MEDA Conference Comes to St. Mary’s

The Maryland Economic Development Association, or MEDA, is planning its 2017 Fall Conference for Oct. 23, 2017, at Patuxent River Naval Air Museum, with support from The Patuxent Partnership and various St. Mary’s County organizations. The event will be held from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm.

Attendees will be able to hear Tim Heely’s thoughts on the role of military alliances; as well as Leslie Taylor’s perspective on doing business with NAWCAD and NAVAIR, which are the economic engine of St. Mary’s County.

The idea behind the 2017 MEDA Fall Conference is to address the ways economic developers can position companies in their regions to take advantage of Maryland’s 12 military installations as economic drivers, as well as the variety of network opportunities available to businesses throughout Maryland.

There will be three panel discussions at the conference:

• Alliances for Cooperation: Speakers on a panel will discuss collaborations and connections between federal installations and individuals, organizations, and businesses across Maryland. The panel will focus on how to create partnerships that will boost job creation in communities.
• Leveraging Installations as Innovation Drivers: Attendees will learn how economic development can foster collaborations and connections between research labs and technologies used for military and non-military applications.
• Effective Military Drivers for Economic Development: Attendees will learn how to connect a community’s businesses to military bases, even if these bases are not located in the business’s region.

The event is sponsored by the St. Mary’s County Department of Economic Development.

Nine speakers will be featured at the event.

Register for the event here.

Ashley Buzzeo

Ashley Buzzeo is managing director for the Center for GIS at Towson University. She oversees data development and web application projects, setting standards for excellence in service and deliverables, plus she develops and maintains infrastructure to support processes.

Rick Decker

Rick Decker has had a diverse career in industry, working in manufacturing plastics or designing space crew equipment; academia at the University of Maryland as director of biomedical engineering for Montebello Center, Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Service; and federal service, working in chemical and biological protective equipment.

Brigadier Gen. Mike Hayes

Retired USMC Brigadier Gen. Mike Hayes is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and completed 33 years of commissioned service in the Marine Corps in April 1999. Since August 1999, he has served as the first managing director of the Office of Military and Federal Affairs for Maryland. He helps to ensure federal facility vitality and improving access by businesses in Maryland for technology commercialization and partnering.

Tim Heely

Tim Heely has worked 42 years with government and industry, both during his careers as a US naval aviator and in business. In the US Navy, his positions included program executive officer for Naval Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO(U&W)) where he was responsible for the development, test, acquisition, and support of all Navy and Marine Corps unmanned air vehicles and air strike weapons; chief engineer for the Naval Air Systems Command, program manager for Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems, Personnel Manager at the Navy Bureau of Personnel, and commanding officer of VFA-192 flying combat missions in the Gulf War.

Tom Jarboe

Tom Jarboe is a member of the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County, representing District One (Ridge, Piney Point, and St. George’s Island). A St. Mary’s County resident since birth, Mr. Jarboe earned his bachelor of arts in behavioral science and a master’s in international commerce from the University of Maryland. He graduated Leadership Maryland and is one of the founding members of Leadership Southern Maryland.

Tim O’Ferrall

Tim O’Ferrall has been the general manager of the Fort Meade Alliance for seven years. The Fort Meade Alliance is a regional community and economic development organization that ensures Fort Meade remains vital in the eyes of the Department of Defense, the federal government, Maryland and the entire region.

Leslie Taylor

Leslie Taylor was appointed as executive director for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) in April 2015, tasked with ensuring that business and financial objectives are met and that the overall mission is executed safely and efficiently.

Helga Weschke

Helga Weschke has been a professional economic developer for more than 27 years. She is the director of federal business relations with the Office of Military and Federal Affairs for the Maryland Department of Commerce. She works to support federal agencies in Maryland.

Christopher Wilhelm

Christopher Wilhelm is the Customer Advocate for Science and Technology (S&T) at Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division (NSWC IHEODTD). He is Lead for the Office of Research and Technology Applications, and therefore manages Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), Educational Partnership Agreements (EPAs), and Partnership Intermediary Agreements (PIAs).

About The Patuxent Partnership

TPP fosters collaboration and the sharing of knowledge and expertise across a diverse network that includes government, industry, and academia. TPP also supports STEM education and workforce development within the local community including hosting programs of interest to NAVAIR, NAWCAD, and the broader DoD community.

To learn more about The Patuxent Partnerships and its programs, visit its Leader member page.