Economic Development Commission Minutes — 2026-01-28

Exactly as extracted, unformatted — for checking against the original. The readable version is easier to read.

EDC Meeting Minutes for January 28, 2026
I. Call to Order and Determination of Quorum
Due to weather conditions, the business meeting was
conducted virtually. The meeting was called to order by EDC
Chair, Shelly Gross-Wade at 9:00 am.
Board members Present:
Shelly Gross-Wade, Vice Chair
Mason Popham, Vice Chair
Lee Bridgman, Secretary
Lara Wilson, Treasurer
Kenneth Knight
Shawna Payne
Deayna Ewell
Doug Silber
Jim Reilly
John Anderes
Ryan Snow
Kelsey Karbaum
Heather Bacher, Past Chair
Members Not Present:
Pat Fox
Larissa Costello
QACETD Staff Present:
Heather Tinelli., QACETD Director
Lisa Gallow, QACETD Office Coordinator
April Plummer, QACETD Marketing Administration
Others Present:
Patrick McLaughlin, QAC Commissioner
Jody Schulz, KNDF Board and Business Owner
Gigi Windley, Kent Narrows Development Foundation
Steve Johnson, QAC Planning & Zoning
Sandy Huffer, Centreville Town Council

II. Approval of Agenda: On a motion made by John Anderes and seconded by Jim
Reilly, the January meeting agenda was unanimously approved by all members
present.
III. Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes: On a motion made by Heather Bacher and
seconded by Ken Knight, the December EDC Meeting Minutes were unanimously
approved by all members present.
IV. Treasurers Report. EDC Treasurer, Lara Wilson, stated the current balance for the
EDC account is $6798.85. The $3049.96 change in funds is due to ticket sales and
$77.28 credit card fees related to the Economic Development Outlook event that
was recently hosted by the EDC Board and QACETD.
V. Commissioner’s Report: QAC Commissioner, Patrick McLaughlin, provided an
update to the EDC members.
Commissioner McLaughlin provided an update on county operations, highlighting
the successful response to recent storms and staffing preparations.
VI. Department of Economic & Tourism Development Update: QACETD Director,
Heather Tinelli, provided a department update. Ms. Tinelli shared various
Economic Development and Tourism initiatives, including pitch competition, details
related to the new micro-ag grant and information for upcoming local events such as
a trades roundtable and presentation of the economic strategy plan for
Sudlersville. In addition, Ms. Tinelli discussed business visits, projects, meetings and
conferences that QACETD staff members have recently attended and completed.
VII. New Business
A. Approval of 2026 Meeting Schedule- The 2026 meeting schedule was
introduced and approved by all members present.
B. QAC Economic Development Survey Results-Ms. Tinelli reported that
survey results were received and are being analyzed, with plans to share
findings at an upcoming subcommittee meeting. Shelly Gross-Wade
recommending its inclusion in resident communications and suggested
potential distribution channels. The group discussed the need for better
public awareness of available business resources in Queen Anne's County,
with Shelly Gross-Wade suggesting the creation of dedicated TV
programming to highlight these opportunities.
C. QAC 2025 Economic Scorecard- Heather Tinelli presented the 2025 Queen
Anne's County economic scorecard, highlighting key metrics including a
slight increase in unemployment rate to 2.8% (second lowest in Maryland), a
13% increase in job counts to 19,000, and $1.19 million in hotel tax
revenue (3% increase from FY24).

She noted that while new businesses are starting, many are smaller and
won't create jobs immediately, and approximately $86 million in deals are in
the pipeline for commercial real estate investment. The presentation also
covered tourism statistics, career center partnerships with public schools
(noting 373 internships between two high schools, a 25% increase over last
year), and community outreach efforts through various committees and the
A&E district management
VIII. Old Business
A. Introduction of Current Board Members; Shelly Gross-Wade began her first
meeting as EDC Chair by encouraging all current members to introduce
themselves and include a brief statement regarding their background.
B. Introduction of New Board Members: Shelly Gross-Wade introduced the
newest EDC members and offered them an opportunity to tell members a
little about themselves.
1. Ryan Snow- Principal, R and R Solutions
2. Kelsey Karbaum- President, Wayne’s Welding
C. Subcommittee Strategic Plan Priorities Update
1. Elevate Tourism- The Tourism Subcommittee, chaired by Shelly
Gross-Wade, noted overlap with the Travel and Tourism Committee
and plans to recalibrate their focus
2. Workforce Housing & Transportation- Shawna Payne, chair of the
Workforce Housing and Transportation Subcommittee, outlined
plans to make meetings more action-oriented and requested input
from Patrick McLaughlin and Mike Clark on affordable housing
strategies.
3. Business Growth & Attraction- Jim provided an update on the
Business Growth and Attraction subcommittee, focusing on
apprenticeships, real estate inventory, Ag Tourism, and comparing
county incentives with others
4. Community & Quality of Life- Subcommittee Chair, Ken Knight,
discussed the subcommittee's efforts to recruit healthcare providers
and gather community feedback, highlighting challenges in
representing the county's diverse demographics. The group agreed to
meet quarterly and explore presenting at the Four Seasons Country
Club to better understand community needs.
D. State of the Economy January 2026 Recap- Heather Tinelli reported on the
successful State of the Economy event, which attracted 175 attendees, and
suggested considering a later date in January for next year's event.

