8 things to know: Towson insurer taps new CEO; CIAA tourney underway; National Aquarium highlights its impact

Good morning and TGIF!

Hope you enjoyed Thursday's warmth and sunshine. I have finally given in to the fact that we're not getting a real winter this year. Sadly, my snowshoes and skis will continue to languish in the basement until next year. Expect warmer than normal temperatures today — though not as warm — with highs in the upper 50s. Temps are expected to dip into the 30s and 40s on Saturday. And despite a snowflake on my weather forecast app, there isn't any accumulation expected.

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Here's what else you need to know to get your Friday going.

Workers comp insurer taps new CEO

Chesapeake Employers' Insurance Co. has hired Mark Isakson, an insurance industry veteran, as its new CEO, effective April 3. He will succeed Thomas Phelan, who previously had announced that he would retire this year from the Towson-basesd workers compensation insurer. Isakson served previously as senior vice president and chief customer officer at Denver-based Pinnacol Assurance, where his 20-year career included workers’ compensation underwriting, business planning and corporate strategic development, Chesapeake Employers Insurance said Thursday. Chesapeake Employers Insurance launched a national search this fall to find Phelan's replacement. “We are excited to welcome Mark as a well-regarded and highly accomplished leader in the workers’ compensation industry,” Suzanne Thompson, the insurer's board chair, said in a statement. “His leadership of Chesapeake Employers' will ensure that we continue to chart the company’s growth on the solid financial foundation it has already built.”

CIAA Tournament brings thousands to downtown Baltimore

A deejay livened up the afternoon rush hour in Baltimore on Thursday, providing the perfect playlist for a spring-like afternoon. The music and food trucks nearby on Pratt Street are part of the celebration surrounding the arrival of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association men’s and women’s basketball tournament at CFG Bank Arena. The week-long tournament is in Baltimore for the third time after Charlotte, North Carolina, hosted it for over a decade. This year marked the first time many fans were fully able to experience the tournament's move to Baltimore since Covid restrictions have been lifted. The event so far is getting some good reviews from some visitors and businesses taking part in the festivities. Baltimore Business Journal

Study spells out National Aquarium's impact in Baltimore, state

Here's why the lines to get in are often long at the National Aquarium. A travel research company said Thursday that the downtown Baltimore attraction generated more than $1.3 billion in tourism-related economic impact and $109 million in state and local tax revenue over the four-year period ending in 2022 that included the COVID-19 pandemic. The report from Tourism Economics said the aquarium is both a thriving economic driver and a vital anchor institution for tourism within Baltimore and the State of Maryland. The independent study found that post-pandemic in 2022, aquarium visitation once more exceeded 1 million guests. Ninety percent of guests surveyed reported that the National Aquarium was their primary reason for visiting the Inner Harbor. “Of all the impact studies that Tourism Economics has conducted on behalf of zoos, aquariums, and other cultural institutions nationwide, the National Aquarium ranks among the top institutions in terms of annual attendance and overall economic impacts,” said Tourism Economics President Adam Sacks in a news release.

Village of Cross Keys owner eyes four restaurants

The Baltimore City liquor board on Thursday approved a marketplace license for the Village of Cross Keys, paving the way for patrons there to drink outside the retail center. The license will help Caves Valley Partners, the owners of the Village of Cross Keys, try to attract more restaurants. Arsh Mirmiran, of Caves Valley Partners, said the company is "contemplating" four sit-down restaurants and a wine shop among other potential tenants. Baltimore Business Journal

United exec says slow start to travel this year misleading

United Airlines said the slow pace of travel so far this year gives the false impression that last year’s "revenge travel" boom following the pandemic is over. But a United executive told investors Thursday that they should not judge 2023 by January and February’s numbers. “October was gangbusters for the airline industry, and then you saw that slow down… Well, I’ve got to tell you March bookings are back to October levels. March has some of the best looking trends we’ve seen,” Mike Leskinen, vice president of corporate development and investor relations as well as president of United Airlines Ventures. San Francisco Business Times

Towson murder rattles businesses, residents

The murder of a high school student in downtown Towson has residents and businesses fearing for their safety and about the negative impact on the community. Police said Tre’shaun Harmon, 17, died after he was shot multiple times at about 7:15 p.m. Monday near Joppa Road and Delaware Avenue, right outside Towson Square. The retail center is anchored by the Cinemark movie theater. Business owners talked of curtailing hours and ensuring their workers don't walk alone after work. Towson Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Nancy Hafford said the chamber recently used money from a state grant to add surveillance cameras to Towson businesses to improve safety. Baltimore Sun

Office brokers reach final stage of grief: acceptance

It has taken three years but commercial office brokers are owning up to the reality that the market will never return to what it was before hybrid work became the way of the world. Yes, Baltimore's office market is still reeling. But you'll definitely see dramatic shifts in high-flying cities like Seattle. There, big tech layoffs are mounting, office worker foot traffic in downtown Seattle, while improving, still is only 43% of pre-pandemic levels, and Amazon employees are pushing back against the company's order to return to the office May 1. Puget Sound Business Journal

Mentoring Monday coming up

Don't miss the Baltimore Business Journal's 10th Annual Mentoring Monday event at the Delta Hotel in Hunt Valley. It's like speed-dating for your career — where you can get advice from some of the top Greater Baltimore executives and business owners. Our mentors this year include Violet Apple, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, Deborah Phelps, executive director, Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools, and Swata Gandi, counsel, Miles & Stockbridge. Baltimore Business Journal