06/22/05

MBIA Announces Appointment of
Chris Marschner as President
Association of Business Incubators Enters Fifth Year

BALTIMORE, MD (June 22, 2005) — The Maryland Business Incubation Association (MBIA) (www.MDBusinessIncubation.org), an organization formed to provide a united voice for the advancement of business incubation in Maryland, today announced the election of Chris Marschner as president of the association. Marschner, director of the Technical Innovation Center at Hagerstown Community College , takes on the role of president after holding the position of treasure during the organization's first three years. The organization is entering its fifth year.

Other officers, also elected at the MBIA's quarterly meeting, began one-year terms this month. Wanda Plumer, director of business development for the Prince George 's County Economic Development Corporation and manager of the Technology Assistance Center in Largo , will serve as the vice president of the MBIA. Walt Schulz , director of the techcenter@UMBC in Baltimore County , will serve as treasurer of the organization for the second continuous term. Carol Morrison, manager of the Howard County Economic Development Authority's NeoTech incubator in Columbia , continues in her fifth term as secretary.

“The Maryland Business Incubation Association has grown to become one of the country's most prominent incubation associations, adding numerous new members and even attracting the prominent annual meeting of the National Business Incubation Association in 2005,” said Marschner. “I look forward to continuing that good work and advancing the MBIA, its incubators and their companies toward even more success.”

Marschner has been the director of the Technical Innovation Center since 1996. Throughout his career, he has been involved in the formation and development of small businesses in a variety of capacities. He began his entrepreneurial career by successfully launching a contract carrier, warehousing and distribution firm in Baltimore . Marschner has also provided business planning and marketing guidance to economically disadvantaged retail firms in west Baltimore . In addition, he has been an adjunct faculty member at Hagerstown Community College since 1999, teaching classes in economics, small business management and finance.

Founded in March 2001, the MBIA was formed from the desire among Maryland 's incubator managers to increase awareness and understanding of business incubation, to share solutions to problems and to establish standards and quality characteristics for incubators in Maryland . Since the organization's founding, it has grown to include 16 incubators, which have worked to promote the development of numerous technology companies in Maryland , as well as provide many economic development opportunities through the business incubators. In addition, the organization hosted the Na tional Business Incubation Association's 2005 International Conference in Baltimore in May 2005.

Maryland 's 16 business incubators currently house a combined total of 205 early stage companies, most of which are technology focused. Almost 1,100 jobs have been created by these companies, and nearly $250 million has been invested in these incubator clients. Some 138 incubator “graduate companies” – those that have moved out of the incubators into their own space – are still in business in Maryland .

The Maryland Business Incubation Association (MBIA), a private, professional organization, is comprised of managers supervising existing and active business incubators in the State of Maryland . MBIA's missions are to serve as a united voice for the advancement of business incubation in Maryland and to maintain the growth and viability of business incubation through shared best practices and resources.

For more information on the MBIA or for a list of its members, please visit www.mdbusinessincubation.org.

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