Good morning, rural Maryland
The Tidewater Inn’s Crystal Room at 6 a.m. is stark contrast to the expected bustle of activity three hours later. As the sun barely peeks above the horizon and filters through the windows, a room full of empty chairs and a sole podium sit in quiet anticipation of the arriving day. At 9 a.m. the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy’s thirteenth Annual Planning Conference kicks off. This year, the theme and title of the conference is “Rural Jobs Summit: Vibrant Towns + Working Landscapes.”
Today a collection of elected officials, organization heads, local business representatives, community planners, and others will meet to discuss the economic future of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. A number of notable speakers will be in attendance, including Deputy Secretary Dominick Murray of Maryland’s Department of Business and Economic Development, Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown, Ed McMahon of the Urban Land Institute, and Stephen McKnight of Fourth Economy Consulting.
From this conference, attendees hope to develop an image of the Eastern Shore that they would like to come to fruition. Even in the face of national economic stagnation, the region has an optimistic outlook. Outside, the sun continues to rise higher in the sky spraying rays of light onto the ground below, unhindered by clouds. It looks to be another beautiful June day, undoubtedly a fortuitous sign of the future of the Eastern Shore.