September–October 2010 Building an...

Building an Effective Web Presencewith Search Engine Optimization“Build it and they will come” is not truewhen it comes to websites.

The essentials of creating a successful web presence that is rooted in a company’s branding and marketing strategywas the topic of our July 28 Chamber breakfast mixer.The presentation by Shala W. Graham, Principal/Creative

Director of SW Creativeswas held atHollywood East Café inWestfieldWheaton’sRestaurant Row,featuring a hot breakfastincluding Dim Sum.

Shala discussed cost-effective and free resources for monitoring website traffic andranking higher inGoogle searchessuch as SEO (orSearch EngineOptimization).For instance, sheis optimized for“dc design firm”so if you google

that, sheshould appearon the firstpage of Googlein the mainorganic resultssection. Thatis a result ofher SEOefforts.

On Aug 25, the Chamber hosted a “Meet the Candidates”Networking Happy Hour at the beautiful 1894 Restaurantand Tavern in Kensington, Md. The restaurant offeredfabulous drinksand appetizers at special happyhour pricing to a large crowdof over 50 participants.

Many candidatesfrom District 18and 19 and those runningfor Montgomery County Executive and County Councilseats were in attendance, allowing voters to have one-on-

one discussionswith theirprospec-tive andcurrentlocal represen-tatives.

The stimulat-

ing conversations were focused on many local concernsincluding the new Costco store planned for Westfield

September –October 2010 www.wkchamber.org

2401 Blueridge Avenue, Suite 101Wheaton, Maryland 20902phone: 301-949-0080e-mail: [email protected]

Wheaton&KensingtonChamber of Commerce the

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Networking Happy Hour and Meet theLocal and State Candidates

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Execut ive Commit teeP R E S I D E N T

Kathleen Guinan, Crossway Community 301-929-2505

V I C E - P R E S I D E N T

Sean Chrysostom, Chevy Chase Bank301-356-5052

S E C R E TA R Y

Kristen Wright, St. Luke’s House, Inc.301-896-4432

T R E A S U R E R

Larry White, First Baptist Church ofWheaton 301-949-6585

S E R G E A N T- A T- A R M S

Kenneth Nelson, Mont. Coll. WorkforceDevelopment & Cont. Ed. 240-328-4747

I M M E D I A T E PA S T- P R E S I D E N T

Moshe Briel, Moshe Briel AssociatesLLC 301-801-1972

Direc torsGerald Aldridge, MontgomeryWorks301-929-6880

Matt Barry, Westfield Wheaton 301-942-3200

Manuel Hidalgo, LEDC 202-540-7408

Marcia Jacques, Education Administrator 240-464-6564

Michael Kelley, Kens. Volunteer FireDepartment 301-929-8000

Kalimah Matthews, Signal FinancialFCU 301-933-9100 x287

Alejandro Mendoza, Mendoza &Company, Inc. 301-942-1770

James Onder, Onder CommunicationGroup 301-367-7023

Laura-Leigh Palmer, a.s.a.p. graphics301-942-1121

Ellen Riger, EllenOriginals 301-946-7141

Kathleen Thompson, Jerry ThompsonAssociates 301-332-6524

Harold Weinberg, Miles Realty Co.301-933-6161

Tim Wiens, Jubilee Association ofMaryland 301-949-8628 x105

Ex-Off i c io D i rec torsNatalie Cantor, Mid-County ServicesCenter 240-777-8100

Cmdr John Damskey, Mont. Co. Police –4th Dist. 240-773-5515

Cmdr Russell Hamill, Mont. Co. Police –2nd Dist. 301-652-9200

Rob Klein, Mont. County Department ofGeneral Services 240-777-6016

Pete McGinnity, WheatonRedevelopment Program 240-777-8126

Administrator& Newsletter EditorVicky Surles 301-949-0080

Wheaton&KensingtonChamber of Commerce

Message from the Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce PresidentKathleen Guinan, CEO, Crossway Community, Inc.

I am honored to serve aterm this year as thePresident of the Wheaton& Kensington Chamberof Commerce. I have beena proud member of theWheaton & Kensingtoncommunity for over 20years and currently serveas Chief Executive Officerof Crossway Community,an entrepreneurial, non-profit educational organi-zation, a family university.

The Chamber providesnetworking opportunities,business leads and referrals, and proactive leadership on legislative andeconomic development issues for thebusiness community of Wheaton andKensington. While there are significanteconomic challenges this year, theWheaton/Kensington community isexperiencing continued growth anddevelopment in both local jobs and business expansion.

