2026 MEDA Summer 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.

Bryce Besaw is the District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Baltimore District Office, where he leads initiatives to help small businesses across Maryland access capital, secure federal contracts, and grow through counseling and economic development programs. Bringing extensive strategic leadership experience, he takes a pragmatic approach to building partnerships that advance small business success. As a small business owner himself, Bryce offers a practical, firsthand perspective on the challenges entrepreneurs face every day.

Teran Judd joined TRG in April of 2022 as a Senior Advisor after serving the Department of Defense for 19 years, 16 of which he spent serving the Air Force. Most recently, Teran served as Director of the Air Force Community Partnership Program, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations. As the Director of Community partnership, Teran and his staff of over 50 personnel supported all Air Force Installations, over 1,000 initiatives, and the completion of hundreds of partnership agreements benefitting both installations and community partners.

Teran also held the title of Director of Air Force Encroachment, a position in which he served as the representative for the Assistant Secretary for Installations, Environment and Energy to the DoD Siting Clearinghouse leading the effort to approve Encroachment projects while ensuring no impact to Air Force missions.

Prior to those roles, Teran served as a Branch Chief in the Office of Strategic Basing. He was the Subject Matter Expert for the initial basing decisions of KC-46A and the F-35, and was one of the original members of the Strategic Basing office.

Teran has served in several additional organizations with the Department of Defense. He was part of the Joint Staff (J8), providing guidance and analysis to the Joint Capabilities Board. Prior to that he served on the 2005 Air Force Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) team, and was the Confidential Assistant to the Principle Deputy of Personal and Readiness in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Teran Judd holds a Bachelor Degree in Communications from The Catholic University of America and currently resides in Woodbridge, VA with his wife and 3 daughters.

Matt Miller serves as the Executive Director of the Cumberland Economic Development Corporation (CEDC), where he leads strategic initiatives that are driving economic growth, attracting investment, and advancing transformative redevelopment throughout the City of Cumberland. Under his leadership, the organization has become a catalyst for innovation, collaboration, and sustainable community revitalization, helping position Cumberland as a model for rural economic development and small-city renewal.

With more than ten years of experience in economic development, five of which in executive leadership, Matt has led a diverse portfolio of redevelopment projects, strategic planning initiatives, workforce development programs, and business retention and attraction efforts that have strengthened Cumberland’s economic foundation. His work has focused on revitalizing historic commercial corridors, repurposing underutilized public assets, expanding entrepreneurial opportunities, and aligning workforce development with the evolving needs of regional employers. Through these efforts, he has helped attract new investment, support local businesses, and create opportunities that enhance the quality of life for residents throughout the region.

Matt has extensive experience securing and administering competitive federal, state, and private grant funding, successfully managing complex, multi-partner projects from concept through implementation. His expertise includes economic development strategy, public-private partnerships, organizational leadership, project management, stakeholder engagement, and intergovernmental collaboration. He is known for building consensus among diverse stakeholders, fostering strong relationships across the public and private sectors, and delivering practical, results-oriented solutions to complex community challenges.

Throughout his career, Matt has remained committed to advancing sustainable economic growth while preserving the unique character and heritage of Appalachian communities. His leadership emphasizes innovation, accountability, transparency, and measurable outcomes, with a focus on creating long-term opportunities for businesses, residents, and future generations.

Beyond his professional responsibilities, Matt is actively involved in community service and civic leadership. He serves on the boards of the Maryland Economic Development Association, Carver Community Center and the Allegany College of Maryland Foundation, and is a longtime member of the Western Maryland Jaycees, where he has dedicated years of volunteer service to community improvement initiatives and leadership development.

Kim Mozingo serves as Vice President of Federal Programs at TEDCO, where she leads a high-impact portfolio that transforms federal research into real-world economic growth. She directs strategic initiatives that connect Maryland companies to federal funding, laboratories, and commercialization pathways—helping position the state as a national leader in innovation, technology transfer, and dual-use advancement. In her role, she oversees the management of several programs including FLLIP, BRIDGE, DefTech, the APEX Accelerator Program, and multiple SBIR Programs.

With more than 30 years of experience spanning government, entrepreneurship, and economic development, Kim brings a rare combination of strategic vision and execution. She has built and scaled programs that guide companies from early-stage concepts to funded, market-ready ventures, while strengthening partnerships across federal agencies, research institutions, and industry. Her work bridges the gap between innovation and impact—ensuring promising technologies don’t just get developed but get deployed.

Kim is known for driving results at scale, having supported thousands of companies in accessing capital, partnerships, and commercialization opportunities. She continues to expand access to non-dilutive funding and federal engagement, with a focus on turning innovation into companies, companies into jobs, and jobs into lasting economic impact.

Kim earned her Bachelor of Science degree in management from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Julie Norman, CEcD, is a seasoned economic and workforce development executive with more than 25 years of senior-level experience at the state, regional and local levels. As a Certified Economic Developer, she has been instrumental in leading complex, multi-sector initiatives at the local, regional, and state levels. She provides subject matter expertise and strategic oversight for economic development grant procurement, project delivery, administration, and compliance, while supporting clients nationwide in planning and funding impactful development projects. Julie has worked closely with local governments, nonprofit organizations, and private sector partners to develop comprehensive economic development strategies tailored to the unique needs and opportunities of each community. Her expertise spans workforce development, downtown revitalization, small business support, infrastructure, and planning. She has secured and managed funding from federal, state, and other sources to support initiatives that drive job creation, business retention, and regional competitiveness.

Lexi Oliva is a Program Analyst for the Technical Assistance team at the Appalachian Regional Commission, where she organizes instructional events and varied resources for ARC stakeholders. During her tenure at ARC, she has had the opportunity to visit and serve folks across the region by way of coordinating ARC’s annual “Regional Workshop” series and various State-specific application workshops. Her primary focus is on closing informational gaps, elevating access to resources, and consistently offering opportunities to communities seeking funding within the economic development space.

Cassidy Riley is Chief Program Officer at Coalfield Development. She leads programs that create career pathways and hands-on training opportunities, helping people in coal-impacted communities build brighter futures while strengthening local economies. She previously worked with rural governments on infrastructure and economic development, gaining a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in Appalachia. She holds a Master of Public Administration from Marshall University, where she focused on nonprofit management and rural capacity building.

Ebony Stocks is the former 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!