2025 MEDA Fall Conference

Allison Akers is the Director of Marketing and Communications for Anne Arundel based systems integrator Vision Technologies. In this role, Allison is responsible for overseeing overall marketing direction, brand management, corporate communications, and strategic growth of the company.

Allison deeply believes in giving back. Allison serves on the MEDA Board of Directors and serves as the co-chair of the MEDA Young Leaders Group. Allison also serves as Past President of the Public Relations Society of America-Chesapeake Chapter Board, is the chair of Vision Technologies’ Charity Committee as well as a committee member of the Women’s Network Employee Resource Group, is a member of Fort Meade Alliance Rising Stars, and recently finished serving on the University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business Alumni Chapter Board.

Allison is passionate about economic development and celebrating successful business growth in Maryland, developed through her prior work as Marketing and Outreach Manager for Anne Arundel Economic Development. Prior work also includes Marketing and Communications Specialist for the Maryland State Judiciary, time in grassroots marketing and events management for the MD, DC, VA region for Road Runner Sports, and a brief stint in the music marketing industry. She graduated from West Virginia University in May 2022 with an M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications and holds a B.S. in Marketing from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. She is a proud Terp through and through.

Mr. Arena oversees ARC Management, Atlantic’s property management division, which provides management for all Atlantic-owned properties as well as a select number of third party-owned properties.Prior to joining Atlantic Realty, Mr. Arena, who has more than 29 years of experience in real estate and financial management, was district manager at RREEF Real Estate Investment Managers in McLean, VA, where he was in charge of day-to-day operations for 55 office and industrial properties in Maryland and Virginia totaling over 11 million square feet. During his multi-faceted career, Mr. Arena was a commercial real estate broker representing both landlords and tenants.

A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in accounting, Mr. Arena is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, District of Columbia Institute of CPAs, and is a licensed real estate agent in both Virginia and Maryland. He is also licensed CPA and is a member of the AICPA. Mr. Arena lives with his family in Montgomery County, MD.

Derek Davies is the Director of Development at the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Office of Real Estate and Economic Development. In this role, he leads the planning and delivery of joint development projects, focusing on transforming underutilized state-owned properties into vibrant, mixed-use communities that enhance transit access and support economic growth. Prior to MDOT, Derek was a Project Manager with WMATA in the Office of Real Estate and Development, where he advanced joint development real estate projects on WMATA’s land. Before that, he was a Development Manager with Metrolinx’s Transit-Oriented Communities Program in Toronto, Canada.

Ms. Susan Slingluff Hartmann is the Executive Director of the College Park City-University Partnership. She is a cross-sector specialist with 20 years of experience in planning, local economic development, multi-agency partnerships, public engagement, and neighborhood revitalization. She has developed technical expertise in strategic and long-range planning, commercial revitalization, public sector consulting, facilitation, and program management. Ms. Hartmann has led initiatives to strengthen cross-sector collaborations to achieve equitable outcomes in education, housing, and neighborhood revitalization across the United States. She has an extensive background in technical assistance to cities and towns addressing challenges related to economic and community development. The College Park City-University Partnership sponsors the Live+Work College Park downpayment assistance program, placemaking and public art initiatives, K-12 education partnerships, bicycle/pedestrian improvements, and the Community Preservation Trust, a certified Maryland affordable housing land trust.

Julie Oberg, director, holds a B.A. degree in journalism from the University of Maryland. She was appointed director in January 2022. In this role, she directs all services and activities of the 11-person department including attracting increased capital investments, expanding and diversifying employment opportunities, marketing, tourism development and agriculture development. Oberg has more than 25 years of experience in planning, organizing and implementing communications and economic development functions in the government, private and non-profit sectors. She currently serves on boards of directors for the University System of Maryland Board of Regents, University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland Board of Advisors, Southern Maryland Economic Development Association and Southern Maryland Regional Innovation Collaborative. She is a member of the Leadership Southern Maryland Class of 2023 and the Maryland Economic Development Association.

Ebony Stocks is the Executive Vice President with the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation, an organization that provides business services that help attract, retain, and expand businesses in the County. She previously administered the County’s premier $50 million economic development tool, the Economic Development Incentive Fund which leveraged over $1 billion in capital investment and created over 13,000 jobs. Ms. Stocks is a Certified Economic Development Finance professional who has managed several financing and incentive programs. Ms. Stocks has worked in commercial lending providing non-traditional financing to rapidly growing small businesses. Ms. Stocks has a Master’s degree in Real Estate Development and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics.

As TEDCO’s Chief Development & Marketing Officer, Tammi Thomas is responsible for the overall strategic direction, execution and management of TEDCO’s marketing and fundraising strategies. Her leadership is instrumental towards the organization’s success in identifying, investing in, and growing Maryland-based technology and life science-based start-ups. Tammi is an award-winning communicator with more than 30 years of experience in marketing, technology, economic development, higher education, and entrepreneurship. Among other awards, she recently received the Distinguished Women Award from the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland (2024) and was named one of I-95 Business’ Influential Women (2025).

She serves on the World Trade Center Institute’s CEO Council, Maryland Momentum Fund Advisory Board and President of MEDA’s Board of Directors.

Tammi earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Alabama State University and an MBA from the University of Baltimore. She takes great pride in her daughter, Sydney, who’s a nuclear engineer serving on a guided missile submarine. Go Navy!