Mid and Upper Shore Rural Economic Development Session
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The MEDA Foundation, Inc. presents the Mid & Upper Shore Rural Economic Development Session in partnership with Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Caroline, Talbot and Dorchester Counties. Join us for the one-day session that will include presentations by public and private sector economic development leaders. The dialogue will provide an opportunity to explore compelling topics centered on the importance of investing in economic development in your counties and communities.
December 1, 2016 – AGENDA
8:00 AM – Continental Breakfast
8:30 AM – Welcome Remarks
9:00 AM – Opening Keynote Speaker, Mike Gill, Secretary, Maryland Department of Commerce
9:30 AM – Workforce Development
11:00 AM – Business Retention/Expansion (BRE) & Marketing / Finance
12:00 PM – Lunch & Tour of Centreville, Kenneth Holt, Secretary, Department of Housing & Community Development
2:15 PM – Small Business & Entrepreneurship
3:30 PM – Infrastructure Panel
4:30 PM – Closing Comments and Adjournment
This event is by invitation only and is open to elected officials, appointed officials and government staff that received an invitation.
*For more information, contact info@medamd.com.
When
Thu, Dec 1, 2016 @ 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Where
Chesapeake College
Eastern Shore Higher Education Center, Room HEC-110
Wye Mills , MD
Conference Speakers
The Mid and Upper Shore Rural Economic Development Session Speakers
Pamela J. Ruff has served as Executive Director of the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) since 2000. MEDA is a statewide membership organization of nearly 500 public and private professionals dedicated to job growth and retention in Maryland. As Executive Director, Ms. Ruff is responsible for all aspects of management at MEDA and for their 501c3 entity, The MEDA Foundation, Inc.
Ms. Ruff has an extensive background in economic development marketing that began in 1981 when she joined the Baltimore Briefing Center (BBC) where she served in a number of capacities. The BBC expanded from a regional to a statewide focus and became the Maryland Communications Center (MCC) where Ms. Ruff served as Deputy Director. Both centers operated as the primary marketing support service for Maryland’s economic development professionals in both the public and private sectors.
As Executive Director of The Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) Ms. Ruff has been responsible for the business operation of a statewide association providing programming, professional development and networking opportunities to nearly 500 public and private sector members throughout Maryland. She has built a portfolio of work that includes programs and partnerships bringing together regional, state, local, and private sector interests at all levels of economic development. Developing programs on topics as diverse as manufacturing, technology, community development, workforce development, environmental issues, and business development shows her proven understanding of the general and broad-based effort known as economic development. At MEDA, Ms. Ruff also oversees the delivery of economic development professional development courses that instruct knowledge and skills to the organization’s community of members.
Ms. Ruff is a Past President of Habitat for Humanity Susquehanna and a former director of the Havre de Grace Economic Development Advisory Board. She was a member of the Maryland Board, an advisory board to Maryland Life magazine. She Chairs the Membership Committee and serves on the Program Committee at Leadership Maryland.
Ms. Ruff earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Mass Communications from Towson State University and her Master of Liberal Arts from Johns Hopkins University. She is a 1998 graduate of Leadership Maryland and a 2006 graduate of the Harford Leadership Academy.
Ms. Ruff is a resident of Baltimore City.
Keasha Haythe has been an Economic Development Professional for more than two decades and served as Economic Development Director from 2008-2016. In her role as Director, she developed a track record of initiating sound policies and innovative strategies to foster economic growth. Partnering with private and public stakeholders, she championed education, entrepreneurship and expansion of existing businesses as key economic drivers. She unveiled a countywide brand marketing campaign entitled “water moves us.” Ms. Haythe spearheaded the
development of a Technology Park and developed the Eastern Shore Innovation Center, the first business incubator on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She secured more than $100M in funding for economic development projects, business expansions and start-ups.
Ms. Haythe joined the business development team for Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation in 2017. She recently developed the Inclusive Ventures Program for small minority and women owned businesses in Anne Arundel County. Additionally, she is the founder of the Foundation of HOPE, Inc., a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization established to help women and young girls. The first program launched under the foundation was the Economic Development and Empowerment Program for sixth-grade adolescent girls attending Easton Middle School. The program covers topics including: addressing low self-esteem, bullying, social media,
workforce development, economic and community development, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. The program teaches them to be community leaders and viable contributors to the future workforce.
