2024 MEDA Primer for Economic Development in Maryland

Alexander K. Austin, is a results-driven and dynamic business leader, offering 20 (+) years expertise in diverse fields ranging from, Workforce Development, Business Acquisitions/Advisory Services, Business to Consumer solutions & Entrepreneurship.
Alexander is the President and CEO of the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit organization representing the businesses of Prince George’s County. Operating as one of the largest chambers in the state of Maryland and the Washington Metropolitan region.

Known as an Intrapreneurial & Entrepreneurial Leader! Alexander has created a unique portfolio of diverse skills and achievements ranging from creating new- products & services for the local market, owning operating a professional sports franchise, publishing a book, as well as advising mid-market company acquisition and capital raise strategies.
Alexander has also worked within organizations to contribute to their organic growth, building and scaling new innovative projects that impact the local business community. For his work and commitment, Alexander has been featured within the Washington Business Journal, Baltimore Sun, The Washington Informer and PG Suite magazine.

Having been born and raised in Prince George’s County, Alexander is passionate about the counties continued growth and advancement. As a native Prince Georgian, he is focused and committed to bridging the gap, aligning the efforts of the business community, representing one voice for Prince George’s County Businesses.

He is a family man, happily married to his wife Candice and proud father to his three wonderful children, Jordan, Savannah and Xavier. Whenever he’s off professional duties, he enjoys exercising, creating new business idea’s and spending time with Family.

His Belief – “Family is the nucleus of success”
His Life’s Motto – “We are only bound by the limits of our own conviction,” – Robert F Smith.

Laurie Boyer is the Economic Development Manager in the Division of Fiscal Management for the Montgomery County Government Finance Department. She is responsible for overseeing the County’s economic development incentive programs and for managing contracts with third-party vendors who provide economic development-related services on behalf of the County.

Previously, Laurie served as the Executive Director of Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI), a public-private economic development partnership in the City of Rockville, and as Executive Director for the Frederick County Office of Economic Development.

In May 2006, Boyer earned her professional Economic Development Certification (CEcD) from the International Economic Development Council. She has nearly 18 years of economic development experience.

Ms. Boyer is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery Class of 2014 and Leadership Frederick County Class of 1997, serves as Secretary of the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) Foundation Board, and is on the MEDA Council of Past Presidents. In 2012, she was named one of “Maryland’s Top 100 Women” by The Daily Record.

Ms. Boyer has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Spanish from Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA and a Master’s degree in Communication Studies from West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV.

Ms. Brown is the Executive Director of the Maryland Small Business Development Center Network (SBDC). The SBDC is a partnership between the University of Maryland, College Park, and the U.S. Small Business Administration to facilitate management training and technical assistance to Maryland’s small businesses. As the Interim Executive Director, she provides leadership to this statewide program that is comprised of more than 22 locations. Ms. Brown joined the Maryland SBDC in 1998 as a program coordinator. She was later promoted to the Deputy Director position where she was responsible for providing oversight of the operations of the Network for 20 years. In this capacity, she developed and evaluated policies, procedures, and program initiatives for the Network.

During her tenure, Ms. Brown led the Maryland SBDC Network to prepare the ASBDC Accreditation self-study and implement organizational improvements, which resulted in accreditation without conditions. She developed a desk reference guide for the Maryland SBDC, which codified the organization’s procedures. In her role, Ms. Brown provides leadership to annual proposal preparation and submission for a $4+ million funding package. Ms. Brown coached a specialty consulting team through challenges in achieving results in Baltimore City after the unrest. She negotiated annual goals and objectives with agency officials in a climate of changing priorities. Ms. Brown is active on the America’s SBDC Accreditation Committee, where she and other State and Associate Directors conduct peer reviews of SBDC programs nationwide. The accreditation process, funded by the U S Small Business Administration and based on Baldrige standards of excellence, drives continuous improvement for SBDC programs across the country.

