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January 16, 2021

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Commerce Commerce Homepage

An Angel in Easton: Washingtonian Magazine Looks at the Prager Phenomenon

January 15, 2021 by The Spy Leave a Comment

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Perhaps one of the best gifts to a community is when an outside news source can bring a new perspective on sometimes controversial issues or trends taking place.

One of those trends taking place in every Spy market on the Mid-Shore is the appearance of “angels” in these small towns with not only a vision to rescue its struggling downtowns but access to capital to implement those plans.

To many residents in these communities, there is a sense of gratitude that their town is worthy of such remarkable investments. On the other hand, as Easton knows well, some challenges come with these engaged, strong-willed stakeholders who don’t hesitate to use their legitimate say on issues impacting a town’s look and culture.

The Washingtonian in its January issue provides a unique take on Easton’s number one fan and benefactor, Paul Prager, and his Talbot County hospitality projects.

Read the full article here.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Commerce Homepage

Shore United Bank Welcomes Brian Saucedo as Digital Marketing Manager

January 14, 2021 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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Brian Saucedo

Shore United Bank is proud to announce that Brian Saucedo has joined the Company as a Digital Marketing Manager. Brian joins Shore United Bank with six (6) years of digital media, publishing, web and graphic design experience. Brian will oversee social media, website and email marketing for the bank and its investment division.

Mr. Saucedo has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and is also a graduate of Chesapeake College where he earned an associate degree in liberal arts with a PC technician certificate.

“We are excited about having Brian join our marketing team. His creative insight and digital media experience will be a great asset to our organization,” says Debra Rich, Chief Marketing & Project Officer for Shore United Bank.

“I look forward to utilizing my creative talents to help grow the company’s presence in the community through social and digital platforms,” says Mr. Saucedo.

Brian gives back to his community through church missionary trips, beach and community clean ups and is a youth leader at his church.  He resides in Easton, Maryland and soccer, snowboarding and playing musical instruments.

For more information about Shore United Bank, visit ShoreUnitedBank.com

Filed Under: Commerce Notes Tagged With: commerce, local news, Shore United Bank

Commerce: Discover Easton Director to Step Down at Year End

December 30, 2020 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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Ross Benincasa, Executive Director of Discover Easton, the agency responsible for promoting tourism and Easton’s local businesses, is stepping down on December 31, 2020. Benincasa, who has been in the position for four years, has escalated Easton’s marketing substantially, growing the community’s presence throughout the Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia regions.

Benincasa’s last event will be the 2021 First Night Talbot virtual celebration, Talbot County’s family-friendly New Year’s Eve festivities for over 27 years. What is usually a night of live performances spread out throughout Easton will instead be delivered directly to residents’ homes via live stream on December 31, 2020, culminating in the world-famous Easton Crab Drop at 9 p.m.

“Ross has brought considerable talent and value to Discover Easton and the Town of Easton. He rebuilt our website and has been a master at digital marketing, earning the town millions of impressions each year,” commented Jeff Schneider, President, Discover Easton. “Over the years, he has been instrumental in acquiring many grants to support marketing efforts for the Easton business community, including an annual six-figure contribution from Google, and recently negotiated the soon-to-be announced COVID-19 relief grants for Easton’s downtown businesses.”

Benincasa also worked to re-accredit Easton’s Main Street Maryland and Main Street America programs, which the town of Easton had allowed to lapse, and established Talbot County’s first Arts & Entertainment District in Easton – one of the largest A&E Districts in the State of Maryland. In 2020 he was chosen as a presenter at the National Main Street Center conference in Dallas, Texas for his digital marketing work in rural communities. He has also been steadfast in his desire to increase the diversity of Easton’s Main Street businesses, making a point to strategically grow the district by incorporating Easton’s Dover Street businesses in 2020 and engaging the East End neighborhood in the town’s Arts & Entertainment District.

In addition, Benincasa’s focus on free, family-friendly events led signature Easton events such as the St. Patrick’s Day parade and Moonlight Madness to grow under his leadership, as did the number of new events in downtown Easton, including the Chesapeake Fire & Ice Festival and the Easton Arts District Culture Crossing. Last year’s inaugural Fire and Ice Festival brought over 6,000 visitors to the town during one of the traditionally slowest times of the year. When these signature events were canceled due to the pandemic, Benincasa helped organize the sale of over $30,000 in small business gift cards to help Easton’s small businesses.