The support for small business ownersand entrepreneurs is one of the keys to growing new jobs and stimulatingeconomic recovery. The Chamber willpromote the activities and voice of thesmall business owner and entrepreneurto ensure that they have a more promi-nent role at all levels of government.

An educated work force is critical to the success of the community. The

economic environment ofthe 21st century is rapidlychanging. New technolo-gies emerge constantly,bringing with them thedemand for new skills,and our education systemneeds to keep up with the rapid pace of change.By 2018 there will be 46.8 million job openings,63 percent of which willrequire some form ofpost-secondary education.

As President Obama stated, If we, as a nation,

offer all our children the best educationpossible from the cradle through a careerthen not only will America’s workerscompete and succeed, America will compete and succeed. The Chamber willadvocate for educational programs fromcradle through career.

As the new President of the Wheaton &Kensington Chamber of Commerce,I encourage you to come to one of ourmixers, networking events, or specialevents. Please consider investing yourtime and your talent. The return on yourinvestment will be great.

Sincerely,Kathleen Guinan

Chief Executive OfficerCrossway Community, [email protected]

Kensington Sector Plan UpdateDesign Guidelines Work-SessionMonday, September 20, at 7 pm

at Town Hall, 3710 Mitchell Street,Kensington, MD 20895

Discussions began in Sept. 2006, and since then the Town and County have held 39 advertised public meetings. Readthe Kensington Revitalization Fact Check:www.tok.md.gov/assets/Revitalization%20Fact%20Check.pdf.

Review the Kensington Sector Plan:www.montgomeryplanning.org/community/kensington/index.shtm.

Kensington 8K RaceThe Kensington 8K Race, 2-Mile

Challenge and 1K Fun Run will beheld on Saturday, Sept. 25.

The race will once again benefitKensington Parkwood ElementarySchool, North Bethesda MiddleSchool, and Walter Johnson HighSchool. For information on theraces or to signup, call Jenny Smithat 301-946-3804 or visit the racewebsite at www.kensington8k.org.

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Kathleen GuinanCrossway Community

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TH A N K YO U T O TH ES E ME M B ER RE N EWA L S!

ApartmentsThe Encore at Wheaton Station

(was Wheaton Place Apartments)Tonia Virachittevin301-933-1130www.EncoreWheatonStation.com

Inwood HouseMeg Marshall301-649-6595www.inwoodhouse.org

Arts OrganizationsThe British PlayersFor information and tickets, check website301-875-8544www.BritishPlayers.org

AttorneysAttorney at LawNeil E. Johnson301-933-6212Kensington, MD 20895

Attorney at Law, CharteredHarry B. Sewell, Jr.301-949-4656www.HarrySewell.com

Automotive RepairLogan’s AutomotiveRene B. [email protected]

BanksM&T Bank - Kensington, Farragut Ave.Martin A. Yescas301-949-2201www.mtb.com

BanksM&T Bank - Kensington, Montgomery Ave.Denise Willsey301-933-9608www.mtb.com

M&T Bank - WheatonShakeel Ahmad301-933-6311www.mtb.com

SunTrust Bank -Commercial BankingMary Jimenez301-758-6846www.suntrust.com

ChurchesLutheran Church of St. AndrewGreg Twombley301-384-4394www.mystandrew.org

Gardens/ParksBrookside GardensJLeslie McDermott301-962-1427www.brooksidegardens.org

Employment Services/WorkforceMontgomeryWorksGerald F. Aldridge301-929-6880www.montgomeryworks.com

EngineersJerry Thompson & Associates, Inc.Kathleen Thompson301-565-8000www.jta-atc.com

Financial ServicesF3E ~ Foundation for Financial EducationHubert “Hubie” Stockhausen240-499-0394www.F3eonline.org

HospitalsHoly Cross HospitalEileen Cahill301-754-7000www.holycrosshealth.org

InsuranceRobinson Insurance Agency

& FingerprintingTed [email protected]

State Farm InsuranceJames Mensah301-933-1010www.statefarm.com

Restaurants1894 Restaurant and TavernDuane Rollins301-962-1894www.cafe1894.com

SchoolsEvergreen SchoolMerrill Hall301-942-5979www.evergreenschool.com

Child CareOnderCareAdrienne Onder4202 Ambler DriveKensington, MD [email protected]

