TechPort Welcomes Two College Interns

TechPort, Southern Maryland’s new business incubator, has welcomed two interns.

Alexandra Walker is TechPort’s new community manager, and Tabitha Dunn will serve as community liaison.

TechPort is a key component of the Aviation Technology Park at St. Mary’s County Regional Airport. It is located next to the University of Maryland Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site, an international presence in the field of unmanned systems. The test site targets the transfer of knowledge and research capabilities. As a leading voice in the civil/commercial UAS field, the test site has created relationships across a variety of stakeholders and capabilities.

Ms. Walker’s responsibilities are to focus on content production, branding, outreach, and promoting the value of TechPort to the community, while Ms. Dunn’s duties include providing material that is related to the tech community.

A freshman at the College of Southern Maryland, Ms. Walker is hoping to pursue a mechanical engineering degree. She is thankful and excited for the internship, saying it will give her new opportunities while also tackling some of her fears.

“I’ve wanted to connect with [the University of Maryland] for some time, and TechPort was able to make that dream come true,” she says. “I also find that this opportunity will help me improve my social skills, as well as getting connected with the community. Plus, I get to see some pretty cool gadgets and gizmos!”

Ms. Dunn is a junior at University Maryland Global Campus, working toward obtaining a bachelor’s in business management. She previously gained her associate degree in business administration at the College of Southern Maryland in May 2019.

Ms. Dunn has similar feelings to Ms. Walker’s, stating that she was ready to take on this job because it gives her the opportunity to work with the public.

“I’m excited that this job will allow me to connect with people in the local business community,” Ms. Dunn says. “This internship will also help me become part of the network in the county. I find it will be a steppingstone in helping me gain a federal position.”

Thomas Luginbill, TechPort director, is more than happy to welcome the two interns to the TechPort family.

“We are extremely excited to have Alex and Tabitha on board,” he says. Mr. Luginbill believes the girls will bring different aspects to TechPort.

“Alex’s energy and enthusiasm brings a lot of value to not only TechPort but also the community at large,” he says. “Tabitha is a gifted student and talented in a variety of curricular activities. I find that her unique personality will bring great things to our business.”

With the two new interns, TechPort will begin outreach efforts in the community through planning, branding expansion, and the introduction of new events.

One new event that TechPort has taken part in is an American Red Cross blood drive. TechPort has teamed up with the University of Maryland UAS Test Site to host a blood drive. TechPort is currently soliciting donor pledges. Anyone interested in being a donor should send their name, email address, and phone number to [email protected].

For more information on the opportunities at the growing technology park at St. Mary’s County Regional Airport, contact Ken Reed of S. Hunt Aero at [email protected], St. Mary’s County Regional Airport, 44174 Airport Road, California, MD 20619.

To learn more about S. Hunt Aero, visit its Leader member page.