1. What does your office do?
We are advocates for the 3,500 businesses
and 49,000 employees who call Frederick home. We focus on retaining them and helping
them expand. This means working on permitting, workforce, development policies
and regulations, infrastructure and business incentives. Recruiting new
businesses is also an important part of our strategy and requires that we engage
with companies regionally and internationally.
2. What is your department's biggest
challenge?
National economics aside, the biggest
challenge is infrastructure capacity and cost. Utilities are difficult for some
businesses, and transportation is equally challenging. That said, we know that
most communities in our region face these issues. Frederick is well positioned to deliver talented employees
and top-notch buildings as the economy continues to improve.
3. How do you promote Frederick to businesses?
Frederick is a unique community with an enviable quality
of life. Once a business
executive visits Frederick, we know that our chances of landing that company and
keeping it here is high. We use our website at www.businessinfrederick.com,
along with social media, advertising and trade shows to market Frederick.
4. What is the biggest company you've
landed?
More than 97 percent of Frederick's
businesses are small, entrepreneurial shops. We are fortunate to have larger
companies like MedImmune, US Silica, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Wegmans, Charles
River Labs and others. Frederick's hi-tech business incubator has churned out
over 200 jobs and
dozens of businesses including Akonni Biosystems, WGS, Widearea Systems and
Imagillin Technologies. All companies play a part in the Frederick economic
ecosystem.
5. How did you get involved in economic
development?
I spent many years in city and regional
planning in Greenville, S.C., Seattle, Frederick, and Leesburg. That evolved
into becoming involved in urban revitalization as director of the Downtown Frederick Partnership and
finally into my role at the City of Frederick as director of economic development for the past
10 years.