Washington County Maryland Department of Business Development Names Director
Hagerstown, Md. (PRWEB) August 26, 2014 -- The Board of County Commissioners of Washington County, Maryland approved the hire of Kathleen “Kassie” Lewis as the new Director for the Washington County Department of Business Development (DBD) effective August 26, 2014. For a look at Kassie’s first statement as DBD Director, visit: https://www.youtube.com/WashingtonCountyMD.
Lewis comes to Washington County after six years with the Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development (DBED) serving as Business Development Director; Director, Strategic Initiatives and most recently as Manager, Federal Facilities.
In these roles, Lewis initiated and implemented statewide programs forging coalitions with multiple stakeholders to address particular business issues. Examples include TEAM Maryland Network to increase small business win rates for federal government contracts and Credit Connections to increase businesses’ access to capital.
Additionally, she and her team executed events, cultivated relationships with prospective businesses, provided insight into available real estate and prepared data packages to showcase Maryland as a prime location for business.
Prior to her tenure with Maryland DBED, Lewis served as Manager Special Markets with the Baltimore County Department of Economic Development and Director of Economic Development for Carroll County Government.
Her leadership efforts to attract/retain jobs and to resolve business issues have included working with companies such as Federal Express, Travelers Insurance, Global Payments, Toyota Financial Services, Ferguson Enterprises, AAI Corporation, Wilkins Rogers Mills/Washington Flour, Bakery Express/Ms. Desserts and FBI Baltimore regional headquarters.
“From her longstanding relationships with DBED, to her feet on the street success in county level business and economic development, Kassie’s skillset and experience uniquely match our organizational needs,” said John F. Barr, Vice-President, Washington County Board of County Commissioners.
“We wanted the candidate with the strongest credentials to build upon the growth efforts already underway in our community and we’ve found that with this hire. Kassie’s outside perspective will help in identifying fresh opportunities to advance economic development opportunities for Washington County citizens. The County Commissioners are eager to welcome her aboard and look forward to working together.”
Lewis holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Towson University, a master’s in social work from the University of Maryland and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute -- the premiere economic development training program in the nation.
In her new role, Lewis will serve as the primary sales and development driver for the County and act as staff liaison to the Economic Development Commission Board. Lewis will be responsible for the development and implementation of strategic programs to encourage business relocation, retention, and expansion in Washington County.
She will continue building on the work of DBD staff and further forge partnerships with state, local and community organizations while connecting with existing businesses to help them navigate retention and expansion resources. Lewis will also manage DBD staff and new business development and retention initiatives under the direction of Assistant County Administrator Sarah Lankford Sprecher.
Lewis’s office will be located at 100 W. Washington Street, Room 103 in the County Administration building and she can be reached at 240-313-2280. Media interviews will be conducted at 120 W. Washington Street in the Public Relations and Community Affairs office August 26 at 1:00 p.m., following a brief networking event.
For media interested in more information, contact Public Relations and Community Affairs Manager
James Jenkins at 240-313-2384 or jajenkins(at)washco-md(dot)net
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About the Washington County Department of Business Development
Washington County Department of Business Development (DBD) is a county agency providing assistance to new and expanding businesses throughout Washington County, Maryland. The DBD interacts with a vast network of public, private and nonprofit organizations to address the business needs of the community, as well as attract new companies to the county. Visit hagerstownedc.org for more information.
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James Jenkins, Washington County Government, http://washco-md.net, 240-313-2384, [email protected]
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