Ms. Haythe holds an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration from Chesapeake College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Arizona State University, she is also a Certified Economic Developer, a national recognition of professional skill mastery that denotes the highest levels of professional attainment and a commitment to continued growth. She is a member of many professional organizations and serves on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) Foundation. In 2016, she was appointed
by Governor Hogan to serve a four year term on the Maryland Marketing Partnership Board under the Maryland Department of Commerce, she also serves as Past President of the MEDA Board of Directors.
Ms. Haythe is an ordained minister and is a member of Spirit of Faith Christian Center in Brandywine, MD. She is married to Marcus L. Haythe Sr., and they have three children: Marcus Jr., Miniah and Isaiah.
Chick Hamm is a life-long community banker with strong ties to Harford and Cecil Counties. He was CEO and President of Mercantile County Bank until the time of its acquisition by PNC Bank in 2006. Today, Mr. Hamm is an Executive Vice President for PNC Bank with leadership responsibilities for commercial and institutional banking activity in rural markets including the Eastern Shore, Southern Delaware and Southern Maryland.
With 38 years of experience in the field, Mr. Hamm has held bank leadership positions with final levels of responsibility for financial performance, strategic plan development, operating and capital budgets, regulatory compliance, asset quality assurance and special project management.
Mr. Hamm completed undergraduate and graduate studies at Loyola College of Maryland, receiving a Masters Degree in Business Administration in 1983. As an active community volunteer he has served on numerous boards supporting the economic, health care and educational needs of the community. Currently, he is a board member for Habitat for Humanity Susquehanna, the Susquehanna Workforce Network, Cecil County Library Foundation, Union Hospital, Cecil College, and the Bainbridge Development Corporation. Mr. Hamm has also been elected to the board of the Maryland Bankers Association.
A native of Harford County, Mr. Hamm, age 55, and his wife, Anne, reside in the Elk Neck Area of Cecil County.
President, Chesapeake College
Barbara Viniar assumed the presidency of Chesapeake College on July 1, 2008. Since then she has become active in the community, serving on the Dorchester County Public Schools Citizens Advisory Committee, the Queen Anne’s, Talbot and Dorchester County Economic Development Commissions, the State-Wide P-Tech Work Group, and the board of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. She also serves as Chair of the Maryland Council of Community College Presidents, Vice President of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges, Chair-Elect of the American Association of Community Colleges Presidents Academy and past Chair of the Board of the 34 college Maryland-DC Campus Compact, which promotes service learning. She is a member of the Tidewater Rotary Club of Easton.
Under her leadership, in 2015 Chesapeake completed the largest capital project in the college’s history, the $37 million Health Professions and Athletics Center. The college has also achieved prominence in sustainability, installing a wind turbine in 2012 and a solar field in 2016.
Prior to Chesapeake Viniar served as the Executive Director of the Institute for Community College Development at Cornell for five years. The Institute achieved national recognition for its unique online community college leadership assessment instrument. Prior to joining Cornell Viniar was president of Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield, Massachusetts for 9 years. She is the founder of the Berkshire Leadership Program.
Viniar was a Kellogg National Fellow from 1986-1989. She earned her doctorate in 1984 from the Institute for Leadership Studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University and her MA and BA from Lehman College, City University of New York.
Dr. Memo Diriker is the Founder and Director of the Business, Economic, and Community Outreach Network (BEACON) of the Franklin P. Perdue School of Business at Salisbury University. He is currently serving as the President of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Vice-Chair of Leadership Maryland. He is also a member of the boards of United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore, Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Peninsula Regional Health System, and Shore Hatchery.
Dr. Diriker specializes in the use of “Scenario Analysis,” and in “Demographic, Business, and Economic Trend Forecasting.” His current research focuses on the “Three Es: Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Evidence.” He is especially interested in exploring the successful deployment of the “Three Es” concept in Government Agencies, Nonprofit Organizations, and Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises.
