2019 MEDA Summer Conference

Shelly M. Gross-Wade is the first African-American and woman
President & CEO of the Prince George’s Financial Services Corporation
(FSC First), in its 40 year history, and serves as an economic
development finance policy advisor to the Prince George’s County
administration led by County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and her
three predecessors.
Under her leadership, FSC First serves as a statewide Certified
Development Company (CDC) to market, analyze, close and service SBA 504 fixed asset loans. It
operates a $4.6 Million local revolving loan fund through a successful public-private partnership with
Prince George’s County, FDIC-insured financial institutions and the SBA Community Advantage 7(a)
Guaranty Program. FSC First has frequently ranked in the Top 20 among more than 70 SBA
commercial lenders in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area.
As a mission driven non-profit, Shelly qualified the organization for the U. S. Treasury
Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) designation. FSC First serves as a risk-tolerant
direct lender that provides innovative and creative financing to small, minority and emerging growth
businesses. As a CDFI, FSC First was awarded $10 Million in New Market Tax Credits to support
eligible investors, qualified low-income community businesses and mixed use developments. Under
her leadership, FSC First has successfully utilized Community Impact Tax Credits to attract and
leverage private investments to the organization.
Shelly has extensive experience managing teams of professional and administrative staff,
volunteers and strategic partners. During her more than two decades of managing FSC First, it has
grown from one to ten full time employees and its operating budget has grown from $130,000 to $1.4
Million. She effectively restructured the organization to serve as a Lender Service Provider, thus
outsourcing their best practices and professional expertise to collaborate with compatible loan
program managers. As such, FSC First is contracted to manage the County’s $50 Million Economic
Development Incentive (EDI) Fund loan portfolio, as well as the $10 Million HUD-108 loan portfolio.
FSC First was recently designated the Prince George’s County Green Bank to operate a $6 Million
Guarantee Program for clean energy companies, and administrator for the Commercial Property
Assessment for Clean Energy (C-PACE) Program. FSC First manages the City of Bowie Revolving Loan
Fund while operating as an intermediary (Fund Manager) to the Maryland Video Lottery Terminal
Fund for Small, Minority, Women and Veteran-owned Businesses including the Maryland Micro-
Enterprise Loan Program.
Shelly attended Anne Arundel County public schools, graduated from Anne Arundel
Community College, the University of Maryland University College (UMUC), Leadership Anne Arundel,
Leadership Maryland, and is a nationally certified Economic Development Finance Professional. She
is a sought after public speaker, radio and TV guest, and program moderator. She is an expert on economic development finance policy, public private partnerships and best practices for providing creative access to capital.
Shelly enthusiastically shares her benevolent spirt and passion for service to others by volunteering in leadership roles on numerous Boards and Committees. She founded and co-chairs the Business Resource Coalition of Prince George’s County and serves on the Prince George’s County Advisory Board for the Hospice of the Chesapeake, the Maryland Women’s Business Center Advisory Board, the Mount Olive Community Development Corporation Board of Directors, and was appointed by the Bishop to serve on the Second Episcopal District African Methodist Episcopal Church Economic Readiness Team. She previously served as Treasurer of the Maryland Black Caucus Foundation; served on the Program Committee of the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) and as a lecturer for the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) Basic Economic Development Finance Course. Shelly has mentored first generation college-bound young women, provided financial literacy training for The Links of Prince George’s County and business coaching to women of diverse backgrounds and ages.
In addition to her spiritual and volunteer life, Shelly strives to live a balanced work and family life. She resides on Kent Island, with her husband Lou, and enjoys driving in the rain, reading, attending Orioles Baseball and Ravens Football games, jazz concerts; seafood, wine and arts festivals and power boating on the Chesapeake Bay. She reveres quality time spent with family and friends.
Shelly’s favorite quote: “The most important mile in our business walk is the extra mile, the one called service.” ~~ Mary Kay Ash

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, Arundel Child Care Connections, and the Maryland Commercial Lenders Lending Association. He is currently the Treasurer of the Maryland Economic Development Association.

