Gov. Martin O'Malley has relaunched the once defunct Maryland Economic Development Commission (MEDC). The official swearing in of commission members occurred in August and reopens the MEDC at a time when private economic investment is vitally needed.
The MEDC, first created in 1995 has been inactive since 2006. It's25 member panel will help shape Maryland's business policy, regulation and legislation. As part of its mission, the Commission also will develop a 10-year strategic plan for the state's economy, solicit input from businesses from each region of the state and provide recommendations to the Gov. on issues that currently or could potentially impact Maryland's businesses.
"The Maryland Economic Development Commission will play a vital role in charting a course for Maryland's economic future," says Governor O'Malley. "We are fortunate to have brought together some of Maryland's greatest visionaries in science, education and business from every region of the State to undertake this important mission and I look forward to learning their recommendations for how we can best support Maryland's business community."
Commission members serve staggered three-year terms. Chairing the Commission will be Dr. Elias Zerhouni, who is currently Senior Advisor for Johns Hopkins Medicine and Senior Fellow at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. From 2002 to 2008, Dr. Zerhouni was the Director of the National Institutes of Health, where he successfully led a series of reforms that were adopted by Congress in the NIH Reform Act of 2006.
"It's an honor for me to lead this Commission of my fellow Marylanders dedicated to strengthening Maryland's economy," said Dr. Zerhouni. "I look forward to working with Governor O'Malley and my Commission members to develop a long-range strategic plan to build on Maryland's unparalleled assets."
Writer: Walaika Haskins
Source: Dr. Elias Zerhouni, MEDC