Maryland’s cup runneth over with water-related riches. At the MACo Summer Conference general session, “The Wealth in our Water,” attendees learned about how Maryland’s waterfront keeps our economy flowing – from tiny oysters to supersized ships.

Dominic Scurti, Manager, Market Planning, Maryland Port Administration demonstrated how port activities ranging from cruises to dredging stimulate all of Maryland’s counties’ local economies. Marylanders from Baltimore City to Somerset and Garrett counties from freight carried in and out of the port.

Andrea Vernot, President & Managing Partner, Choptank Communications engaged the audience by encouraging them to tap into their water-based memories – and showed how counties have drawn upon those positive feels to market their waterfronts to tourists and residents alike. She emphasized how strongly water shapes Maryland’s identity.

When I got engaged, instead of a ring, I got a used sailboat. – Andrea Vernot, President & Managing Partner, Choptank Communications

Ward Slacum, Director of Program Operations, Oyster Recovery Partnership dove into the pearls of wisdom that Marylanders can gather from oyster restoration practices at work around our state – and how those oysters give back to all of us. They can be surprisingly, extraordinarily helpful in assisting counties with their TMDL goals, for example.

The MACo Summer Conference session took place on Thursday, August 16, 2018, at 12:45 pm in the Ocean City Convention Center’s Performing Arts Center. The Honorable Stephen Hershey of the Maryland State Senate moderated the session.