Mathew Heckles has more than fifteen years of experience working to advance the cause of affordable housing. Currently Mr. Heckles is the Assistant Secretary of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and the Director of the Community Development Administration. In this capacity he oversees the operations, administration and financing of single family mortgage, multifamily development, contract administration, rental assistance, energy and weatherization, housing rehabilitation, small business lending, and local government infrastructure programs. Prior to his service in Maryland, he worked in various positions at the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) for over twelve years.

Neil Davis serves as TEDCO’s Director of Entrepreneurial Development. In this role, he manages major elements of TEDCO’s Gateway Services Initiative – the mdPACE Program, the Gateway Services Program (Loaned Executives, Gateway Executives, Gateway Advisors, Executive Coaches, and Executive Roundtables), and the Rural Business Innovation Initiative.  Neil is also the Organization’s liaison with the State’s technology incubators, is part of the TEDCO’s seed investment team, and is actively involved in creating new strategies designed to assist entrepreneurs, including the development of educational programming for TEDCO’s portfolio companies. He brings more than 30 years of experience in engineering, business development, business consulting, and P&L management.
Prior to joining TEDCO, Neil was the Vice President of Operations at the Emerging Technology Centers (ETC), where his leadership and expertise were directed toward the formation of technology-based businesses in Baltimore City. During his tenure, more than 325 early-stage IT and life sciences companies were affiliated with ETC. As one of ETC’s senior leaders, he was instrumental in augmenting ETC’s traditional business incubation model with both coworking and acceleration business models. Prior to his time at ETC, he held executive positions at Environmental Elements Corporation and Browning-Ferris Industries, Inc. where he was active in both domestic and international settings with a wide variety of operational, business development, and financial responsibilities.

Frank is leading DHCD’s efforts in promoting and supporting investment into Opportunity Zones throughout Maryland. Frank will work with investors, businesses, and local leaders to capitalize on the Opportunity Zone tax incentives. Previously, Frank led the Maryland Venture Fund for several years and led the $100M raise for InvestMaryland in 2012.

Amy Wallace Yingling has over ten years of experience in strategic marketing, competitive intelligence, and consumer market research and has used her skills to aid Fortune 500 companies in sales development, change management, and executive decision making. Over the past seven years, Amy has directed small business consulting and training efforts in Carroll, Cecil, Baltimore, and Harford Counties as the regional director for the Small Business Development Center at Harford Community College. Amy holds two degrees from the University of Baltimore, a B.S. in Business Administration with a focus in marketing and an M.B.A with a concentration in leadership.

In his current role as Program Manager with the Maryland Department of Commerce, Tim is responsible for oversight of the Advantage Maryland Fund (formerly known as MEDAAF), the Economic Development Opportunities Fund (Sunny Day), the Partnership For Workforce Quality Fund (PWQ), and is Executive Director of the Maryland Industrial Development Financing Authority (MIDFA). He and his team of finance specialists oversee the discussion, negotiation, and delivery of the Department’s finance programs to businesses and jurisdictions across the State of Maryland. He has over 36 years of combined professional experience in finance, banking and economic development. Prior to joining the Department in 1999, he worked for 8 years in commercial and real estate lending, asset based lending, leasing, and special asset recovery with Maryland National Bank/Affiliates and NationsBank. He also worked for 8 years as a consultant/asset manager with the Maryland Deposit Insurance Fund Corporation and the Resolution Trust Corporation evaluating, restructuring, and liquidating the assets of savings and loan institutions during the Maryland and National savings and loan crisis.

Kelly Robertson-Slagle, Director of Economic Development, holds a B.S. degree in marketing from the University of Maryland. Ms. Robertson-Slagle has over 26 years of experience in government relations, business development, financial analysis, marketing, grant writing, program management, event planning and direct technical business assistance. In addition, Ms. Robertson-Slagle has extensive experience in working with new and expanding businesses and cultivating relationships between counties and the business community, economic development agencies, and state and regional agencies.

She previously served as Calvert County’s business retention specialist. Prior to joining the department, Ms. Robertson-Slagle served as director of the Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) where she provided leadership in planning, coordinating and overseeing the development, delivery and reporting of all professional programs, activities and services for the Southern Maryland region. She also served as business development manager for the Calvert County Department of Economic Development, director of government/member relations with the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland and business development specialist with the Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development where she worked directly with local jurisdictions on business retention and expansion projects. She is a 2018 graduate of Leadership Maryland and a 2010 graduate of Leadership Southern Maryland. She is a current member of the Program committee for the Maryland Economic Development Association. In addition, she is an active member of the International Economic Development Council and Northeastern Economic Developers Association. Her past board experience includes; the Patuxent Partnership, Southern Maryland Workforce Investment Board and Leadership Southern Maryland.