“As a councilman and as a citizen, my family and I have benefited from Ross’ great work. He is always receptive to new ideas and has worked hard to bring people to Easton’s downtown. He also put energy into including Easton’s neighborhoods in his events and activities such as Dover and Aurora Streets and the East End. This has really expanded the downtown’s reach and broadened participation.  He will be missed,” commented Megan Cook, Easton Town Council President.

Although his work is ending with Discover Easton, Benincasa will continue to serve on the boards of Chesapeake Music and Talbot Interfaith Shelter, as well as in his role as commissioner in the Town of Hillsboro, where he and his family reside.

“While the last several months may have been a bit surreal, being able to settle our family and work in such a beautiful area has been one of the great joys of my life,” Benincasa said. “The credit for our accomplishments over the past four years goes directly to the small business owners and organizations that we have partnered with around Easton, and their presence makes me optimistic for the Town’s future. I am so grateful for the outpouring of support and well-wishes that I have received over the past few months and look forward to enjoying Easton’s businesses and events with my family as a customer and attendee.”

“Our board is very sad to lose Ross as our Executive Director. Unfortunately, the Town of Easton chose to transfer our funding to be managed through Easton Economic Development Corporation and they have chosen not to fund our initiatives or events, leaving us without the necessary funding to support an Executive Director,” Schneider added. “However, Discover Easton is not going away. We still have a mission to serve our businesses. A large part of the business community has indicated they still need and want our support. At the end of the day, we have a funding problem that we hope to resolve in 2021.”

About Discover Easton: Discover Easton is a marketing, promotion and events non-profit organization operating as a member of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation.  The mission of Discover Easton is to enhance, promote and preserve the vitality of Easton’s independent merchants which benefit business owners, residents and visitors; and to bring awareness to the Town’s historical roots and lifestyles.

Filed Under: Commerce Homepage

EnergyLink3 Wins the 2020 F3 Tech Accelerator Program

December 19, 2020 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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F3 Tech Accelerator, a leading commercialization program for early-stage companies, streamed its virtual Program Award Event on December 16th and announced EnergyLink3, one of five companies presenting, as the winner of its 4-month long program. EnergyLink3, a Maryland-based company, was chosen based on its accomplishments during the program, notedly having become the first early-stage company to ever raise external investment funding during the program. In addition, EnergyLink3 will receive $25,000 from F3 Tech to use towards commercialization efforts.
Energylink3 focused their time in the program on expediting prototype development of their exclusive C4V™ licensed lithium-ion cells for their military research agreements and raising the final funding needed to prepare the prototypes for delivery to the Army. “F3 Tech provided investment and legal resources that helped lead to their acquisition of private funding in November,” stated Sam Zappas, F3 Tech Advisor. The prototyping was expedited by 6 months due to the program’s on-site 3-D printing capabilities, which will help EnergyLink3 to present their Tesla-leading ultra-safe, less toxic battery technology to the military and for rural civilian applications.
“Early in the program, we identified a massive opportunity for Maryland and began working on a strategic plan to promote the manufacturing of future DoD-specific products in what could be the most secure lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant yet to be developed,” said Chris Hlubb, F3 Tech Program Director. EnergyLink3’s current batteries will be manufactured in New York at a former IBM campus by C4V and iM3, which will become America’s 2nd Gigafactory.
In 2017, the F3 Tech Accelerator Program launched to advance innovation and new technologies within agriculture, aquaculture, energy, supply chain and environmental technology sectors. This year, the F3 Tech Accelerator Program received more applicants than ever before and selected the five best-qualified portfolio companies for its fall program. The selected finalists received funding and executive support to expedite commercial sales and prepare each company for potential investment, acquisition, or commercial launch.
To learn more about the 2020 F3 Tech Accelerator Program winner, please visit their website: https://energylink3.com/.
About F3 Tech Accelerator
The F3 Tech Accelerator Program provides funding and support for early-stage companies to prepare them for potential investment from the future F3 Tech Seed Fund, industry partners, and investors. F3 Tech aids portfolio teams to expedite commercialization; accelerate manufacturing, enhance customer acquisition and revenue development to match our industry partner commercial needs. F3 Tech is an initiative of the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center, a private-sector nonprofit serving entrepreneurs and high-growth, innovative, and scalable startup companies throughout Maryland’s Eastern Shore. For more information, please visit: https://f3tech.org/.
About EnergyLink3
EnergyLink3 is a developer of lithium-ion battery storage and management systems for rural and defense applications. Through an exclusive license with C4V™, who has developed a Tesla-leading ultra-safe, less toxic technology that is currently being manufactured in the USA, EnergyLink3 is currently designing advanced mobile energy storage solutions at its Maryland headquarters.