IX. EDC Member Updates
A. Ken Knight- Mr. Knight discussed challenges with the ACE program at Queen
Anne's County High School, noting a significant decrease in student
participation due to lack of faculty involvement.
B. University of MD Extension- Lee Bridgman shared upcoming events,
including the annual seed giveaway and the Women in Ag Conference.
X. Liaison Updates
A. QAC Planning & Zoning - Steve Johnson provided updates on several
projects in Queen Anne's County, including the approved concept plan for
TechOps and the major site plan for Hinckley Yachts, which is expected to
move forward with permits soon. He also mentioned a meeting on
February 4th to discuss the expansion of a gravel pit and a resubmitted
Dunkin' Donuts application addressing traffic concerns. Steve noted that solar
projects continue to be a significant focus in the area. Ms. Gross-Wade
inquired about the allowed land capacity for solar development. Steve
confirmed that 5% of the county's land could be used for solar farms, with
potential for up to 6,000 acres under a recent state bill. They discussed
the location of solar farms with Steve noting they would likely be spread
across the county, excluding residential areas. Shelly also asked about the
status of two proposed solar farms and a gas station project, which Steve said
had not yet been resubmitted. The conversation ended with a discussion
about the need to review and potentially update the approval process for
long-pending major site plans, as Shelly expressed concern about the
allocation of limited water and sewer capacity for projects that had not
progressed in over two years.
They discussed concerns about water and sewer allocation reserves for
inactive projects, with Shelly raising questions about implementing time limits
for unused allocations that could hinder new development. Steve explained
that once projects are approved, there's typically a two-year clock before
requiring extensions, and while paid deposits make it more challenging to
reclaim allocations, the law currently doesn't require developers to return
unused ones. The group agreed to add this topic to the Business Attraction
and Expansion Subcommittee agenda for further discussion, while Steve
noted that the JPN self-storage project was nearing completion after
addressing violations.
B. Workforce Development-Connie Dean, QACETD Workforce Development
Administrator, requested volunteers for tour guides, presenters, and career
tables at an upcoming event, Kelsey Karbaum offered to help with welding
and construction presentations on the second day.
C. Chesapeake College- Shelly Goss-Wade shared on behalf of Dave Harper
that full funding for Chesapeake College's expansion project has been
included in the governor's budget.

D. Kent Narrows Development Foundation- Gigi Windley provided the EDC
members with an update.
The Printed copy of the Tier 2 NEPA study is available for review. The KNDF
will attend the public hearings that are scheduled for February. A hard copy is
located in the Visitors Center and the libraries for review. KNDF is preparing
for the Bay Bridge Boat Show here at Kent Narrows-Safe Harbor Marina. April
17-19, 2026. There has been a retail change in the region as The O moved
to 214 Pier Road in Stevensville with an anticipated opening date of .Feb.
KNDF continues to monitor Bills that will affect businesses here which include
HB 244 DNR sponsored Bill related to succession of Boat ownership.
Bill Summary- Authorizing an individual who is the sole owner of a certain
vessel to apply to the Department of Natural Resources to designate a
beneficiary to take ownership of the vessel on the death of the owner;
requiring a designated beneficiary who survives the owner of a vessel to
apply to the Department for a new certificate of title for the vessel; and
requiring an application for a certificate of title for a vessel to contain certain
information.
XI. Adjourn- Ona motion made by Ken Knight and seconded by Heather Bacher, all
members present approved to adjourn the EDC meeting at 10:39am.