Doris Mason was recently named the Maryland Rural Council Chair for 2016.

According to MyEasternShoreMD.com,

Mason is executive director of the Upper Shore Regional Council, which partners with public and private entities to optimize the physical, economic and social well-being of the residents of Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties.

“We plan to focus our leadership towards enhancing our state’s investments in our rural areas through the Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund, so that our rural regions can grow economically to be the prosperous places we know they can be,” Mason said in a statement.

Josh Hastings was named first vice-chairman and Matt Teffeau was named second vice-chairman.

Hastings, policy director for Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, monitors land use policies at the local, state, and federal government levels.

Teffeau is assistant government relations director for the Maryland Farm Bureau, where he is responsible for issues in transportation, wildlife, energy and poultry.

Since its inception in 1994, the RMC is the only state-wide entity working to advance the interests of rural Marylanders, the release states. The 40-member board represents each rural region including the for-profit and nonprofit communities, elected officials and federal, state and local agencies.

The RMC represents some 1.6 million Marylanders. Since 2001, it has awarded almost $3.3 million in small grants to nonprofit organizations doing statewide and regional planning, economic and community development and forestry education projects., according to the release

For Fiscal Year 2016, the council will focus on broadband, agriculture, youth, energy, workforce and economic development and health care.