(SOUTHERN MARYLAND – February 17, 2026) — Kathy Guzman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Charles County Chamber of Commerce, will be honored at Black Wall Street Southern Maryland on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, beginning at 5:00 PM.
Guzman made history in 2023 when she was unanimously selected by the Chamber’s Board of Directors to lead the organization, becoming the first Afro-Latina to serve as President & CEO since the Chamber’s founding in 1956. As the Chamber approaches its 70th Anniversary milestone, she continues to strengthen membership engagement, partnerships, and regional visibility.
“My personal goal is to elevate the status of the chamber to be top of mind for anyone in our community,” Guzman has said — a mission that continues to guide her leadership.
With more than 25 years of experience in communications, media, sales, marketing, and relationship-building, Guzman has built a career defined by performance and partnership. Her professional background includes serving as a business services analyst at Electronic Data Systems, leadership roles with Lifestyles of Maryland, and nearly two decades in advertising sales with Southern Maryland News (Maryland Independent) and its parent company, APG Media/APG Chesapeake, where she was twice named Salesperson of the Year for the Southern Maryland division.
Prior to returning to the Charles County Chamber as President & CEO, Guzman served as Development Operations Coordinator for the College of Southern Maryland Foundation, the college’s 501(c)(3) division. Earlier in her career, she also served the Chamber as Member Services Manager, where she significantly increased membership and grew networking mixer attendance to 75–100 participants per month — demonstrating a long-standing commitment to the organization she now leads.
In 2024, she received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her sustained volunteer service and community impact.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Guzman remains deeply engaged in civic life. She is an active member of the Rotary Club of Charles County (La Plata) and serves on the board of Our Sisters’ Circle, supporting youth development and community empowerment.
She holds a Master of Arts in Communications and Training Technology from the University of Northern Iowa and a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from Bethune-Cookman University.
Her recognition at Black Wall Street SOUTHERN MARYLAND reflects the spirit of the awards program, founded by Baltimore media entrepreneur and Emmy-nominated journalist Doni Glover. Since 2011, the Black Wall Street Awards have honored more than 3,000 entrepreneurs and professionals across nine cities, celebrating economic empowerment, leadership, and community impact.
Guzman’s leadership represents both progress and possibility — a commitment to expanding opportunity while strengthening the business foundation of Southern Maryland.
Black Wall Street SOUTHERN MARYLAND
📅 Tuesday, February 24, 2026
🕔 5:00 PM
🎟️ RSVP:
https://blackwallstreetsouthernmd.eventbrite.com
Special thanks to our sponsors and partners over the years, including Alexis Solis, R. E. Harrington, Fulton Bank, Elev8 Baltimore, the Harlem Business Alliance, Omar Muhammad and EDAC at Morgan State, Gail Bugg State Farm, John Bugg State Farm, Thomas Hardnett, Sanjay Thomas, Bishop Barry Bail Bonds, Pest Control, Fingerprinting, and so many others. Thank you — without you, there is no us.