Since 1989, Dr. Diriker has served as the principal investigator of over 400 grants and sponsored research projects, totaling over $10 Million in awards. In addition to a book he co-authored with Denny E. McCorkle titled Self Marketing Advantage, Dr. Diriker has authored or co-authored many articles in academic and practitioner publications, and is a popular speaker at many regional, national, and international events.
Dr. Diriker is a Past President of the Salisbury Sunrise Rotary Club and the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce. He has also served as the President of the American Marketing Association (AMA) in Boston, Massachusetts. During his AMA Presidency, he was also a senior advisor to the Board of Directors of the Sales and Marketing Executives of Greater Boston, Inc. Internationally, Dr. Diriker has served in many capacities on the board of the Network of International Business Schools for over 20 years, including as the organization’s Vice-President and has been awarded the Board Member Emeritus for Life designation in 2014.
Dr. Diriker was the weekly guest of the Wednesday Morning Business Beat segments on WBOC-TV (Salisbury, MD) for over ten years and wrote a Small Business column in the Daily Timesof Salisbury for over fifteen years. He is a regular contributor to the print and electronic media on Demographic, Business, and Economic Trends.
Dr. Diriker is the recipient of many honors and awards including an Influential Marylander award, an Alumni Appreciation award, a Distinguished Faculty Member award, a Diversity Award, a Visionary Award, an Outstanding Public Health Leader award, a Heart of United Way award, a Platinum Club – Over $1 Million in External Funding award, two Distinguished Service awards, and a University System of Maryland Board of Regents Award for Outstanding Public Service.
Secretary Mike Gill is a business leader with four decades of experience as an entrepreneur, a veteran of large technology firms, and a public servant. He was tapped by Governor Larry Hogan to lead the Maryland Department of Commerce in January 2015. Prior to his appointment, Gill led Evergreen Advisors, an investment bank, as chairman and principal starting in 2008. Previously, Gill founded Hoyt Capital, an investment and advisory firm serving startups and growth companies. Gill also founded First Page, which was acquired by Metrical; served as chairman of Curtis Engine, a Baltimore power generator company; and was chairman of Bluefire Security Technologies, a mobile cybersecurity developer, from 2006 to 2008. In 1981, Gill founded AMERICOM, a Baltimore-based provider of cellular products and services to businesses in the area. Under Gill’s leadership, AMERICOM expanded nationwide with more than 1,200 employees and annual revenue topping $70 million in 2000, when it was acquired by Solectron. Gill remained with the electronics manufacturer as a business development executive until 2003. Earlier in his career, he spent time in sales and marketing at IBM, as Director of Data Systems in the mid-Atlantic region for Ernst & Young, and with American Teleservices, the majority shareholder of Cellular One. Gill served on the University System of Maryland Board of Regents from 2004 to 2009, heading the audit committee and technology transfer and commercialization workgroup. His past and present boar memberships also include the Calvert Hall Board of Trustees, Baltimore County Economic Development Commission, St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Bay National Bank, and Towson University of Board of Visitors. He is also a member of the President’s Advisory Board at Clemson University. Gill earned his B.S. in business administration from Towson University in 1974 after first attending Clemson University on a baseball scholarship. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree by Towson University in 1996.
Dr. Clay Railey, previously a faculty member at Chesapeake College, returned to campus in 2016 as the new vice president for workforce and academic affairs. Dr. Railey left Chesapeake in 2006 to join the faculty of Delaware County Community College, where he was the dean of communications, arts and humanities. He was later named provost of Bucks County Community College in 2014. Dr. Railey, an Oxford resident, graduated from Dickinson College with a bachelor’s degree in English. He earned a master’s degree at St. Louis University and a Master’s of Divinity at the Jesuit School of Theology. He holds a doctorate in English from Vanderbilt University.
