2023 MEDA Chesapeake Basic Economic Development Course
July 24 – July 27 – Virtual
Whether you’re new to the world of Economic Development or you’d like to get in-depth with a refresher, the Chesapeake Basic Economic Development Course is your ticket to the fundamental concepts, strategies, and tools needed to be successful in today’s complex economic environment. This essential course is designed to prepare participants for the challenges they face in the practice of developing communities and assist them in gaining capacity-building skills, resources, and networks to accelerate economic development.
In previous years, our 4-day Basic Course was held in Baltimore, which required travel expenses, time away from home, and extra planning and organization. With our all-virtual course this year, you can learn it all from the comfort of your own home, making it an accessible, efficient, and more affordable way to learn the fundamentals of economic development. We have excellent instructors lined up to teach, and you’ll get to meet and network with other participants… all virtually!
This course will be offered online (via Zoom). Please note that the time zone is Eastern Time (ET).
What You’ll Learn:
Grow your skills and understanding of economic development foundational elements
Best practices in economic and community development
Managing an economic development program
Financing economic development projects and using incentives
Explore new methods and programs to promote job growth and investment
Business retention and expansion
Marketing and business attraction
Discuss emerging trends and factors that shape local and regional economies
Ethics in economic development
Gain detailed knowledge of successful initiatives
Strategic planning
Small business and entrepreneurship
Tools for planning your economy and how to use them.
Researching your prospects and building a community data profile.
Real estate development and reuse
Neighborhood revitalization
Managing real estate inventory.
Develop a valuable network of fellow economic development professionals and resources
Learn from outstanding experts and practitioners in the field
Who Should Take the Course?
The Basic Economic Development Course is designed for community leaders and stakeholders who participate in the process of community and economic development at local, regional, state and federal levels. Typical attendees include:
Economic development practitioners
Business leaders
Community volunteers
Public utility personnel
Government agency staff
Real estate professionals
Chambers of commerce members
Business development professionals
Cooperative extension personnel
Planning and development agencies
Bankers and financial institution professionals
Community development organization professionals
Municipal, town and county government elected and appointed officials
Others interested in facilitating job creation and capital investment in their community, region or state
Your First Step Toward Certification
For those seeking national certification, the Economic Development Basic Course is the first requirement in the process of becoming a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD). This Chesapeake Basic Economic Development Course qualifies as a professional development training requirement needed to sit for the CEcD exam. CEcD certification through the IEDC is a national recognition that denotes a mastery of principal skills in economic development, professional attainment, and a commitment to personal and professional growth.
Lofton Scholarships for MEDA Members
Members of MEDA can apply for a Lofton Scholarship to cover the tuition for the Chesapeake Basic Economic Development Course in full. MEDA’s Lofton Scholarship exists to support the growth of professional skills and knowledge by economic development practitioners in Maryland.
Apply for the Lofton Scholarship before you register for the Chesapeake Basic Economic Development Course. Upon acceptance, you will be given a discount code to use with your registration. The last day to apply for the Lofton Scholarship for the Basic Course is July 14. Apply here!
Details The 2023 MEDA Chesapeake Basic Economic Development Course will be held July 24 – July 27 (virtually) from approximately 9am to 5pm Eastern Time.
Tuition is:
$590 for MEDA members (Lofton Scholarship available for full tuition to members)
$765 for non-members (tuition includes MEDA membership for a year)
Sharon Disque is the Economic Development Manager for the City of Gaithersburg, Maryland. She has more than 30 years of experience in economic development, including business park development, real estate sales and leasing, corporate site selection, community strategic planning, marketing and market analysis, and downtown redevelopment. Before joining the City of Gaithersburg, Sharon ran a community development corporation, provided real estate consulting services for clients in Maryland and West Virginia, and was Regional Director of Industrial Development for CSX Transportation. She began her career with the Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission. Sharon earned a Master’s in Real Estate from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor’s in Economics from the University of Virginia. She is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD).
Sandy Dubay, CEcD is the CEO and Founder of PPR Strategies, as well as a publicist, marketing consultant, public speaker, spokesperson, and public relations team leader.
Sandy is passionate about helping communities in the mid-Atlantic region grow and diversify their economies and job opportunities for residents. She brings her expertise in communications, social media, marketing, economic development, and tourism to help clients create & implement customized communications plans right for them.
