Jennifer Brake has been named Executive Director of the Hunt Valley Business Forum, a 450-member organization that serves as the collective voice for businesses in the greater Hunt Valley area.
The founder of Brake Marketing & Management, Brake has more than 20 years of experience in marketing, communications and entrepreneurship. She replaced Krista Darrell and started her new position this spring.
In her new role, Brake is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the business forum. Priorities include increasing the number of members; elevating the group’s stature and visibility; supporting legislative and public policy efforts, and executing special event and educational programming.
“During a time when the membership of other like-minded chambers of commerce organizations is dwindling, participation with and support of the Hunt Valley Business Forum has never been stronger, and we were looking for a passionate leader to manage our next growth spurt,” said Danielle Beyrodt, Chairperson of the HVBF Board of Directors and Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Hill Management Services, in a statement.
“We have an extremely passionate and committed board of directors which have created a powerhouse group involving the key companies and professionals with interests and investments in the greater Hunt Valley region,” Beyrodt said. “As we strive to scale operations and expand both our membership and our reach, it was critical to add experienced resources to manage our processes and operations.”
Most importantly, Beyrodt said, “we are looking for Jenn and her team to take the administrative burden off our board of directors, to free their time to do what they do best –namely, attracting new sponsors, supporting members, and focusing on legislative and public policy issues. We have attracted a Who’s Who group of local companies including McCormick & Company; St. John Properties; Greenberg Gibbons Commercial; Hill Management Services; Obrecht Properties; Point Breeze Credit Union; Floors Etc; Keelty Homes, and Merritt Properties, who are tremendous supporters of our organization.”
“The Hunt Valley Business Forum’s purpose-driven and member-centered approach resonated with my focus on strengthening member engagement, driving organizational growth, and delivering value-based events and programming,” Brake said in a statement. “The Forum has outstanding foundational support and committed leaders and volunteers that are anxious to expand the reach of the organization, scale operations, and continue to provide an extremely robust return on investment to the current membership, with a goal of surpassing the 500-member mark later this year.”
The Forum’s June event, “Hunt Valley Business Day,” is scheduled for June 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Executive Plaza Courtyard, 11350 McCormick Road in Hunt Valley. It is open to all area businesses. More information about the Forum and its events can be found on its website, www.hvbf.org.
