The Anne Arundel Chamber will be holding a forum that will analyze and discuss the issues concerning the “gender gap” in the workplace. The forum is entitled, “Gender Equity in the Workplace Under Scrutiny” and will be held on April 10, 2019 at the Anne Arundel County Community College’s Cade Center. It will feature presentations from three local companies that have taken a proactive approach to address this issue with innovative programs and policies.
Mary Ann Scully, the CEO of Howard Bank, will be the keynote speaker and she will highlight her experiences as an executive in the banking industry and discuss some of the innovation she has implemented at Howard Bank.
Other speakers include the Vice President of Human Resources from Baltimore Gas and Electric, Denise Galambos, who will talk about the initiatives undertaken by BGE including being part of the White House Equal Pay Pledge. The third speaker will be Tamiko Stanley, the Head of Diversity from the Anne Arundel Medical Center and she will focus on how the Medical Center
The goal of the workshop is to share some “best practices” that can be replicated by other employers. Over the last few years, there has been a growing concern about the “gender gap” and its impact in the workplace for both small and large employers. Today, women make up nearly half of the U.S. labor force and more women than ever are the breadwinners for their families. Yet in 2015, a woman working full-time all year in the United States earned about 80 percent of what a man would earn for the same job.
Gender equity has become a national concern, and many companies have taken steps to address the issues surrounding the gender gap. Voters around the country and right here in Anne Arundel County have also taken steps to address this issue as over 100 women were elected as first-time members of Congress during the 2018 elections and local voters elected five women to the Anne Arundel County Council, which only has seven members.
The President and CEO of the Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce, Mark Kleinschmidt, said, “The issue of gender equity is being discussed throughout the country, and it is great to see several local companies step up and take a leadership role in establishing a more welcoming and equitable work place for women right here in Anne Arundel County. I encourage business owners, human resource managers and elected officials to attend”.
The cost of the forum is $25 for Chamber members and $50 for Non-Chamber Members. There are still several sponsorship opportunities available. For more information and to register for the “Gender Equity in the Workplace Under Scrutiny” forum please go to www.AnneArundelChamber.org.
