Maryland State Agencies Participate in Maryland Association of Counties Summer Conference Exhibit Hall

MACO Brochure Cover

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The following Maryland State Agencies will participate in the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Summer Conference Exhibit Hall at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City from August 16 – August 18, 2017:

Department of Agriculture:

The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) will jointly display with the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts. The title of this year’s display is “There’s No Better Time to Get a Soil & Water Conservation Plan,” and will focus on the importance of soil health. The department will also offer information on Zika virus awareness and prevention, farmers markets, the Maryland Ice Cream Trail and more.

Department of Assessments & Taxation:

The Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) is responsible for assessing all property in the state, and county finance offices rely upon those values when determining property taxes. SDAT also administers the homeowners’, renters’, and homestead property tax credits, and registers and maintains all business filings. SDAT’s booth will have materials related to these responsibilities, and will be staffed by program managers to answer any questions visitors may have.

Department of Commerce:

The Maryland Department of Commerce booth will feature an “Open for Business” theme. Commerce will highlight the More Jobs for Marylanders program to encourage manufacturers to expand and create jobs in Maryland.

Department of Education:

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) provides leadership, support, and accountability for the state’s 1,430 public schools, and offers rehabilitation service to nearly 100,000 state residents with disabilities. MSDE’s booth will spotlight the state’s educational success — record-setting graduation rate, strong national assessment scores, and innovative programs.

Maryland Emergency Management Agency:

The Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) will be promoting an all-hazards approach to emergency preparedness. Information will be available on individual and household preparedness, the National Flood Insurance Program, MEMA’s Private Sector Integration Program, and pet preparedness.

Maryland Energy Administration:

Visitors to the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) booth can test their energy efficiency knowledge and learn how counties and other organizations can benefit from MEA’s energy grant programs.

Department of the Environment:

Maryland Department of the Environment’s (MDE) booth, “What to Expect in Phase III,” will offer visitors a chance to learn about Phase III of the Watershed Implementation Program (WIP). Handouts will offer advice on practices, such as Dig Once, and Best Practices for implementation projects. The exhibit will also promote the Friday, 8/18 session with Secretary Grumbles that will offer more information on the WIP.

Department of General Services:

The Department of General Services will be promoting services provided by the agency including statewide procurement, programs for small businesses, contracting opportunities, and surplus property for sale on GovDeals. Visitors to the booth also will be able to learn important facts about what the agency does by participating in our trivia contest; winners will receive a custom DGS notebook.

Governor’s Office of Performance Improvement:

The Governor’s Office of Performance Improvement (GOPI) will have an exhibit booth on Wednesday only during the MACo Tech Expo. The office will demonstrate how counties can use the Maryland Open Data Portal to make projections and estimates about population growth, economic development, education, and the environment.

Higher Education Commission:

The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) will be providing information covering all of the various scholarship and loan assistance repayment programs that are currently available to Maryland students. In addition the booth will have information on applying for federal tuition grants.

Department of Housing and Community Development:

New this year, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is providing the opportunity for conference attendees to schedule a discussion session with a program expert via convenient online registration. DHCD’s proven housing and community development programs can assist with downtown revitalization and redevelopment, small business lending, energy efficiency, home improvement initiatives, homeownership and affordable rental housing.

Department of Human Services:

The Department of Human Services will have a team of experienced staff who will be providing information on the agency’s programs and services that assist people in economic need, provide preventive services, and protect vulnerable children and adults in each of Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City. This includes information on Maryland’s Food Supplement Program (SNAP), foster care and adoption and energy assistance, and more.

Maryland Insurance Administration:

The Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA), a state regulatory agency, will offer a variety of consumer materials on all types of insurance products, from annuities to title insurance and health, auto and homeowners insurance.

Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems

The Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) booth will be targeted to educate visitors about EMS services throughout Maryland. MIEMMS be providing emergency care information on time-sensitive conditions where quick intervention by the public can save lives including opioid overdose cards with hotline information and what to do in the event of an overdose; magnets that show the steps to take for performing Hands Only CPR in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest; and information on the “Stop the Bleed” program, a national training to teach the citizens to stop bleeding in emergency situations until medical help arrives.

Department of Information Technology:

Maryland recently ranked #1 in Enabling Key Technology Platforms, #3 in Broadband, #1 in Open Data Portals and #2 in Data-Science Job Listings. The Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT) will have representatives and demonstrators from its Geographic Information System department who can expound on the agency’s efforts to create and maintain open data portals. Additionally, members of the Maryland FiRST Statewide Radio System team will be on hand to explain how interoperable communication allows public safety officials to coordinate with one another, providing a consolidated response across multiple jurisdictions.

Department of Juvenile Services:

The Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) will offer visitors information about the department’s work and resources for youth and families. The booth will provide giveaways and brochures to guests. Secretary Sam Abed will be on hand in addition to other members of the department’s leadership.

Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation:

The Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation (DLLR) will be putting the HIRE in YOU’RE HIRED! by promoting job search assistance and re-employment services, as well as youth and registered apprenticeship programs that carve pathways to new careers. Attendees will also learn about FREE workplace safety consultation services from Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH), and how to change Maryland for the better by serving on one of the agency’s 23 boards, commissions, and advisory councils.

Lottery & Gaming Control Agency:

Department of Natural Resources:

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will showcase its Coastal Atlas and mobile app displays during the Tech Expo, and will have experienced staff on-hand in the main hall to discuss the department’s available services and grant opportunities for Program Open Space and Watershed Assistance. Visitors can enter to win a 2017 State Parks and Trails Passport, which provides unlimited day-use admission, unlimited boat launching, and a 10 percent discount on state-operated concessions.

Department of Planning:

The Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) will be presenting the Maryland State Data Center’s work on creating Work Area Profiles by synthesizing and analyzing data to produce an employment outlook for areas of the state, as well as Planning Services’ work on new ways of looking at preservation and investment through transferable development rights programs. The department will also feature its resource availability during the Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA), which is the beginning of the 2020 Census efforts. All of this leads to economic development and community revitalization.

Department of Transportation:

The Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) One MDOT booth will be featuring a One-Stop Shop Brochure to show how Marylanders can access their travel needs on one website, mdotonestopshop.maryland.gov. This site allows users to access several services including car registration renewal, EZPass purchases, and checking BWI flight information all from one website. In addition, the booth will have information on BaltimoreLink, MARC and other transit options; information on Cruise Maryland from the Maryland Port Administration; general information on Maryland highways and state maps from the State Highway Administration; information promoting online driver services and motorcycle safety tips from the Motor Vehicle Administration; and information about Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport from the Maryland Aviation Administration, as well as a flight simulator where visitors can practice their skills at landing an airplane at the Ocean City Airport.