Community ServicesMUM Mid-County United MinistriesDiane Schroeder2424 Reedie DriveWheaton, MD [email protected]

E-CommerceOpenEntry.comDaniel Salcedo11112 Midvale RoadKensington, MD [email protected]

Financial ServicesCommunity First Financial CenterManuel Piñeros2405 Price AvenueWheaton, MD [email protected]

SPC Financial, Inc.Jeff Sella3202 Tower Oaks Blvd, Suite 400Rockville, MD [email protected]

Real EstateB.F. Saul CompanyRobert M. Wulff7501 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 1500 EastBethesda, MD [email protected]

Remodeling/Home ImprovementCMD Construction & Maintenance DivisionIvan Baker11006 Veirs Mill Rd, Suite L15Wheaton, MD [email protected]

RestaurantsThe Limerick PubNeil Foley & Tom Stanton11301 Elkin StreetWheaton, MD [email protected]

W E LC O M E T O T H E S E N E W M E M B E R S !

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July 28 Mixer – Building an Effective Web PresenceContinued from page 1

Hosting Essentials- Disk Space and Bandwidth- Open-Source compatibility- Linux vs. Windows- Email accounts- Databases- Price

CMS Content Management Systems- Open Source ( Joomla! or Drupal) or

Hosted (BusinessCatalyst or eCMS)

Website TrafficSEO (Search Engine Optimization) Intro- <title>, <h1> font styles- keywords- descriptions- content

GoogleWebmasterCentral:

www.google.com/webmasters

Google Analytics:www.google.com/analytics

Shala W. Graham is the Principal/Creative Director of SW Creatives, LLC (301-891-0111 /www.swcreatives.com)

The Hollywood East Café is at 11160 Veirs Mill Road, #136,Wheaton, MD 20902 in Westfield Wheaton’s Restaurant Row(near door #12) / 240-290-9988www.hollywoodeastcafe.com

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The essentials of creating a web presence:

Build Your BrandDefine your company and why you matter.- Core Messaging- Benefit Advantage- Competitive Advantage- Brand Personality

Identity Must-Haves- Logo- Stationery- Website

Website Basics- Domain name = www.yourcompany.com- Hosting = Website Storage Space- DNS (Domain Name Server) =

The Internet’s phone book.

Domain Search- Search GoDaddy.com, WebAddress.com, andRegister.com to check whether a name is already registered,and see prices

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Spotlight on New MemberOnderCare CHILDCARE

My name is Adrienne Onder and I am proud to be aChamber member. I have been in the child care businesssince 1999. Most recently I worked at StoneridgeChildcare Center in Maryland. Additionally, I haveworked at St. Alban’s Early Childhood Center inWashington, DC and Jefferson Montessori inGaithersburg, MD. I am now eager to venture out on my own and pursue a life-long dream of owning my own center.

I provide full, part-time, before/after school care onAmbler Drive, Kensington, MD, near the swimming pool. Also, for the before/after students, the KensingtonParkwood Elementary School bus stops directly in front of my house.

Some openings are available. M-F 7:30 am to 6:00 pm.I have three designed daycare rooms, large backyard, ageappropriate books (with a special reading center) and toysin a secure environment for socialization and activities.

We will strive to bring the best childcare possible to you and your child. This program will be economicallyand ethnically diverse. Our focus will be on the wholechild, with its primary concentration on social emotionaldevelopment and hands-on academic preparation for elementary school.

Feel free to call me anytime to talk and to arrange a visit:Adrienne at 301-530-7980. MC License: #155903.

August 25 Networking Happy HourContinued from page 1

Wheaton, small business opportunities in Kensington andWheaton, and other services to the area.

Carly Conrad of St. Luke’s House and Lori Casamento of Heartland Payment Systems checked people in.

Wendy Howard of WH Consulting (301-946-5091) coordinated the Happy Hour event.

1894 Restaurant and Tavern10417 Armory AvenueKensington, MD 20895301-962-1894

www.cafe1894.com

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www.whconsults.com

Adrienne Onder • [email protected]

Focusing on the whole child in a secure environment for socialization and activities.

Openings for: Infants to 12 year olds.Mon - Fri 7:30 am - 6 pm

In Kensington, MDChild Care

301-530-7980

Kensington Arts Theatre - KATpresents

CHICAGOat The Kensington Town Center

3710 Mitchell Street, Kensington, MD 20895

PERFORMANCES: October 8, 9, 15, 16, 17,22, 23, 24, 29, 30

Thu /Fri at 8 pm, and Sun at 3 pm

TICKET INFO: call 206-888-6642 or e-mail katonline.email@gmailcom

www.katonline.org

Hundreds of people attended the all-day festival featuringfood, crafts, vendor booths, and also an annual art show inTown Hall.

