Across
Maryland Western Maryland “Interesting times portend opportunity and a future of promise and cooperation.” — Al Delia, vice president for Regional Development and Engagement, Frostburg State University Allegany County
Western Maryland partners with surrounding states to elevate the economy Creating alliances to turn opportunities for growth into realities Frostburg State University Division of Regional Development and Engagement The Division of Regional Development and Engagement (DRDE) works to connect Frostburg State University (FSU) with the community and to help bring together and lead the region toward opportunities to improve it. One successful example of this work was the creation and launch of a new regional economic development effort, the I-68 Regional Alliance, a collaborative effort with The Greater Cumberland Committee and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The DRDE office also leverages the resources of FSU and the Small Business Development Center to support entrepreneurs. Frostburg alumni, including recent graduates, are being encouraged to bring their businesses to Western Maryland or create new ones in the region. The goal is also to sharpen and support the regional focus on industry clusters identified for their potential in the region. Those clusters include back-office operations for larger businesses such as financial, business, and information technology services; life sciences; health care, especially in the testing and development field; and regional opportunities in energy and farm-to-table food production. Five counties join I-68 Alliance to develop business environment Working to create alliances to turn opportunities for growth into realities, The Greater Cumberland Committee is acting as an incubator for the I-68 Regional Alliance. The goal is to promote economic prosperity along the I-68 corridor. Leadership from the region’s economic development and tourism organizations lead the Alliance, whose footprint primarily covers Allegany and Garrett counties in Maryland, Bedford and Somerset counties in Pennsylvania, and Mineral County in West Virginia. The Alliance was formed to develop a business
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