Filed Under: Commerce Notes Tagged With: commerce, local news

Kate Walters Celebrates 25 Years with Shore United Bank

December 16, 2020 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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Kate Walters

Shore United Bank is proud to congratulate Kate Walters on twenty-five (25) years of service. Ms. Walters began her career with the Bank in December of 1995 in loan operations located in Centreville, Maryland.   Over her career she has held various positions, working in the mortgage division and multiple leadership positions.  Kate’s current position is Asst. Vice President Loan Servicing Manager, where she is responsible for ensuring loan records are maintained with accuracy and prepares management and regulatory reporting.

Ms. Walters attended Chesapeake College where she earned an associate degree in Business Administration.

“Kate has years of loan experience, regulatory and reporting knowledge that makes her a vital team member. Her familiarity of the communities we serve and those who reside in our area are an asset.” says Jamie Dulin, Senior Loan Operations Officer.

Ms. Walters has served on the boards for Caroline and Dorchester Co. Fair and Caroline Lacrosse Association.  She also participates in various community initiatives around the holidays serving children in need.  Kate resides in Ridgely, MD with her husband Mike and her two children, Kelsey and Hunter. She enjoys watching football and lacrosse, camping, shopping and relaxing at the beach with her family.

For more information about Shore United Bank, visit ShoreUnitedBank.com

Filed Under: Commerce Notes Tagged With: commerce, local news, Shore United Bank

Chesapeake Bank & Trust Welcomes New CEO Bob Altieri

December 12, 2020 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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Bob Altieri

Tot Strong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Chesapeake Bank & Trust Company, today announced that the Company has hired Bob Altieri as President and CEO of both the Bank and its holding company, Chesapeake Bancorp. He will replace Glenn L. Wilson, who is retiring after serving the Bank for nearly 6 years as President and CEO.

“We are pleased to welcome Bob to our organization,” said Mr. Strong. “His experience with and enthusiasm for Maryland community banking makes him an excellent fit for Chesapeake. We are looking forward to introducing him to our clients and community.” Mr. Altieri will officially join the Bank on December 14, 2020.

Mr. Altieri obtained his B.A. in Finance from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and shortly thereafter entered the banking industry. He spent over two decades of his early career at Carrollton Bank in Baltimore, Maryland, initially as Senior Vice President of Lending, where he was tasked with building the commercial lending department. Mr. Altieri was then promoted to President and CEO of Carrollton Bancorp and Carrollton Bank, a $370 million publicly traded community bank with eleven locations across the Baltimore metropolitan area. After successfully implementing several strategic initiatives during his 13 years as President and CEO at Carrollton, he joined Howard Bank as Executive Vice President and President of Mortgage Division in May 2013, where he built a mortgage division to support the rapid growth of the Bank.

Mr. Altieri commented: “I want to congratulate Glenn for his work and dedication over the past 6 years and wish him well in retirement. I am humbled to be selected to continue the storied history of CB&T and look forward to working with our excellent staff and Board to carry on providing the community of Chestertown and Kent County with the best banking products and services available in the marketplace.”

About Chesapeake Bank and Trust

Chesapeake Bank and Trust is a full-service community bank, locally-owned and directed by area business and community leaders. The Bank is committed to providing area residents and business owners a broad range of financial products and an unparalleled level of individual service. Chesapeake Bank and Trust’s main branch is located at 245 High Street, Chestertown, Maryland 21620.

For more information, contact Chesapeake Bank and Trust at 410-778-1600, or e-mail Bob Altieri directly at baltieri@chesapeaketrust.com.

Filed Under: Commerce Homepage Tagged With: commerce, local news

Debbie Davis Celebrates 40 Years with Shore United Bank

December 12, 2020 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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Debbie Davis

Shore United Bank is proud to congratulate Debbie Davis on forty (40) years of service. Ms. Davis began her career with the Bank in December of 1980 in the operations bookkeeping/proof department in Easton, Maryland.   She later held various positions including Supervisor, Operations Bookkeeping, Manager of the Electronic Banking Department and as an Internal Auditor.  Debbie’s current position is Senior Loan Origination Specialist where she is responsible for loan review, loan qualifications and provides support functions related to loan account maintenance, research and assisting customers with questions about their loans.