Sandy is a graduate of Shepherd University with a Bachelor of Science in economics and business administration. She previously served as a Research Specialist at the Jefferson County Development Authority in Charles Town, WV and most recently as a Business Development Specialist in the Frederick County Office of Economic Development in Frederick, MD.
Heather Gramm joined the Maryland Department of Commerce as Senior Director of Strategic Industries and Entrepreneurship in June 2019. In this role, she oversees the development and implementation of the state’s efforts to grow the strategic industries of biohealth and life sciences, cybersecurity and aerospace, manufacturing, energy and agriculture. In addition, she oversees Commerce’s strategic initiatives for entrepreneurship, small business, and workforce development.
Prior to this role, she served as Deputy Director for the Frederick County Office of Economic Development overseeing the county’s business development efforts, including business attraction, retention and expansion, small and minority business development strategies, as well as industry-sector development in the county’s targeted sectors.
Heather has more than 17 years of experience in municipal, county and state economic development in a variety of roles including business development, community development and downtown revitalization. She earned a B.A. in Business Administration from Hood College and the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) certification through IEDC. She serves as President of the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) Board of Directors.
Richard Griffin, AICP, CEcD is the Director of Economic Development for the City of Frederick.
In that role oversees four City Departments including the Department of Economic
Development, Downtown Parking Department, Frederick Municipal Airport, and Weinberg
Center for the Arts. Griffin is accredited economic developer and urban planner with over 30
years of experience.
During his 23-year tenure in Frederick he has overseen major City Projects including the design
and development of award-winning Carroll Creek Park, airport expansion, and parking garage
development along with coordinating complex development projects delivering jobs and tax
base in downtown and commercial corridors. He has worked with many businesses in Frederick
including AstraZeneca, Fort Detrick, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Stulz,
Wilcoxen, Precision For Medicine, and many small mom and pop shops, and minority and
women owned businesses.
Richard has experience working at the city, county, regional, and federal level in Maryland,
Virginia, North and South Carolina and Washington State. He served on the district staff of the
late US Representative James Clarke from the 11th District of NC. He is a US Army veteran
having served as a Cavalry border guard on the East German Border during the cold war and as
a commissioned Armor officer in the NC National Guard and Army Reserves.
Mr. Griffin holds degrees from Western Carolina University and Clemson University. He serves
on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA), Fort
Detrick Alliance, the Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc, and others. He is Rotary Paul
Harris Fellow and volunteers as a scout leader and youth mountain bike race team coach. His
wife Lynne is a FCPS teacher and they live, work, and play in Downtown Frederick.
Trish Heidenreich has served as the Economic Development Director for the Town of Bel Air since 2006. Prior to joining the Town, Trish worked in real estate administration and held a 25-year career in the entertainment industry, specializing in concert production logistics, business development and marketing.
Trish sits on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) and is Co-Chair of MEDA’s Professional Development Committee. Trish holds a Certification in Economic Development (CEcD) from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in Washington and is a member of the Board of Directors. In addition to her certification, she holds a Master of Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University and a BA in Communications and Television Production from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.
Latrice Lewis is a Business and Employment Consultant and ReEntry Project Manager with Frederick County Workforce Services a proud partner of The American Job Center Network! She has over 15 years in Business Development and Career & Workforce Development. She has a unique perspective on Workforce and Economic Development having spent time in both private and public sector positions, as well as the Frederick County Public School system.
Latrice’s primary focus is partnering with the Frederick County (FC) business community to assist with their workforce development needs: recruitment, staff development/training and LMI. She works with small-to-very large organizations in the FC community. She also works closely with an under-served population in our community of Justice-Involved citizens.
Latrice has had opportunities to share her expertise with such organizations as the United Way of Fredrick County, The Local Management Board (Office of Children & Families), Hood College Leadership Program, Mountain Manor Treatment Center, and other local schools and colleges – she has earned a reputation for being a “Trusted Business Advisor” in the Frederick County community.
Latrice is passionate about serving the Frederick County community and ensuring both businesses and citizens are aware of all the resources available to maximize their success.
In his current role as Vice President of Financial Services for the Anne Arundel Economic
Development Corporation, Steve is responsible for managing the, Arundel Community
Reinvestment Fund, Anne Arundel Incentive Fund, the Next Stage Fund and the VOLT Fund.