Before joining the SBDC, Ms. Brown practiced law at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia, PA, where she assisted low-income individuals with issues ranging from family law to Supplemental Security appeals and bankruptcy. While in business school, she began her pursuit of entrepreneurship development through the Urban Business Assistance Corporation by providing technical assistance to small businesses in New York City. Upon earning her M.B.A, Ms. Brown worked with Syndicated Communications, a venture capital firm that targets minority-owned media communications companies, and Media Communications Group, a specialty-lending group affiliated with Signet Bank. as an Investment Analyst

Ms. Brown received her B.A. in English, cum laude, from Howard University, J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and M.B.A. in Finance from New York University.

Lora Brown joined Prince George’s Community College as an adjunct professor in the Business and Entrepreneurship Department at Prince George’s Community College in Fall 2021.

Lora Brown participates in various civic groups in Prince George’s County and the Washington DC area where she currently resides. Ms. Brown is a very active member of Metropolitan Baptist Church, where she serves on the Trustee Board, and she is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Matt Doyle is a Senior Business Development Representative focused on business attraction and major projects in the Office of Business Development at the Maryland Department of Commerce. He is a member of the Business Services team responsible for attracting new businesses to Maryland, growing existing Maryland businesses, and providing assistance to Maryland small businesses. Doyle attends conferences for site selection experts and consulting firms that work with businesses during their site selection process as well as plan and attend sales missions to market Maryland as a premier business location.

Prior to the Maryland Department of Commerce, Matt was the Senior Business Attraction Manager for the Frederick County Office of Economic Development and has over 18 years of sales, marketing and development experience. He has completed numerous education courses with IEDC and is working towards his CEcD. Matt is a Past President of Habitat for Humanity of Frederick County, 2016 Leadership Frederick graduate and 2019 Leadership Maryland graduate. A Frederick native, Doyle lives in Frederick with his wife and two daughters.

Scott Gottbreht joined Maryland DHCD as Assistant Secretary of Policy, overseeing the Division of Policy, Strategy and Research, in August 2023, bringing with him nearly two decades of expertise in the areas of policy advocacy, community organizing, academic research, and housing program management.

Prior to coming to Maryland DHCD, Gottbreht worked at United Way of Central Maryland, where he worked for 10 years to help build a diverse portfolio of innovative housing stability programs and led a team of 40 staff. While at United Way, Scott worked with partners to co-create a new model for eviction prevention (the STEP Program) that distributed more than $100 million in rental assistance to keep more than 10,000 avoid eviction during the pandemic.

In 2015, Gottbreht received the Innovator of the Year Award for Nonprofits in Maryland from the Daily Record, and in 2018, he received his PhD from the Department of Comparative Thought at Johns Hopkins University, where he championed interdisciplinary approaches to homelessness and housing insecurity.

Richard Griffin, AICP, CEcD is the Director of Economic Development for the City of Frederick.
In that role oversees four City Departments including the Department of Economic
Development, Downtown Parking Department, Frederick Municipal Airport, and Weinberg
Center for the Arts. Griffin is accredited economic developer and urban planner with over 30
years of experience.
During his 23-year tenure in Frederick he has overseen major City Projects including the design
and development of award-winning Carroll Creek Park, airport expansion, and parking garage
development along with coordinating complex development projects delivering jobs and tax
base in downtown and commercial corridors. He has worked with many businesses in Frederick
including AstraZeneca, Fort Detrick, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Stulz,
Wilcoxen, Precision For Medicine, and many small mom and pop shops, and minority and
women owned businesses.
Richard has experience working at the city, county, regional, and federal level in Maryland,
Virginia, North and South Carolina and Washington State. He served on the district staff of the
late US Representative James Clarke from the 11th District of NC. He is a US Army veteran
having served as a Cavalry border guard on the East German Border during the cold war and as
a commissioned Armor officer in the NC National Guard and Army Reserves.
Mr. Griffin holds degrees from Western Carolina University and Clemson University. He serves
on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA), Fort
Detrick Alliance, the Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc, and others. He is Rotary Paul
Harris Fellow and volunteers as a scout leader and youth mountain bike race team coach. His
wife Lynne is a FCPS teacher and they live, work, and play in Downtown Frederick.

