The City’s Economic Development Director named President of MEDA.
Frederick, Md (KM) It’s an honor for the City of Frederick. At the Maryland Economic Development Association conference last week in Cambridge, the City’s Department of Economic Development received an award for its work on the Union Mills Public House. The facility at 340 East Patrick Street was known at the Union Knitting Mills Building where nylon was processed in the early 20th century.
In addition, Frederick’s Economic Development Director Richard Griffin was named President of MEDA, a post he will hold for one year.
Mayor Michael O’Connor, who attended the conference, says economic development is more than just attracting companies to come to the city of Frederick. “Yes, it’s about bringing business to Frederick and trying to find and attract the best businesses we can. But every one of those businesses brings with it jobs,” he said, during an appearance last week on WFMD’s “Morning News Express.”
And, he says, jobs can make a big difference for many individuals. “And there’s no better way to transform someone’s life than to give them a job,”: he says.
It also means having a prosperous economy that works for everyone. “By extension, when we have a prosperous economy that works for everyone–we’re not there yet’ we don’t have an economy that works for everyone–but when it can work for a lot of people, we can create a community that’s really attractive,” he says.
The biggest challenge employers face is finding enough people to put on their payrolls. “The work that we have to continue to do is how to meet the need of employers who continue to look for workers,” Mayor O’Connor says. “That’s been a recurring theme as I continue to do businesses visits around the city is finding people to come in and work is the biggest challenge many of our employers are facing.”
By Kevin McManus