Steve is responsible for managing financial services staff and developing the protocols and
processes used to manage the flow of applications for all of the corporation’s lending programs,
from origination and underwriting to the closing and servicing of loans. Steve oversees a
portfolio of approximately 100 small business loans totaling approximately $7 million.
Steve has more than a decade of finance and lending experience. Prior to arriving at AAEDC,
he served as Vice President of Private Business Banking for BankAnnapolis. Previous to that,
he was at the Harbor Bank of Maryland for four years as Vice President and Commercial
Lending Officer.
Steve holds an MBA and a bachelors degree in marketing, both from Frostburg State University.
Steve has served on the Board of several non-profit organizations including the Maryland
Economic Development Association Foundation, Maryland Economic Development Association,
Arundel Child Care Connections, and the Maryland Commercial Lenders Lending Association.
Jamie Williams, CEcD, is the Director of Kent County Economic & Tourism Development. Williams began Economic Development work with Kent County seven years ago, and achieved her Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) certification in October of 2019. Previous work included 20 years at a Millwork Distributor where she filled many positions, office manager for a local land surveyor, and administrative work in the County Commissioners Office. Her previous experience working for a large employer and a small business served her well in working with the business community.
Williams is a member of the Maryland Economic Development Association and serves as MEDA Professional Development Co-Chair.
Julia Glanz is the Assistant Secretary for Strategic Initiatives at Maryland’s Department of Housing and Community Development. Glanz is responsible for shaping new initiatives to achieve the policy objectives of Governor Wes Moore’s administration and the operations goals of department Secretary Jake Day. Prior to joining DHCD, Glanz served as the City Administrator for the City of Salisbury, managing day-to-day operations across all the city’s departments since December 2016. She was the youngest, and first female to hold the City Administrator post. She also served as Acting Mayor and led Salisbury forward through challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and racial injustices.
A native New Yorker, Glanz moved to Salisbury in 2007 to study at Salisbury University and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and Political Science (2011) and a Master’s Degree in Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution (2013). Glanz has been a proud resident of the City of Salisbury for the last 16 years, but is moving to Greenbelt, Maryland this summer with her wife, Lindsey, and their four legged children.
Dr. Candace Pruett is a highly accomplished business professional with expertise in strategic planning, business development, and entrepreneurship. Through her role at the Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) as the Assistant Director for the Corridor Region, Candace provides strategic guidance and support to small businesses, helping them navigate the complexities of the business landscape and achieve sustainable growth. She actively engages with entrepreneurs, offering expert advice on business planning, market research, financial analysis, and access to capital. She has been awarded the SBDC State Star Award in 2017 recognized at the National ASBDC conference, ASBDC’s 40 Under 40 Award in 2022, and MEDA’s Rising Star Award in 2023. She is also certified as a GrowthWheel Certified Business Advisor and FranFit Advisor. Candace is an active participant in the Maryland Economic Development Association and a member of their Young Leaders Group. She also volunteers on the Career Advisory Board for the Purdue School of Business at her alma mater, Salisbury University. Candace earned her Doctorate of Business Administration at the University of Maryland Global Campus (formerly known as the University of Maryland University College.) Candace received her Master of Business Administration and B.S. in Management from Salisbury University. Candace’s research interest is in generational studies revolving around how the culture of an organization impacts knowledge transfer.
Rosa Cruz, a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), is Chief of Staff at the Maryland
Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). As a member of the
executive team, she is responsible for managing organizational workflow and
communications and defining parameters of implementation on cross-functional
teams. She was previously at DHCD from 2008 to 2012 as Deputy Director of
Communications.
Prior to returning to state service, Rosa was Vice President of Communications for the
Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation (AAEDC) in Annapolis where she
managed program initiatives and communication strategies that helped AAEDC attract
and retain businesses in Anne Arundel County.
Her professional experience includes serving in the Governor’s Office and working in
television news production for several media outlets on the east coast including ESPN,
Fox News’ DC bureau and local news stations in Baltimore, Maryland and Richmond,
Virginia.
Rosa is the co-chair of the Professional Development Committee of the Maryland
Economic Development Association (MEDA) as well as a board member. She also serves
as the President of the Board of Directors of the Chesapeake Arts Center in Brooklyn
Park, Maryland.
She holds a Master of Arts in Public Affairs/Journalism from the American University
and a BA in International Studies from George Mason University.
Grow your skills and understanding of economic development foundational elements
