Advocacy & Growth: A Conversation with Kristi Simon of the Howard County Chamber

In this episode of Real Talk, Real Growth, host Linda Ostovitz sits down with Kristi Simon, President and CEO of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce, for a conversation about advocacy, membership growth, and what it takes to lead a chamber through change. Kristi shares her path from volunteer to chamber executive, including her years away leading the Central Maryland Chamber during the early days of COVID, and what she learned navigating remote engagement during that time. Linda and Kristi dig into the chamber's advocacy work in Annapolis and at the county level, how the chamber tracks and testifies on legislation, and why Maryland's business climate remains a focus for elected officials and business owners alike. They also cover the chamber's committee structure, the Young Professional Network, the CEO dinner series, and new efforts to support the county's growing nonprofit membership. Kristi closes with her goals for the chamber's next chapter, including a push toward 900 members and national chamber accreditation. 00:00 Welcome and Introduction01:00 Meet Kristi Simon: President and CEO of the Howard County Chamber02:00 Kristi's Path from Volunteer to Chamber Leader04:00 What Keeps Her Passionate About Chamber Work05:00 Meeting Members Where They Are07:00 Growth to Nearly 800 Members08:00 Lessons from Leading a Chamber Through COVID10:00 Why Advocacy Matters for Small Business13:00 Testifying in Annapolis14:00 Building Relationships with County Government18:00 Making the Case for a More Business-Friendly Maryland23:00 A Look at Chamber Committees26:00 The Young Professional Network and Chamber Games28:00 Who Makes Up the Chamber's Membership30:00 Inside the CEO Dinner Series32:00 Stepping Into Leadership After Leonardo McLarty36:00 Supporting the County's Nonprofit Community38:00 Goals for the Chamber's Future40:00 How to Get Involved Connect with Kristi Simon and the Howard County Chamber of Commerce at: https://www.howardchamber.com