Welcome

As DBED Secretary, one of my first objectives is to increase communication and forge stronger relationships with local economic development partners, Maryland businesses and professional organizations. This new e-newsletter is just one of the many ways we are working hard to make DBED a more efficient, responsive and accountable state agency within the first six months of the O’Malley/Brown administration.

The Edge will give me an opportunity to share my vision for growing Maryland business, supporting the creation of high-quality jobs and expanding the resources and impact of tourism, film and the arts. It will also allow me to provide updates on legislative and budget issues, to announce staff changes and supply timely news and commentary on DBED programs and services. In the coming months, I hope The Edge will become a reliable source of news and information for economic development professionals, as well as Maryland businesses and tourism and arts organizations.

BRAC planning underway

Governor O'Malley and Lt. Governor Brown convened the first meeting of the BRAC SubCabinet on May 30, formally beginning the process to prepare the state for the influx of some 60,000 defense-related jobs. After announcing that Asuntha Chiang-Smith would serve as the SubCabinet's first executive director, the Governor charged the group with preparing a comprehensive strategic plan, including legislative and budgetary priorities, by December 1. The SubCabinet includes cabinet secretaries from the departments of Budget and Management, Business and Economic Development, Environment, Higher Education, Housing and Community Development, Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Education, Planning and Transportation.

DBED at MEDA

Lt. Governor Anthony Brown addressed the Maryland Economic Development Association's annual conference a few weeks ago and his remarks were well received. The Lt. Governor touched on his commitment to expanding the state's knowledge-based workforce, assisting small and minority businesses and preparing for the challenges and opportunities of BRAC. During a break in the conference I convened the second in a series of meetings with local economic development officers from across the state to open up the lines of communication and get an update on local projects and issues. I'm very glad to see that attendance at these quarterly meetings is growing rapidly. I was also deeply honored to join MEDA members Marie Keegin, John Sundergill and Frank Adams in accepting a MEDA Hall of Fame award. Thanks to Pam Ruff for putting together a wonderful program this year.

A Busy Spring

May was a busy and productive month at DBED. We coordinated a state presence at three major events this spring, including BIO 2007, the Preakness Stakes and the International Council of Shopping Centers conference. BIO provided a unique opportunity for Maryland bio and life sciences companies and organizations to partner with us and promote Maryland as a world-class destination for biotechnology. At ICSC, the world's largest retail trade show, we worked with county partners to cooperatively promote Maryland as a premier retail destination. Governor O'Malley was on hand to host meetings with national companies, retail developers and project leaders. Due to the competitive nature of retail, details on deals conceived or finalized at ICSC are usually hard to come by but I expect several major announcements in the coming months.

Our First Session

The 2007 Maryland General Assembly produced some good news for Maryland business. Download the 2007 Legislative Review for more detailed information on all DBED-related bills or check out this April 15 feature in The Daily Record. Thanks to all our partners who helped support DBED’s 2007 legislative agenda. Next year, I pledge to work more closely with our many stakeholders to develop support for crucial budget items and build industry momentum around key economic development legislation.

I hope you enjoyed the first edition of The Edge. I welcome feedback and comments so please contact me if there is something you would like to see addressed in an upcoming issue. On behalf of the entire team at DBED, I look forward to communicating regularly and to working closely with you to make Maryland the ultimate destination for business and tourism.

Martin O’Malley, Governor | Anthony G. Brown, Lt. Governor | David W. Edgerley, DBED Secretary | Clarence T. Bishop, Deputy Secretary

For more information about DBED, visit our Web site or call (410) 767-6300