Darla Garrett is a Program Manager with the Maryland Department of Commerce and oversees the Office of Finance Programs Accounting and Administration Unit. Additionally, she administers Maryland’s Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Businesses Account-Video Lottery Terminal Fund (SMWOBA), Partnership for Workforce Quality Training Program (PWQ), and the Maryland Nonprofit Interest-Free Micro Bridge Loan Program (NIMBL). Darla has over 20 years of combined professional experience in finance, banking and economic development. Prior to joining Commerce in 2001, Darla worked with First National Bank of Maryland in the Small Business Lending Center. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Public Policy, a Master’s degree in Public Administration, and is Maryland’s first to obtain CDFA’s Development Finance Certified Professional designation.

With over 20 years of economic development experience, Laurie Boyer Babb, CEcD currently serves as the Director of Economic Development at Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation. She is responsible for the management and oversight of the County’s economic development financial incentive programs and the administration of contracts with third party vendors providing economic development services on behalf of the County. Over the past year, she developed the policies and procedures and implemented over $40 million in emergency grant programs established to assist businesses locally during the global health pandemic. She and her team provide support and guidance to companies interested in doing business in Montgomery County. Babb serves as a strategic and technical advisor to other senior managers, the County Executive and the County Council in evaluating new programs, policies and incentives for supporting new and existing businesses. She partners strategically with the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) and the Maryland Department of Commerce on business attraction and retention efforts.

Previously, Laurie served as the Executive Director of Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI), and as Executive Director for the Frederick County Office of Economic Development.

In May 2006, she earned her professional Economic Development Certification (CEcD) from the International Economic Development Council.

Ms. Babb is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery Class of 2014 and Leadership Frederick County Class of 1997, serves as Secretary of the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) Foundation Board, and is on the MEDA Council of Past Presidents.

Ms. Babb has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Spanish from Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA and a Master’s degree in Communication Studies from West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV.

Linda Reilly has been the Chief of the 504 Program Branch at SBA since June 2012 and with SBA since 2010. Linda has more than 35 years experience in economic development finance at the federal, state and local levels and has worked with loan programs, grant programs, infrastructure projects, economic impact studies, small business incubators, bond issues, historic revitalization projects, and environmental reviews. She has worked Certified Development Companies, lenders and economic development offices and lenders across the U.S. She represents SBA at interagency meetings with other Federal agencies and national trade associations.

John Genakos, Director of Development, Maryland Economic Development Corp (MEDCO)

Stephen McHenry has served as MARBIDCO’s Executive Director since December 2006. The majority of his career has been devoted in one way or another to serving the rural citizens of Maryland. He previously served as Executive Director of the Rural Maryland Council and Director of Government Affairs for the Maryland Municipal League.

As MARBIDCO’s Executive Director, Steve has overall management responsibility for the staff, budget, and day-to-day operations. Steve supports MARBIDCO’s Board of Directors, providing strategic visioning and implementation of policy while reporting on the performance of the organization. He develops and maintains relationships with key stakeholders, such as federal and State agencies, commercial banking institutions, farm and rural industry groups, agricultural land preservation organizations, and regional and local economic development agencies.

Steve also develops relationships with other providers of capital and credit, advises rural business owners on financing options, and ensures that MARBIDCO’s financing programs are meeting established credit underwriting and programmatic objectives.

Steve is a founding member and past chair of the Microenterprise Council of Maryland and Partners of Rural America. He serves on the boards of LEAD Maryland Foundation, the Maryland Forests Association, and the Keystone (Cooperative) Development Center. He also served for six years on the administrative council of the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NESARE). Steve has also served in the past as chair of the Maryland Working Waterfront Commission and as a member of the Governor’s Intergovernmental Commission for Agriculture. Earlier in his career, Steve served on the Maryland Rural Broadband Coordination Board and as chair for both the Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fun Board (RMC). He also served on the advisory boards of the Maryland Rural Enterprise Development Center (UME), Institute for Governmental Services (UMCP), and the Northeast Regional Centerfor Rural Development.