Josh has been involved in education for 15 years. Before pursuing a degree in science education, Josh owned and operated a photography business specializing in weddings and corporate events. He taught Integrated Earth Science at Polytech High School in Delaware for almost 10 years before earning his Masters degree in Career and Technical Education. He has worked in Caroline County Public Schools for the past 3 years as the district’s CTE Teacher Specialist and now, Business Liaison. With his experience in both education and entrepreneurship, Josh attempts to foster community and business partnerships with CTE Programs of Caroline County for refined curricular development leading to greater opportunities for both students and local employers.
Gross Mechanical Laboratories, Inc. (GROCO) was founded in the basement of a Baltimore row house in (approximately) 1918, a time when the entrepreneurial spirit flourished in America with the industrial boom that surrounded the steel industry and a quickly growing automotive industry. Founder Angus Roy Gross, Sr. was blessed with creative talent that yielded a long list of patents, the most noteworthy of which were a Carbonating Faucet, a Blow Torch, Automobile Tail Light, Automotive Dashboard Switch, Ice Shaver (became the snowball machine), and Combination Lever (became the outboard motor steering/throttle handle).
The World War II years had Angus and son Angus, Jr. designing and producing tank engine oil coolers and filters strainers for beach landing craft so often seen in documentaries of D-Day and other historic events. These products also earned US patents, and though they were among the first products manufactured by GROCO, they are still in production today.
In 1972, following years of learning the business “from the ground up”, Don Gross stepped into the role of leading the proud family tradition into its 3rd generation. During his time at the helm (still ongoing), GROCO has grown from 15 employee to more than 50, and is considered a worldwide marine industry leader in design, innovation and product quality. Like grandfather and father, Don has been awarded multiple patents, with several more pending.
Mark is a 1983 Graduate of University of Maryland with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Mark began his career at Thiokol Corporation, Elkton MD in 1983 as a design engineer. Thiokol Corporation designs, builds and tests Solid Propellant Rocket motors.
He has held many positions through the years, from Design Engineer to Director Level. Thiokol Corporation was bought and sold many times over the years and is currently Orbital ATK. He spent 5 years working in West Virginia facility as the Director of Engineering
He is currently the Director of Operations at the Elkton Facility.
His experience spans all aspects from design, fabrication & test of our product line.
Pam Hutchinson is the Vice President of Human Resources for Choptank Transport in Preston. She received her bachelor’s degree in Marketing from West Virginia Wesleyan College, then went to work in Human Resources and later as an area sales manager for May Company, a large department store chain that included Hecht Company, Lord & Taylor, Kaufmann’s, Strawbridge’s, Famous-Barr, Filenes and others. After 10-year career with May Company, Hutchinson relocated to the Eastern Shore where she returned to Human Resources first in manufacturing, before joining Choptank Transport in 2008. Choptank has grown since then from a local business employing 35 people to a much larger corporation with for national office that now employees 275 people, the majority of which work in Preston, MD. Recruitment and employee development are essential to this growth.
Hutchinson is a member of Shore Leadership, class of 2011. She is a member of both the Eastern Shore and Upper Shore Society of Human Resource Management as well as the National Society of Human Resource Management.
Daniel P. McDermott is the Executive Director of the Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board serving Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. He has 29 years of experience in the employment and training industry. The Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board has a national profile as a result of the successful implementation of a Mobile One Stop, Maryland’s representative Workforce Investment Board to the United States Department of Labor Career Pathways Institute and the successful transition of workers impacted by large plant closings and layoffs. This is his 22nd year as Executive Director, overseeing an annual budget of $ 1.7 million and a staff of 9.
Mr. McDermott holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Quantitative Economics from West Virginia University and a Master of Arts Degree in Monetary Economics from West Virginia University.
Angela Visintainer has served as the Director of Caroline Economic Development Corp. (CEDC) since August 2013. Prior to joining CEDC, Angela worked in leadership roles with two Eastern Shore-based manufacturing companies. Her professional experience includes product development, new market entry, branding strategies, and international business expansion. She has served customers in a wide variety of industry sectors including renewable energy, aviation, healthcare, food processing, and industrial manufacturing, among others. In 2012, Angela received the Industry Leadership Award from the Maryland Clean Energy Center.