The first Monday of September was made a national holidayin June 1894, the same year as the founding of Kensington.

Kensington’s 43rd Annual Labor Day Parade featuredHigh School bands, Boy Scouts, horses, old cars, pirates,the Washington Revels, as well as local and state cam-paigning politicians on Monday, September 6th.

The parade started at Plyers Mill Road and St. Paul Street,went down Connecticut Avenue and around town past thereviewing stand and beyond. In this year’s parade, therewere 75 parade units, each consisting of between two to100 people.

Richard Ehrenreich has driven his replica 1929 Mercedes-Benz SSK Roadster in the parade for the Wheaton &Kensington Chamber of Commerce for many years.

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Kensington’s 43rd Annual Labor Day Parade and FestivalPh

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Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce

Breakfast MixerThe Planning Director on Wheaton Redevelopment and Growth

A presentation by:

Rollin Stanley, Director, Montgomery Planning Department

Planning Director Rollin Stanley will give a brief presentation onsuccessful revitalization efforts, the tools to achieve them, includinga description of the proposed land-use tools emerging from theWheaton Master Plan study, as well as innovative Commercial-Residential (C-R) zones.

www.wkchamber.org

Wednesday, September 22, 2010from 7:30 – 9:00 AM

atWestfield Wheaton Mall Food Court11160 Veirs Mill Road, Wheaton, MD 20902(Upper Level Entrance #7, near JCPenney)

Breakfast sponsored by Westfield Wheaton ~ westfield.com/wheaton

_________________________________________(Company Name)

_________________________________________(Phone Number)

_________________________________________(e-mail address)

Return payment to: Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce2401 Blueridge Avenue, Suite 101 • Wheaton, MD 20902

❏ Check ❏ Cash Total Amount $ _________ for ______ Reservations

Cost is $5 in advance (option for members only) or $10 at the door

_________________________________________(Attendee)

_________________________________________(Attendee)

_________________________________________(Attendee)

Our Breakfast Mixers are usually on the fourth Wednesday of the month.

Wheaton&KensingtonChamber of Commercethe voice forYOUR business!

www.wkchamber.orgFor registration informationcall: 301-949-0080fax: 301-949-0081email: [email protected]

Cost is $5 in advance (option for members only) or $10 at the door

Directly afterwards, we will walk with Mr. Stanley from Westfield Mall over to the downtown Wheatonarea in an informal tour, reviewing the retail shops, future mixed-use development projects and Metrostation area. • At the end of the walkabout, we will wind up at Royal Mile Pub (2407 Price Ave,Wheaton) for after-walk coffee and refreshments, courtesy of the proprietor, Mike Moore.

~ Mix & Network with Other Businesses ~www.royalmilepub.com

Here’s your chance to showplanners what’s unique aboutthe Wheaton community,highlighting strengths andweaknesses; identify issues,and learn some more about planning initiatives.

Wheaton&KensingtonChamber of CommercethevoiceforYOUR business!

Postage

e-mail: [email protected]: www.wkchamber.org

301-949-0080

2401 Blueridge Ave, Suite 101Wheaton, Maryland 20902

Run an ad in the VOICEBusiness Card-Size Ad is just $45*

or Insert a Flyer for only $100*

*Member rates

Through October 9, from 9 am to 5 pm daily

Autumn Blaze (Watercolor) - Lou JaneskoKimono Gardens (Ceramic on wood, giclee prints) - Marcia JestaedtNature as Prism (Photography) - Wayne Guenther

FREE ADMISSION

at theBrookside Gardens Visitors Center1800 Glenallan AvenueWheaton MD 20902www.BrooksideGardens.org

Art Xhibits at the Visitors Center

The new 2011 Wheaton & Kensington Community Guides are beingdistributed to all members, and to libraries, local government centers, business developmentcenters, Brookside Gardens, andin new home-owner packages.Extra copies of the CommunityGuide can be requestedthroughout the year.

The Guide is an importantresource throughout theyear. For updates in case a member’s contact information changesd u r i n g t h e y e a r, check our webs i te www.wkchamber.org.

2011 Wheaton & Kensington Community Guide and Chamber of

Commerce Directories Now Available

September–October 2010 Building an...

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