The MEDA Foundation, Inc.
Mission
The mission of The MEDA Foundation, Inc is to offer educational workshops, courses, seminars, and conferences that increase the effectiveness of Maryland economic and community development practitioners as well as their counterparts in the state who work in partnership to create jobs for Maryland’s citizens.
Purpose
The purpose of The MEDA Foundation, Inc is to offer training opportunities for Maryland’s economic and community development practitioners and their counterparts who share an interest in job creation throughout the state.
Board Members
Danny graduated from Crisfield High School, received an Associate Degree in Accounting from Wor-Wic Community College and Business Administration at Salisbury University.
Danny is the current Executive Director for the Somerset County Economic Development Commission for the past 12 years. His position entitles him to focus on the retention and expansion of existing employers and the recruitment of new businesses to assist in the economic growth of Somerset County. He was previously employed with the State of Maryland in the Department of Labor, Licensing, & Regulation Agency for 12 years and formerly worked at the Carvel Hall Plant in Crisfield as Human Resources Manager, Time & Motion Study Observer for 10 years until its closing. He also owned & operated the Circle Inn Restaurant in Crisfield for 10 years.
He was the Past-Chairman of the Crisfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Somerset County Economic Development Commission. Danny serves as a board member for the Maryland Economic Development Association, Lower Shore Workforce Alliance, and was formerly a councilperson for 8 years at the City of Crisfield. He is also active as a High School Sports official in soccer & basketball.
Danny was raised in Fruitland, Maryland until 1975 then later moved to Crisfield, Maryland. He moved to the Princess Anne area in 2008. He is married to his wife, Cheryl who is a private music teacher, has a son Keith who graduated from University of Maryland College Park majoring in Electrical Engineering, and has two grandchildren Daniel Ryon, and Kaiden Nickolas. He enjoys all types of sports, cooking, playing trumpet in church, & spending time with his family.
Susan Banks is the Director of Dorchester County Economic Development. She oversees the county’s Economic Development and the day-to-day operations of the Eastern Shore Innovation Center Business Incubator. Prior to this role she served as the Business Development Manager for the Economic Development office for 5 years where she focused on attraction and retention strategies. She sits on several boards including the Crossroads Community Inc and is involved with many local organizations. Susan has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Salisbury University and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Policy and Management from American Public University.
Beth A Woodring is the Director of Financial Operations with the Frederick County Division of Economic Opportunity and previously led the business attraction team. Her diverse economic development and finance experience spans state, local, and higher education sectors. Beth has a strong passion for mentoring entrepreneurs, and she served as a business counselor with the SBDC in both Carroll County and Frederick County.
She is a graduate of the Howard County Leadership Premier Class of 2017 and the Towson University Professional Leadership for Women program and holds degrees from Bucknell University (BA) and Johns Hopkins University (MAS). Outside of work, Beth volunteers to support animal welfare issues. She resides in beautiful downtown Frederick, MD.
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. She previously served as regional manager in this office, covering South Asia, the 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.
Martin Proulx is the Value-Added Agricultural Specialist with the Maryland Department of Agriculture. This role provides general support for value-added and agricultural processing sectors in the State, as well as collaborates to reduce barriers and strengthen regulatory framework to improve and expand capacities and opportunities for value-added agricultural products.
Martin comes to MDA from Charles County Government, where he served as the Agriculture Business Development Manager, and has previous experience supporting agricultural businesses and farmers markets. He received a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Frostburg State University
Bill Tompkins is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), based in Rockville MD. He leads a strong team of diverse economic development, business development, marketing, communications and strategic partnership professionals who work to fulfill the mission of making Montgomery County one of the best, most diverse and equitable places to be in business in the country. Bill was previously Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and has been with MCEDC since January of 2019.
Bill has a deep background in marketing, business operations, strategic planning, and nonprofit management, with most of his career serving as a senior executive in the media and entertainment industries with Fortune 500 companies.
From May 2014 until August 2015, Bill was Vice President, Advertising and Marketing at The Philadelphia Tribune. He made a strategic investment in The Tribune to help ensure the long-term sustainability of Black media in the US.
In July 2012, he was named President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a Washington-based organization, which represents over 200 Black-owned and operated newspapers across the nation.
Bill joined the Eastman Kodak Company in 2000 as Chief Marketing Officer for the Entertainment Imaging Business unit and became Vice President and General Manager of the Motion Picture Film Group while also serving as a corporate vice president.
Prior to Kodak, Bill spent nineteen years from 1982 until 2000 at The Washington Post Newspaper in a variety of executive positions. His most recent position there was Vice President of Marketing with most of his career spent in the Advertising and Circulation Departments.
From 2009 until 2018, Bill also ran a consulting practice that advised companies on strategic business opportunities and brand transformation strategies.
Bill has been in active leadership positions on several nonprofit Boards. They include the Mosaic Theater Company of DC where he is Treasurer and the former Chair of the Board, Rockville Economic Development (REDI), Worksource Montgomery and the Advisory Boards of the Universities at Shady Grove and Montgomery Moving Forward.
He was previously Chairman, National Kidney Foundation, National Capital Area, member, Board of Directors, California Chamber of Commerce, the Advertising Council, the Studio Theatre, The Washington Convention and Visitors Association, The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, the American Black Film Festival Advisory Board, and The Helen Hayes Awards Committee. He is also a member of the Executive Leadership Council, and a graduate of Leadership Washington.
Bill received his MBA from the Harvard Business School where he was a General Motors Fellow and received his BA in Economics, magna cum laude from Tufts University.
Shelly Gross-Wade is the founder, Principal Consultant and CEO of Bay Crossing
Consulting Services, located in Queen Anne’s County, Maryland. Bay Crossing
Consulting provides comprehensive advisory and consulting services to economic
and community development organizations, government agencies, non-profits, and
small and minority-owned businesses.
Shelly has more than 40 years of public-private executive management experience
and has successfully developed, implemented, managed, evaluated and promoted
mission-focused economic development financing and technical assistance
programs and services.
For more than 24 years, she served as the President & CEO of the Prince George’s
Financial Services Corporation (FSC First). Under her leadership, FSC First
managed assets of more than $64 Million in outstanding loans and grants,
maintained a $5 Million economic development revolving loan fund (or loan pool),
became an SBA guaranteed lender, received designation as a Community
Development Financial Institution (CDFI), was allocated $10 Million in New
Market Tax Credits, awarded $4 Million in ARPA Funding, became a State of
Maryland Video Lottery Terminal Fund Manager and an inaugural member of the
African American Alliance of CDFI’s, lectured for the Council of Development
Finance Agencies and the Maryland Economic Development Association.
Shelly is a sought-after public speaker, management retreat facilitator, and subject
matter expert on innovative and creative financing solutions for small, minority,
and women-owned businesses.
Shelly and her husband of more than 35 years own and operate a recreational
boating service and a vacation rental home, The Woodland Retreat, on Kent Island.
Shelly has been recognized for her distinguished leadership and collaborative
services with The Daily Record 2023 Leadership ICON Honors Award and
Maryland’s Top 100 Woman Award. She was inducted into the 2023 Maryland
Economic Development Association (MEDA) Hall of Fame. She serves on the
Chesapeake College – Foundation Board, Hospice of the Chesapeake – Board of
Directors, Maryland Economic Development Association — Foundation Board and
the Queen Anne’s County Economic Development Commission.