Throughout Debbie’s tenure with the bank, she completed several banking courses with Markland Bankers Association, Dale Carnegie courses and numerous banking seminars related to her position.

“Debbie has years of banking experience and problem solving with a true understanding of the importance of accuracy and how it impacts the bank.  She has a positive attitude and enjoys helping others understand all sides of an issue making her an asset to our team,” says Jamie Dulin, Senior Loan Operations Officer.

Ms. Davis resides in East New Market, MD with her husband PJ and has a stepson, Troy and a granddaughter Addie. She enjoys traveling gardening and spending time with her family.

For more information about Shore United Bank, visit ShoreUnitedBank.com

Filed Under: Commerce Notes Tagged With: commerce, local news, Shore United Bank

F3 Tech Announces 2020 Accelerator Final Award Event

December 10, 2020 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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F3 Tech Accelerator, a leading commercialization program for early-stage companies, today announced its Accelerator Program Final Award Event will take place virtually on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 at 12:00 PM EST.

The five companies will provide a 10-minute presentation to a panel of five judges from government, industry and a past winner of the F3 Tech Accelerator program. One finalist will be selected based on their ability to attract further investment, to develop manufacturing or operations and their potential future impact on the Maryland economy.

F3 Tech Accelerator Program finalists include:
  1. ACTIVEcharge – A developer of self-powered wind turbine sensor technology which has recently completed its first pilot test in Talbot County, MD. The company’s technology allows monitoring systems and sensors to use the kinetic energy of the blades to power them, reducing operational costs and downtime.
  2. EnergyLink3 – A developer of lithium-ion battery storage and management systems for rural and defense applications. Through an exclusive license with C4V™, who has developed a Tesla-leading ultra-safe, less toxic technology that is currently being manufactured in the USA, EnergyLink3 is designing advanced mobile energy storage solutions at its Maryland headquarters.
  3. InventWood – A University of Maryland based company that has developed the world’s strongest wood-derived materials for use in the construction and automotive industries. Its revolutionary MettleWood ™ material has over 20 times the tensile strength of lumber and almost twice that of steel.
  4. Solar Oysters – A provider of automated “floatovoltaic” oyster production systems, designed and built in Baltimore, that have the potential to produce oysters in 45 times less space than traditional farms and filter up to 43 billion gallons of water per year.
  5. Vand – A designer and manufacturer of innovative hyper-personalized water filtration systems focused on expanding small-scale hydroponics, based in Burlington, VT.

In 2017, the F3 Tech Accelerator Program launched to advance innovation and new technologies within agriculture, aquaculture, energy, supply chain and environmental technology sectors. This year, the F3 Tech Accelerator Program received more applicants than ever before and selected the five best-qualified portfolio companies for its fall program. The selected finalists receive funding and executive support to expedite commercial sales and prepare each company for potential investment, acquisition, or commercial launch.

“Thanks to the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the Mid Shore Regional Council, and the Rural Maryland Council, F3 Tech has been able to devote significant resources to the success of these companies,” stated Chris Hlubb, Program Director of F3 Tech Accelerator Program. “We are grateful to our program partners, advisors and staff to have been able to provide these innovators an opportunity to showcase the results of their dedication throughout the program.”

Register to attend F3 Tech’s Accelerator Finalist Demo Day here.

About F3 Tech Accelerator

The F3 Tech Accelerator Program provides funding and support for early-stage companies to prepare them for potential investment from the future F3 Tech Seed Fund, industry partners, and investors. F3 Tech aids portfolio teams to expedite commercialization; accelerate manufacturing, enhance customer acquisition and revenue development to match our industry partner commercial needs. F3 Tech is an initiative of the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center, a private sector nonprofit serving entrepreneurs and high-growth, innovative, and scalable startup companies throughout Maryland’s Eastern Shore. For more information, please visit: https://f3tech.org/.

Filed Under: Commerce Notes Tagged With: commerce, local news

Shore United Bank Donates to Salvation Army

December 10, 2020 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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Shore United is honored to help kick off the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign to the Eastern Shore. According to Lt. Wendy Parsons of the Cambridge branch, the call for help has tripled this year.  With fewer kettles out in front of stores due to the pandemic, the Salvation Army is hoping for corporate donations like the one from Shore United.

Shore United Bank donates to Salvation Army

“During this season of joy, we understand the increased demands with more people who become unemployed and have limited resources, the demand for food assistance will reach critical levels. As a local community bank, we understand the importance of responding to the needs of our community during this difficult time,” says Chris Honeman, Relationship Manager at Shore United Bank. “Helping the people in the communities we serve is our highest priority.”

