Members’ Corner: Hilary Dailey

Name, Title, Organization:

Hilary Dailey, Tourism Program Specialist, Calvert County Economic Development

Explain your background in economic development:

I have been the Tourism Program Specialist for six years. I serve as the DMO (Destination Marketing Organization) in the Economic Development Department of Calvert County Government.

What are your key priorities within your current position?

Tourism Destination Management includes monitoring all aspects that contribute to a visitor’s experience in Calvert County, including planning for the future and considering the social, economic, cultural, and environmental risks and opportunities of inviting people to come support our economy. Additionally, a main priority for us right now is showcasing accessibility to demonstrate that all are welcome here, in Calvert County, Maryland!

Does one particular project spark your excitement? If so, describe it below.

For the past year, I have been partnering with local organizations, parks and attractions to demonstrate accessibility to potential visitors (and residents) through photography to emphasize the fact that everyone is welcome in Calvert County. So far, we have partnered with Calvert County Parks & Rec Therapeutic Services to feature two sweet little girls who utilize wheelchairs to demonstrate the accessible features of our local playgrounds and indoor pool, and through a partnership with The Arc of Southern Maryland, we were able to spotlight two gentlemen enjoying visits to Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, Calvert Marine Museum and on the Wm. B. Tennison sailing bugeye vessel. I am now using these professional photos in tourism promotion campaigns to invite people to come visit Calvert County. Additionally, Therapeutic Services, The Arc and our parks and attractions all have access to the photos as well, so we can coordinate in messaging that highlights that everyone is welcome in Calvert County. People with accessibility needs are just like everyone else in the fact that they travel with friends and family. If a person realizes that they can safely visit a site or destination, most likely, a group will come along with them to enjoy the visit and support our local economy by spending their money here! I am excited to say that this has been very a positive and successful initiative so far, and that I am planning to continue this photo series to help showcase accessibility at local businesses and more sites in the future.

What professional pressures keep you up at night?

Confusion of local residents who don’t understand the positive aspects of inviting visitors to come enjoy Calvert County sites, attractions, parks, restaurants, shops and other amenities. I feel like it is an uphill battle to constantly explain that tourism supports economic development and our local tax base when visitors spend their money in our community. We are not just inviting people to come and “overrun our restaurants and beaches.” I put much thought and planning into the Destination Management of Calvert County so there is a proper balance of visitation over the course of the year to support the county’s economic development.

What attributes are unique to your community?

Calvert County, Maryland is a peninsula with 243 miles of shoreline, even though the whole county is only 34 miles long and 9 miles wide, making it the smallest county in Maryland. Calvert County remains quite rural, despite being only an hour’s drive from Washington DC, Baltimore and Annapolis. It boasts unique natural formations including the northernmost stand of bald cypress trees at Battle Creek Cypress Swamp and the world famous Calvert Cliffs at Calvert Cliffs State Park where anyone can search the beach and take home fossils and sharks’ teeth (some, if you are lucky, as big as your hand!)

What are your locality’s top three “selling points” for future growth?

Calvert County has long held the values of preserving the rural landscape by focusing on creating and growing vibrant Town Centers that are attractive, convenient, and interesting places to live, work, and shop. We are striving to build a strong local economy based on renewable resources, high technology, agriculture/seafood and tourism. One example of an emerging project in an existing Town Center is a current initiative to reinvigorate and “beautify” Prince Frederick’s Main Street to make it more attractive to local business owners, residents and visitors.

If you could wave a magic wand, what would you want to work with MEDA on to move Maryland forward?

As the Prince Frederick Main Street beautification initiative progresses, I would love MEDA’s assistance in encouraging networking and partnerships among people who will hopefully be committed to bringing more jobs and investment to our blossoming Main Street area.

Please include any personal background information that you’d like to share (Alma mater, Military Service, hobbies, etc):

I have a Master’s Degree in Destination Management from the George Washington University and I am a certified Tourism Ambassador for the state of Maryland.