Steve earned a bachelor of arts degree in social science (political science) from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and a master of general administration degree from the University of Maryland’s Graduate School of management and Technology. He is a member of several trade and professional organizations, including the Maryland Farm Bureau and the Maryland Economic Development Association. Steve was a member of the 2000 Class of LEAD Maryland and the 2002 Class of Leadership Maryland. A lifelong Maryland resident, Steve and his wife reside in Anne Arundel County. They have three daughters.

Michael O’Connor was born in Frederick. He graduated from Saint John’s at Prospect Hall High School (now Saint John’s Catholic Prep) in 1984, and Saint Bonaventure University, with a double major in history and mass communication, in 1988. Michael spent nearly 20 years in local media as a reporter, news director, talk show host, senior producer, and moderator with WJEJ, Hagerstown (1988-89), WFMD-WFRE, Frederick (1989-1997), and Comcast (Adelphia, GS Communications) Cable Channel 10, Frederick (1997-2006).

Prior to becoming Mayor in 2017, Michael served as the business manager at Saint Katharine Drexel Roman Catholic Congregation in Frederick. He also spent nine years as adjunct faculty at Frederick Community College (2000-2009).

Michael was first elected to the Board of Alderman, in 2009, and re-elected in 2013. He has been the chair of the Streets and Sanitation Committee, and the aldermanic liaison to the Airport Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Celebrate Frederick, and Delaplaine Visual Arts Center Boards. He also represented the Alderman on the Blight and Vacant Property Task Force.

Michael is a member of the Community Action Agency and Tourism Council Boards, the Maryland Municipal League Board of Directors and Legislative Committee, and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Board of Directors.

In the community, he has been a volunteer with various organizations including Saint Katharine Drexel, the Frederick County Workforce Development Board, Friends of Catholic Education, Saint John’s Catholic Prep, Frederick Jaycees, Knights of Columbus, and Aspire Frederick. Michael resides in NAC 6 with wife, Tammy, their two daughters, and two dogs.

Andrew Sherman is a partner in the Corporate Department of Seyfarth Shaw LLP, and serves as the Corporate office chair for the Washington, D.C. team. He focuses his practice on issues affecting business growth for companies at all stages, including developing strategies for licensing and leveraging intellectual property and technology assets, intellectual asset management and harvesting, as well as international corporate transactional and franchising matters.

He has served as a legal and strategic advisor to dozens of Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of emerging growth companies. He has represented U.S. and international clients from early stage, rapidly growing start-ups, to closely held franchisors and middle market companies, to multibillion dollar international conglomerates. He also counsels on issues such as franchising, licensing, joint ventures, strategic alliances, capital formation, distribution channels, technology development, and mergers and acquisitions.

Mr. Sherman has written nearly 30 books on the legal and strategic aspects of business growth, franchising, capital formation, and the leveraging of intellectual property, most of which can be found on Amazon. He also has published many articles on similar topics and is a frequent keynote speaker at business conferences, seminars, and webinars. He has appeared as a guest commentator on CNN, NPR, and CBS News Radio, among others, and has been interviewed on legal topics by The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, and other publications.

Mr. Sherman serves as an adjunct professor in the M.B.A. programs at the University of Maryland and as well as the law school at Georgetown University and is a multiple recipient of the University of Maryland at College Park’s Krowe Excellence in Teaching Award.

Work as a Regional Planner for the Maryland Department of Planning in the Cumberland office, since 1989. Responsible for the supervision of the regional office in providing technical assistance, coordination and liaison activities with elected officials and local jurisdictions. Appointed as the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Program Manager in January 2015, to administer and manage the federal ARC grant investments in western Maryland
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a major contributor to the western Maryland region and the State of Maryland. ARC, in partnership with other Federal, State, local, public and private sources, provides and leverages funds for western Maryland’s industrial parks, rail, air and highway transportation, water and sewage infrastructure, housing, telecommunications, health care, labor skill development, K-12 and college level educational projects, local access road, entrepreneurial initiatives and more.