start and grow their businesses. Thank you, Christina, for your dedication to the Chamber. 

Mary Ann Bogarty, Jarrettsville Federal, was recognized as the 2026 Harford Chamber Hall of Fame recipient. Mary Ann served on the Chamber’s Board of Directors for several years and served 1 year as Board Chair. Mary Ann also serves on the Business Development & Initiatives Committee and is always ready to volunteer and support our
Chamber community with a smile. Thank you, Mary Ann, for your investment in our community!

Harford Chamber FY 25/26 Board Chair, Chris Stone, reflected on his time as board chair and thanked the entire membership for their commitment to making our 50th anniversary year such a success. The members in attendance voted to elect the FY 27 Officers and Board. The FY 27 elected Officers include Chair: Monica Worrell, APG, Federal Credit Union; Chair-Elect: Mike Maxwell, Maxed Out Home Group; Vice-Chair of Finance: Terry Grant, KatzAbosch; and Vice-Chair of Administration: Len Parrish, Gemcraft Homes/Freedom Land Development; as well as Members at Large: PJ Craig, Harford Community Action Agency and Meghan Jack, MedStar Health. Susan McLendon, Arrow Child & Family Ministries and Christina Woodie, M&T Bank, were elected to their first, three-year term.

In-Term Board Members are: Anthony DiPaula, DiPaula Law; Channel Brooks, Baltimore Gas & Electric; Claudia Nachtigal, The Highlands School; Samantha Boylan, The Law Office of Samantha N. Boylan; Dr. Theresa Felder, Harford Community College; Mary Hastler, Harford County Public Library; Robert Wehland, Freedom Federal Credit Union; Ron Fisher, Harford County Caucus of African American Leaders/Fisher Financial Services; Ryan Del Gallo, The Del Gallo Group LLC; Sarah Karantonis, University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health; Steve Overbay, Harford County Department of Economic Development; and Tracy Batman, Veritech LLC.

Andy Guckert, M&T Bank and Mike Ray, SURVICE Engineering, were recognized for their service on the Chamber Board as they both step down after the completion of their 2 terms at the end of FY26. Thank you for your years of service and commitment.

As new Board Chair for FY 27, Monica Worell, addressed everyone in attendance, thanking them for their investment and dedication to our Chamber community. She recognized the incredible history of the Chamber’s 50 years as Harford County’s business advocate, made possible by many Legacy members and past Chairs in the
room. She also looked ahead, welcoming those members that have recently joined the Chamber and noted our strength in the community we have built together.

This year, in recognition of the Harford Chamber’s 50th anniversary and the dedication of our membership, the Harford Chamber unveiled the 50th Anniversary Plaque, featuring the members that invested above and beyond to ensure that our Chamber has a strong foundation for the next 50 years of advocacy. Thank you to all of our members for investing in our Chamber and business community to ensure the voice of small
business is heard.

The Harford Chamber would like to thank our evening’s sponsors: University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, Baltimore Gas & Electric, Good News Electric & Good News Services, Display Local Media, Harford County Public Library, Harford Mutual Insurance Group, The VB Shop, APG Federal Credit Union, Decisive Data
Systems, Freedom Federal Credit Union, Harford Bank, Kerry Paradis Photography, MedStar Health, Nancy Stuckey Merritt, The Kelly Group, Fish Window, Harford Community Action Agency, Harford County Government, Iron Rose Fencing, KatzAbosch, Natalie’s Seafood Kitchen, Onelife Fitness, Paul Applegate - Financial
Advisor Edward Jones, Point Breeze Credit Union, Senior Placements by Patty, Tar Heel Construction Group, Towson University in Northeastern Maryland, Weyrich, Cronin & Sorra, Brandon Tolson Foundation , Campion Insurance, a Division of Maury, Donnelly, and Parr, Inc., CREative Solutions Today, First National Bank, DiPaula Law, G.J. Goss Contracting, Harford’s Heart, Island Spice Grille & Lounge, MB Homecare, Skylight Creative Ideas, SURVICE Engineering Company, Virtuous Inc, Visiting Angels of Harford & Cecil Counties, and Accent Printers.

Photos of the event were generously donated by MidAtlantic Photographic. You can view all event photos here.

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About the Harford County Chamber of Commerce: The Harford County Chamber of Commerce has worked continually as the recognized voice of business in Harford County since 1976. The Harford Chamber is the premier business advocate in the county, helping members connect and thrive to create a vibrant economy across all
sectors. For more information or become a Harford County Chamber member, please contact Natalie Pixley at natalie@harfordchamber.org.