David S. Iannucci has served in the Administration of Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker as the Assistant Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Economic Development since 2011. In that position, he directly oversees the activities of Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation, FSC First, and the Conference and Visitors Bureau. Mr. Iannucci plays a prominent role on the County’s key projects such as the pursuit of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters, a new Regional Medical Center, and the Purple Line, working to retain and support the County’s existing business community, and oversight of the County Executive’s $50 million Economic Development Incentive Fund. In his 40 year career, Mr. Iannucci has served in many positions within state and local government. His previous positions include Secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, Executive Director of the Baltimore County Department of Economic Development, and under former Maryland Governor William Donald Schaefer, Chief Legislative Officer. Mr. Iannucci is a 1979 graduate of the University of Maryland College Park. David S. Iannucci is also a former President of the Maryland Economic Development Association and is a member of the MEDA Hall of Fame. A long-time resident of Prince George’s County, he resides in Bowie with his wife and daughter.

Since 2015, Tamar has served on the Regional Growth and Retention team of the Maryland Department of Commerce, the state’s economic development agency. Based in Frederick, Tamar works with businesses across industries and in all stages of the business life cycle to connect them with state and ecosystem resources, develop business opportunities, and address challenges. Prior to joining Commerce, she served as a local government affairs director for the Maryland Association of REALTORS® and led the federal public policy operations at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Tamar holds the Certified Economic Developer designation from the International Economic Development Council. She earned her BA from Washington University in St. Louis and an MPA from The University of Texas at Austin, where she was a Lyndon Baines Johnson Scholar.

Jessica Reynolds is an international trade and investment specialist serving as Senior Director for the Office of International Investment and Trade at the Maryland Department of Commerce since August 2019. She previously served as a regional manager in this office, covering South Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Europe. Prior to joining Commerce, Mrs. Reynolds worked as a consultant for an economic development and planning firm, and as a Senior Manager and consultant in the international economic development field, working on US Government, World Bank, and other donor projects. She started her international career as an intern at the World Trade Center Institute in Baltimore.

Mrs. Reynolds holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Bachelor’s Degree from Loyola University Maryland. She holds professional memberships in the International Economic Development Council and the Maryland Economic Development Association, and in March 2021,earned her CEcD certification as a certified economic developer.

Erin Roth currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Maryland Department of Labor’s Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning. In this role, she helps lead the division, which oversees a budget of approximately $160 million of federal and state funds and 460 employees. Throughout her tenure with the Department, Ms. Roth has led major initiatives and innovations for the state’s workforce system, including the strategic implementation of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and a myriad of initiatives supporting business growth and jobseekers with barriers to employment. In addition to her role at Labor, Roth serves on the State Higher Education Labor Relations Board and the Board of Directors for both the Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Inc. and Leadership Maryland. Roth holds a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies from Loyola University Maryland, and a Master’s in Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University.

With more than 30 years in the economic development profession, Tom has worked with partners in industry, higher education, and every level of government. His career projects exceed $10 billion in value and 50,000 jobs; these include the 2005 BRAC win for the U.S. Army Aberdeen Proving Ground and numerous headquarters, research laboratory and industrial projects for major public/private sector clients. Tom also has deep expertise in fostering research partnerships and technology commercialization, as well as new venture creation– having launched the $10 million early-stage Maryland Momentum Fund for the University System of Maryland.

Tom has held leadership positions at the local, regional, and state level. His work at MEDCO is focused on providing real estate development, financing, infrastructure, and public/private partnership solutions to help fuel business retention, development, and employment growth.

Prior to MEDCO, he served as Vice Chancellor for Economic Development at the University System of Maryland and President & CEO of the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore.

