Celebrating Our Honorees | Montgomery College, Maryland

Honorary Degree Recipients 1996–2019

2012 Honorary Degree Recipients

Mr. Charles H. Atwell
President and CEO Innovative Business Interiors, Inc.

Mr. Charles H. Atwell

Mr. Charles H. Atwell, a longtime Silver Spring resident, is the president and CEO of Innovative Business Interiors, Inc. (IBI). IBI specializes in furniture and design solutions for business, education, health care, and government in the Washington area. Having held positions with other furniture dealerships over the last three decades, Atwell established IBI in 1990.

Atwell has been active in the community for many years. He is currently a board member and co-chair of the small business committee of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, where he formerly served as chairman. He is vice chairman of the board of directors of The Foundation Schools, a board member of Montgomery Alliance for Giving, and member of the board of directors of Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland. He also served as chairman of both the Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce and the Silver Spring Urban District.

He has been involved in the Silver Spring Police District Advisory Committee, the Silver Spring Counseling and Renewal Center, and the Silver Spring Community Vision Advisory Committee. He also served on the Greater Silver Spring Committee, the Alternative Working Group for Downtown Silver Spring, the Silver Spring Redevelopment Advisory Board, the Holy Cross Hospital Men’s Guild, and is a former board member of the Mental Health Association of Montgomery County.

His latest volunteer endeavor is helping establish Silver Spring Green. He is responsible for facilitating the scope, board structure, and activities for the new green organization.

Atwell received the Small Business Leader Award in 2006 from the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. He earned recognition as one of the 25 CEOs You Need to Know in 2010 from The Gazette of Politics and Business. The Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital gave him a Maryland Ambassador Award in 2011. He also earned the President’s Cup in 1996 from the Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business award from The Foundation Schools in 2010.

He is currently a member of the International Facility Management Association, International Interior Design Association, Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce, and Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce. He is a Leadership Montgomery 2006 graduate.

He lives with his partner of 23 years, Ray Holden, and their dog Malik in Silver Spring and Lewes, Delaware. He is active with St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lewes.