Angela has a B.S. in Marketing and International Business from the University of Maryland, as well as an MBA with concentrations in Marketing and Competitive Strategy from the University of Florida. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board, the Caroline Chamber of Commerce, the Fiber Arts Center of the Eastern Shore, and the Caroline County Women’s Club. She is also a member of Denton Rotary and serves on the Caroline County Public Library’s Imagination Library committee.
Angela enjoys tennis, travel, interior design, and listening to audio books. She is an avid fan of Florida Gators football and makes the best guacamole and margaritas on the Eastern Shore.
Cheivelle Hill is the Senior Loan Underwriter for the Business Lending Programs at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. Business Lending Programs currently includes the Neighborhood BusinessWorks (NBW) and the Microenterprise Loan Program. These loan programs serve to stimulate the growth and expansion of small businesses and nonprofits throughout the State of Maryland.
Cheivelle Hill has over 15 years of experience in the banking and lending industry. He began this career with Chevy Chase Bank in Retail Sales and Service then moved to Consumer Lending in the Home Equity Department. He has been with DHCD Business Lending Programs since 2009. Cheivelle Hill is a native of Montgomery County and has a degree from Montgomery College.
Heather Gramm joined the Maryland Department of Commerce in 2013 as Director of Regional Growth and Retention. In this role, she is responsible for the management, oversight and development of the Office of Business Development’s 12 regional business development representatives. Heather and her team work to enhance the economic vitality of the state through retention and expansion of business and industry across Maryland to facilitate the creation and retention of jobs and stimulate capital investment across the state.
Prior to joining Commerce, Heather spent 11 years in municipal economic development in a variety of roles, including work in neighborhood 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 on the board of directors for MEDA, the Frederick Innovative Technology Center and Rockville Economic Development.
Director of Digital Marketing, Maryland Department of Commerce
Carolyn Hammock currently leads digital marketing initiatives for the Maryland Department of Commerce and plays an integral role is shaping the online experience for businesses interacting with the state. She oversees a team responsible for Commerce websites, email, social networks and advertising.
Prior to state service, Carolyn spent 11 years in the private sector at two of the top advertising agencies in Baltimore. She has experience working on strategic marketing plans for a variety of national and local brands.
Carolyn earned her bachelors degree from Towson University and is active in the local technology, advertising and marketing associations. Born and raised in Maryland, she now lives in Baltimore City with her husband and three children.
Chris Rockey began his career with PNC bank in 1999. Today, he serves as the Greater Maryland Market Manager, Community Development Banking for PNC Bank. Community Development Banking is committed to changing lives and transforming communities through economic development, affordable housing, community services and revitalization. He is responsible for leading a team that provides lending, investing, tax credits, technical assistance and financial literacy outreach for low to moderate income individuals and/or projects serving this demographic. In addition, Chris has educated thousands of people as well as facilitated train the trainer workshops through PNC Bank’s financial literacy curriculum.
Chris is committed to giving back to the community and has served(s) on the Board of Directors for the Volunteers of America Chesapeake (Treasurer), Associated Black Charities, Center For Urban Families, Neighborhood Housing Services, Tri-County Housing Development Corporation (Past President), Tri County Community Action Commission (Past President), PA Downtown Center (Past Chairman of the Board), PA Community Development Bank (2008-2012 Gubernatorial appointment) , Community First Fund (Past Board & Senior Loan Committee 2008-2012), PA State Volunteers of America (Past), United Way of Pennsylvania (Past), Eureka Masonic Lodge (32nd Degree Master Mason), Lodge Council, Chapter, Consistory, Valley of Harrisburg and the Zembo Shriners of Harrisburg.
He is a twice decorated US Navy Veteran Chris has been married for 27 years to his wife Christine. Chris and Christine have 3 children and twin grandchildren. Christian and Collin (US Navy) both grown, and a daughter Cassidy (5th grade).
Jean Fabi is the Acting Director of the Queen Anne’s County Department of Economic Development. She has worked for Queen Anne’s County for eleven years, nine of which in economic development and beginning in the Department of Planning and Zoning as a land use planner.