He is a lifelong resident of Maryland, a proud husband, father, and graduate of UMBC. He enjoys coaching and is active on many boards related to finance, economic development, public policy, entrepreneurship, and education.

Recent awards: 2016 UMBC Alumni of the Year–Distinguished Service; 2015/2013 Daily Record’s Maryland’s Most Admired CEO; 2014 Baltimore Museum of Industry’s William Donald Schaefer Industrialist of the Year; 2011 Daily Record’s Influential Marylander.

The Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO) was created by the Maryland General Assembly in 1984. MEDCO’s goal is to assist in the growth and retention of businesses, attracting new business and assisting in the creation of new business ventures and/or employment opportunities throughout the state of Maryland. MEDCO achieves its mission by partnering with public/private entities in the provision of innovative financing, real estate and infrastructure development, and strategic advisory services.

As TEDCO’s Chief Development & Marketing Officer, Tammi is primarily responsible for the overall strategic direction, leadership, execution and management of TEDCO’s marketing and fundraising strategies designed to broaden awareness of and resources for TEDCO and its various programs; this includes the development and implementation of the organization’s brand, marketing, and communications strategy.

Her leadership and knowledge are instrumental in forging relationships that will enable TEDCO to expand their reach and services, diversify resources and grow the innovation ecosystem as well as establishing TEDCO as the most recognized organization in Maryland for identifying, investing in, and growing technology-based businesses. Driven by this mission, she serves as TEDCO’s internal subject expert on media and public relations, social media, brand messaging, marketing, and special events.

Her resume includes C-suite positions as the Vice President of Strategic Management at Data Solutions & Technology Inc., a full-service technology solutions provider; and as the Director of Business Development and Marketing at the University of Maryland Baltimore County’s Research Park & Business Incubator. Additionally, Tammi’s professional expertise was sought after to teach the next generation of communicators as an adjunct professor at Bowie State University and the University of Baltimore. She frequently speaks and publishes on such topics as leadership, entrepreneurship, and business development.

Tammi has been recognized by her industry peers for excellence in communication and marketing. She has received the Maryland Economic Development Association’s Marketing award for TEDCO’s Entrepreneur Expo (2020), the Cybersecurity Association of Maryland’s 2017 Cybersecurity Industry Resource Award, the AMA Baltimore’s MX Award for Best Print Advertisement Campaign of the Year (2022 and 2023), and most recently was named one of The Daily Record’s Top 100 Women in Maryland (2023). She graduated from Leadership Maryland’s Class of 2018, completing the eight-month hands-on learning program focused on the State’s most vital social, economic and environmental issues. She serves on the 2023 World Trade Center Institute’s CEO Council as well as on the Maryland Momentum Fund Advisory Board and MEDA Board of Directors, where she is currently serving as Vice President of the organization.

Tammi earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Alabama State University and an MBA from the University of Baltimore. She is active in her community and serves in volunteer roles and on boards and committees for various schools and organizations in the region.

Roger Venezia has been an economic developer for 40 years. He serves as Director of Operations & Special Projects for the Division of Business and Industry Sector Development at the Maryland Department of Commerce. In this capacity he serves as chief administrative officer of the agency’s largest division. He has been with Commerce since 2000.

Mr. Venezia has held marketing, research, and managerial positions for three different county economic development offices in Maryland. He served as Director of the Cecil County Office of Economic Development during which time he led the effort to develop the county’s first economic development strategic plan. He also served as Research Manager for PECO Energy Company of Philadelphia, one of the country’s largest electric utilities.

Mr. Venezia earned his Certified Economic Developer designation in 1988. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a second major in Economics from the University of Delaware.

Economic and Tourism Development Director for Kent County, Maryland. Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship. Earned a Master Certificate from the National Association of Counties, Professional Development Academy, High-Performance Leadership in 2020. Shore Leadership Class of 2021. Member of the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) and a proud member of the Chestertown Rotary Club. Previous experience includes Assistant Plant Manager and Customer Service Manager for a Millwork Distributor and Office Manager for a land surveying business.