2022 C&O Canal Tour

**  EXCLUSIVE TO MEDA AND LEADERSHIP MARYLAND MEMBERS ONLY  **

Come join MEDA and Leadership Maryland for an exclusive Members Only C&O Canal Tour. We’ll be touring the C&O Canal’s Cushwa Basin with its working aqueduct and electric boat rides, and take a walk in downtown Williamsport.

Registration is limited to MEDA and Leadership Maryland Members only, so sign up soon!

Located in the town of Williamsport, the C&O Canal is a historic treasure for Maryland. The Canal has been operating for almost 100 years and in 1971 was established as the C&O Canal National Historical Park. A few of the highlights of this area include two historic structures: the last standing railroad lift bridge in the country, and the Bollman Bridge, one of the first iron bridges ever built in the U.S.

Join us to see the sights!

The tour is open to MEDA and Leadership Maryland members only.
Note: Registration is limited, so please sign up early. 

Info:

• June 8, 2022   11am-2pm, Williamsport, MD
• Cost:  $25.00 (includes lunch)
• Casual dress and comfortable walking shoes are suggested
• Address for parking: 142 W Potomac St, Williamsport, MD 21795 for parking
• Register below

Schedule:

11:00

• Gather in the C&O Canal National Historic Park’s new HQ facility. Welcome by Donnie Stotlmyer, Williamsport Town Administrator, and Mainstreet Manager, Kathryn Gratton.
• Speakers: Dan Spedden (President and CEO of the Washington County Convention and Visitor Center) and members of Port 44, the all-female real estate investment group transforming the streetscape.
• Speaker John Noel (Deputy Superintendent of the C&O Canal NHP) will present an overview of the significant investment made in the Cushwa Basin and the extraordinary partnership that made it happen.  Other collaborators will be on hand to answer questions.

12:30

• Walk the short distance to the Cushwa Basin to visit the C&O Canal interpretive center and enjoy a boxed lunch from Williamport’s own Desert Moon Cafe.
• Electric boat rides with an interpretive guide will be offered to traverse the only watered-aqueduct on the C&O Canal.

2:00

• Optional walking tour of Williamsport’s Main Street area led by Kathryn Gratton, Main Street Manager, to see the projects already in motion.

Speakers for the Canal Tour:

Dan Spedden

Originally from Baltimore County Maryland, Dan Spedden is a graduate of the University of
Maine’s Natural Resource Management program. Dan is the retired State Park Superintendent
for the South Mountain Recreation Area, a cluster of four State Parks and a State Battlefield on
the border of Frederick and Washington Counties. Dan was a law enforcement ranger who
retired at the rank of Captain in October 2013. Dan is currently the President of the
Hagerstown/Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, a 501 C6 corporation with a
mission to improve the economy of the community through the promotion and development of
travel and tourism. He has been appointed to the Governor’s State Tourism Development
Board and the Maryland Heritage Area Authority Board of Directors. Dan resides in Hagerstown
with his wife Janette.

Brenda Paul

Port44 Co-Founder and Chief Financial Officer

Jesse Burgoon

Port44 Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer

Lettie Wilkes

Port44 Co-Founder and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

Selena Wilkes

Port44 Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Susie Miller

Port44 Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer

John Noel

C&O Canal Superintendent

Special thanks to our sponsor: Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Watch our video to get learn more about the importance of the canal and the projects that have enhanced its economic development.