Before working for Queen Anne’s County, Jean worked for 18 years in Kent County, Delaware in the Department of Planning and Zoning. Her work experience includes building construction and inspection, land use planning and development, and farming. Jean, her husband, John, and her daughters, Amanda and Megan, own and operate Burnite Mill Farm in Felton, Delaware, and are very involved in the agricultural community.
Jean holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from Wilmington University and an Associate in Arts Degree in Paralegal Studies from Wesley College, both in Dover, DE.
Kenneth C. Holt was appointed secretary of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development by Governor Larry Hogan in 2015 after serving on the new administration’s transition team. As secretary, he manages the state’s housing finance, mortgage insurance, community development and building code programs.
Secretary Holt is a former member of the Maryland General Assembly where he served on the House Appropriations Committee and the subcommittee on education and economic development. During his 25-year career with Morgan Stanley in Baltimore, Secretary Holt served as senior vice president, branch manager and portfolio manager. He was previously chairman and chief financial officer of Traitify, a software development firm that was recognized by Maryland’s Technology Development Corp. as the “most innovative” start-up company of 2013.
Secretary Holt gained on-the-ground experience with neighborhood revitalization, development and housing issues as a past member of the Baltimore County Master Plan Advisory Committee and a past president of his neighborhood civic association. His experience on the Baltimore County Human Relations Commission gives him a strong foundation in issues of fairness and housing equity.
Secretary Holt earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland College Park. He and his wife Mary operate a family farm in the Kingsville community in Baltimore County. The couple has two children.
Mike Thielke has been a lifelong entrepreneur, starting his first business at the age of 23 in 1977. Born and raised in the Chicago area, he graduated with a B.A. in Russian Area Studies and International Economics from Knox College in central Illinois in 1975. For over twenty years, Mike had a successful career in the international transportation and logistics industry, holding a series of positions ranging from owner of a number of distribution and defense contracting businesses to senior management within Fortune 500 firms. Selling his last business in 1995, Mike retreated to his home on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and transitioned his entrepreneurial skills into the non-profit sector. His entry into nonprofit activity, and most rewarding life experience, began with the Schooner Sultana project in Chestertown, MD as the founding executive director responsible for creating the organization and capital campaign responsible for the factually-documented reproduction of the 1768 schooner now known as the Schoolship of the Chesapeake which provides experiential education on the Chesapeake Bay to school groups in colonial history and environmental science. Since leaving the Sultana Project in 2001, Mike has either initiated or held leadership positions in a number of other nonprofit organizations throughout the Eastern Shore, joining the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center in 2010.
Executive Director Elkton Alliance, Inc.
Town of Elkton Commissioner
Mary Jo relocated to Elkton Maryland from the Philadelphia area in 1982 with her husband.
In 1998 she began volunteering her time to the Town of Elkton, serving on event committees focused on showcasing all the town has to offer. In 2000 Mary Jo went to work with the Elkton Chamber and Alliance, Inc. With her active efforts in the community in 2004 she became the Executive Director.
Mary Jo is very passionate about the revitalization and smart growth for the community. Her many efforts include managing the Maryland Main Street Program, the Arts & Entertainment District, the Visitors Center, and Downtown revitalization. She also assists in business retention, and collaborates with property owners on available State programs, and local initiatives.
She also serves as an Elkton Town Commissioner.
Angela is a portfolio manager at Maryland’s Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) and has also served the organization as a business mentor to technology startups in rural areas of Maryland spanning from St. Mary’s to Harford counties. Prior to joining TEDCO, Angela invented and patented a footwear technology and served as founder, co-founder, president and board member of a company she formed to commercialize her invention. She discovered her passion for bringing new innovations to life in the brand management function on the MaxFactor and CoverGirl brands at consumer products giant Procter & Gamble after completing an MBA program at Yale. Her pathway from environmental scientist to technical analyst in the structuring of derivative instruments on Wall Street to business manager, entrepreneur and mentor give Angela a full set of experiences to draw from in evaluating TEDCO opportunities.
Richard (Rich) Loeffler is a BSME graduate of Newark College of Engineering (now known as New Jersey Institute of Technology), who for the last 16 years has worked for the Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) on the Eastern Shore of MD as a Business Consultant.
