Leonardtown, MD – Seeking to come away with ideas on how to diversify the county’s economy, two county commissioners and the county administrator will lead a delegation of government and business leaders on a two day trip to Huntsville, Alabama.
Commissioner President Randy Guy and Commissioner Tom Jarboe and County Administrator Dr. Rebecca Bridgett and Department of Economic Development Director Chris Kaselemis will represent county government on the trip. They will be joined by members of the St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce and select business leaders from the community. The goal of the delegation is to come away with first-hand knowledge on how that city has successfully transformed its local economy.
“We believe there are a number of things we can learn and take away from Huntsville’s experience,” said Commissioner President Randy Guy. “I expect that we will come away with some points in which we can apply here in St. Mary’s County to help broaden and strengthen our economy.”
Commissioner Tom Jarboe says Huntsville provides the perfect model for St. Mary’s County. “What Huntsville has been able to accomplish is admirable,” said Commissioner Jarboe. “In my travels to the city on business over the past few years I’ve been able to see how they have grown their economy. I believe that what’s made them successful can be replicated with our economy because we share a number of the same industries.”
The two-day trip features tours and meetings with key leaders in city government and the business community. Wednesday’s highlights include an overview of the Huntsville community from the Huntsville Chamber of commerce, a visit to the NASA Payload Operations and Integration Center and a tour of the Cummings Research Park. Thursday features a briefing on CyberHuntsville, a tour of the Technology Regional Innovation Cluster and a working lunch with the developer of the Providence Development.
“We expect to hit the ground running as soon as we land,” said County Administrator Dr. Rebecca Bridgett. “The schedule is a mix of activities, meetings and networking. We look forward to our return to Southern Maryland with lots of ideas to share.”