LEONARDTOWN, Md. – The Economic Development Commission (EDC) in St. Mary’s County is holding a meeting on October 16th at 6:00 pm. The meeting place is in the Chesapeake Building, located at 41170 Baldridge St, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Each meeting is centered around issues of economic development and the effects that the development has on other topics, such as tourism.
The previous meeting of the EDC took place on August 21st. They discussed multiple issues, including the introduction of new members and the CEDS Related Rural Development & Quality of Place Project Updates.
Another important topic of discussion during the August 21st meeting was the Chesapeake Bay Ferry Study. It offers potential opportunities to support local businesses, encourage tourism, and increase economic development.
A speaker at the meeting, named Ben, stated, “The purpose of the study was to really take advantage of our bay that was supremely underutilized. There’s a lot of history in our bay and in our region, as we all know, that people don’t have a good way of accessing.”
The Economic Development Commission will continue to face issues like those explained above. Through the continued guidance of this committee, St. Mary’s County will inch further toward its mission to help residents solve issues about economic development.
According to the EDC’s 2023 Annual Report, the document states, “The purpose of the Economic Development Commission (EDC) is to provide the commissioners of St. Mary’s County with advice and assistance concerning the development and implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy to guide the diversification of the County’s future economy.”
The 2023 Annual Report also explains their continued efforts for 2024 and beyond. It reads, “The Commission will continue to provide feedback concerning the implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy and share industry-specific updates to guide the diversification and increase the resiliency of the County’s economy.”
The current member roster of the Economic Development Commission includes 13 members. Each member is listed below, along with their role.
- Trisha R Post – Small Business Owner
- Leona Charles – Member
- Mr. Gerald Edward Meyerman – Member
- Lillyanne Ohanesian – Member
- Dr. Dale L More – Member
- Ms. Mahree E Annan – Member
- Curtis Brown – Member
- Dr. Silvio Borrero Caldas – Member
- Lisa Colavito – Member
- Dr. Asif U Dowla – Member
- Elizabeth C Torgerson – Vice Chair
- Richard Tar – Ex-Official
- Dr. Christine L Bergmark – Ex-Official
We reached out to the Economic Development Commission for a comment about their organization, and we received this response from Chris Kaselemis, “The EDC was originally established in 2013 for the purpose of applying for and receiving assistance from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). In order to apply for EDA assistance, a jurisdiction must have in place a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS), developed in part by establishing a strategy committee that includes citizens. In our case, the County Commissioners named the strategy committee the EDC. The EDC is responsible for developing, revising, or replacing the comprehensive economic development strategy.”
“The EDC has a more narrow focus than most departmental advisory committees in that the EDC really focuses on the development of the strategic plan for the department. Once it is published or updated, their role mostly focuses on monitoring progress. At our quarterly meetings, our department provides updates and progress reports on the various strategic focus areas. The meetings also provide an opportunity for members to provide updates on the various areas that they represent.
“Membership on the EDC primarily comes from citizens who are interested in the local economy and becoming more familiar with how our department carries out its work. Because members represent various sectors (educational, government, private sector), the EDC is a convenient place to exchange ideas and updates.”
If you’d like to get involved with the Economic Development Commission, you can volunteer here or send an email to kellie.hinkle@stmaryscountymd.gov.
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