Prior to working for the “SBDC”, Rich was part owner of a small manufacturing company located in a very rural section of the Eastern Shore, Dorchester County, MD. This business grew to be number one in its field and recognized as a leader in the industry not only in the USA but also throughout the world. Rich retired in 1998 after selling his interest in the business to his partners. The business continues to thrive today.
Rich has taken his experience in operating a small business and applied that knowledge to assisting others currently in business or those striving to start their own business. As a firm believer in “understanding the numbers”, Rich emphasizes to business owners, that particularly in today’s economy, the savvy business owner must be knowledgeable not only in the product and people side of the business but also in the financial side of the business. Rich uses his personal experiences to help business owners grow their businesses.
One of the two founding brothers, Jon currently oversees production operations at the distillery while continuing to support sales and marketing. He worked for his first start-up straight out of college after being self employed as a teen and into his early 20’s. After years in that environment, he spent time with larger companies in the private sector and a brief stint with the federal government. The one constant in his professional life has been small business, either as a day job or with Blackwater. Blackwater was the first distillery in the state of MD, entering spirits production on 1 April 2011. In that time Jon has overseen production operations from concept through to support of eight product lines, with several more currently in development. More recently, Jon has added sales and marketing to his Blackwater experience, overseeing and now assisting both marketing and sales staff in execution against specific plans. Early results of these efforts have shown significant growth of wholesaler volume in calendar 2016.
Charles F. G. Day Jr., Manager, Infrastructure Finance Program, has been with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development since October 2003. Before joining the Department, Mr. Day was employed at Ferris, Baker Watts, Inc. for nearly ten years, working on their municipal fixed income trading desk. Mr. Day holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree (1991) from James Madison University and a Master of Business Administration degree (2007) from the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business.
Scott Boone has been serving as Director of the Kent County Information Technology Department since November 2008. Prior to joining Kent County Mr Boone was employed by a technology firm in Baltimore, MD for over seven years. Mr. Boone previously held a seat on the Board of Directors of the Maryland Broadband Cooperative. He recently chaired the Kent County Broadband Task Force.
Scott Flanigan has been the Director of Public Works for Cecil County, Maryland since October 2005. Prior to that, he had over 21 years of active duty military service in the United States Army in a variety of assignments in the United States and overseas.
As the Director, he is responsible for overseeing the work of five divisions in the Department of Public Works including Roads, Wastewater, Solid Waste Management, Development Services, and Engineering & Construction.
He possesses bachelors and master’s degrees in Civil Engineering from Clarkson University and the University of Texas at Austin, respectively. He is a registered professional engineer in Maryland and Virginia.
He is currently serving as the President of the County Engineers Association of Maryland and is on the Board of Directors of the Chesapeake Post of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). He is a past president of the Baltimore Post of SAME.
Jack Lewnard is Vice President, Business Development in Chesapeake Utilities Corporation’s Strategic Development Group.
The Corporate Strategic Development Group is responsible for strategic planning and business development. We support organic growth in our affiliated businesses, and also seek out opportunities in unregulated businesses including cogeneration, midstream assets, and alternative fuels such as CNG and propane Autogas.
Jack has 30 years of experience in diverse R&D, engineering, and business development roles. He has worked on projects involving cogeneration, refining, petrochemicals, and renewable and alternative energy. Previously he worked at Air Products, Millipore, GreenFuels Technology, and the Gas Technology Institute. Jack is a chemical engineer with a BS from the University of Cincinnati and a doctorate from Berkeley.
teve Pennington comes to the Department with extensive experience as a sales leader in the telecommunications industry. His experience ranges from start-ups to large national enterprises where he has led diverse sales teams targeting regional businesses and national accounts as well as teams focused on healthcare and public sector accounts.
Throughout his more than 30-year career, Mr. Pennington led the sales and marketing efforts at a number of companies, including Americom Inc., USA Mobility Inc., Bay Broadband and Sprint. Most recently, Mr. Pennington led the national business development efforts for Seattle-based start-up ATG Risk Solutions. He has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park.
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