To assist with the food supplies to local communities, Shore United Bank has generously donated $2,000 to help purchase and distribute food to those in need.

For more information about Shore United Bank, visit www.ShoreUnitedBank.com

Filed Under: Commerce Notes Tagged With: commerce, local news, Shore United Bank

F3 Tech and Cybersecurity Association of Maryland Announce December Cybersecurity in Ag Symposium

December 8, 2020 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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According to a Private Industry Notification article targeted to the agricultural industry, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Cyber Division warned the food and agriculture sector that it is increasingly becoming vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks. The report warns farmers to be aware of and understand the cyber risks associated with using modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and develop adequate cybersecurity and breach response strategies. This is why F3 Tech Accelerator and Cybersecurity Association of Maryland have come together, along with lead sponsor the Maryland Department of Commerce, to announce distinguished keynote speakers and the schedule for their virtual two-day Cybersecurity in Ag Symposium.

The Cybersecurity in Ag Symposium keynote speakers and presenters include executives and distinguished leaders from:

– Mid Atlantic Farm Credit: Tom Truitt, CEO; Andrew Rose, Director of Innovation, Strategy and Development
– Maryland State Senate: Katie Fry Hester, Maryland State Senator
– TEDCO – Troy LeMaile-Stovall, CEO/Executive Director
– Purdue University’s Open Agriculture Technology Group: Aaron Ault, Senior Research Engineer
– Attila Security – Gregg Smith, CEO
– Penacity – Timothy Schilbach, Owner
– Strategic Industries & Entrepreneurship, Maryland Department of Commerce – Heather Gramm, Senior Director
– National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC): Joseph Morosco, Assistant Director for National Counterintelligence
– Larta Institute: Rohit Shukla, Founder & CEO
– US Department of Agriculture: Venice M. Goodwine, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

The symposium, taking place over a two-day period on December 9 and 10, covered by cybersecurity, agricultural, governmental and academic subject matter experts during keynote and panel discussions on December 9 and 10 will include: the current cyber threat environment, defending farmer’s proprietary ownership of data, protecting the food supply and supply chain, protecting and securing open-source data, securing IoT and endpoints, the protection of SCADA systems in austere environments, “hacktivists,” and cyber workforce requirements to protect OT and IT within this industry.

The first day of the symposium includes plenary sessions hosting three keynote speakers. Day one of the symposium will also allow attendees to facilitate Q&As with the distinguished keynote presenters. The second day of the symposium will hold three sessions with multiple break out rooms on various topics to include interactive discussions. The full schedule of the event is available here.

“Our expert keynote speakers and robust symposium schedule will help our goal of raising the awareness and understanding of the major threat that cybersecurity poses on the agriculture, aquaculture, and the food supply chain industries,” stated Mike Thielke, executive director of the F3 Tech Accelerator and its parent organization, Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center.

To sign up for the Cybersecurity in Ag Symposium free of charge, please register here.

About F3 Tech Accelerator
The F3 Tech Accelerator Program provides funding and support for early-stage companies to prepare them for potential investment from the future F3 Tech Seed Fund, industry partners, and investors. F3 Tech aids portfolio teams to expedite commercialization; accelerate manufacturing, enhance customer acquisition and revenue development to match our industry partner commercial needs.

For more information, please visit: https://f3tech.org/.

About The Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Inc.
The Cybersecurity Association of Maryland, Inc. (CAMI) is a nationally unique non-profit organization formed in 2015 to identify Maryland’s cybersecurity providers and connect them with businesses, organizations, and government entities that need cybersecurity solutions. CAMI operates a searchable online directory of more than 450 of the state’s cybersecurity product and service companies at www.MDcyber.com/listings and hosts a variety of programs throughout the year to provide face-to-face connection opportunities. CAMI’s skills-based cybersecurity jobs platform (www.MDcyberjobs.com) connects job seekers with Maryland cybersecurity career opportunities and training entities to provide the necessary qualifications for jobs of interest.

About The Maryland Department of Commerce
The Maryland Department of Commerce is the state’s primary economic development agency, stimulating private investment and creating jobs by attracting new businesses, encouraging the expansion and retention of existing companies, and providing workforce training and financial assistance to Maryland companies. The Department also promotes the state and many economic advantages and markets local products and services at home and abroad to spur economic development and international investment, trade and tourism.

Filed Under: Commerce Notes Tagged With: commerce, local news

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