| BALTIMORE, MD Fri, Feb 16, 2007 David Edgerley, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, today announced the appointments of Robert W. McGlotten, Jr. as Assistant Secretary of Business Development and Hannah Lee Byron to the post of Assistant Secretary for Tourism, Film & the Arts.
McGlotten has more than 25 years experience in business recruitment and business retention. He most recently served as Division Director, Marketing and Business Development, Montgomery County Department of Economic Development. McGlotten has also worked as Senior Vice President of the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation and held several senior positions at DBED including Manager, National Business Development.
“Robert’s understanding of the issues confronting small and large businesses within the state make him an invaluable asset as we continue our efforts to promote Maryland as one of the nation’s best places to locate a business,” said Secretary Edgerley. “His knowledge and expertise will serve as an invaluable resource for the State, its businesses and the citizens of Maryland.”
In his new capacity as Assistant Secretary of the Division of Business Development (DBD), Robert McGlotten will supervise the work of 54 people. As a part of the Division’s mission to attract new business to Maryland and support the expansion of existing businesses, DBD staff works to market Maryland's many business advantages to business location decision-makers and consultants, provide site selection assistance to domestic and international companies, and help Maryland companies increase their exports in the world market. Staff also provides demographic, economic and market data to companies seeking to expand their markets.
Hannah Lee Byron is currently Director of the Division of Film, Video and Television within the Baltimore City Office of Promotion and the Arts. She is also a DBED veteran having previously served as Executive Director of the Maryland Office of Tourism Development and Acting Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Division of Tourism, Film & the Arts.
“Tourism, film and the arts have long been important economic generators for the State and Hannah brings a wealth of knowledge about these industries to the position of Assistant Secretary,” said Edgerley. “Her previous experience both at DBED and as Director of Baltimore’s Division of Film, Video and Television, makes her the ideal candidate for this position.”
As Assistant Secretary for the Division of Tourism, Film & the Arts, Byron will supervise the work of 63 people in the Maryland Office of Tourism Development, the Maryland State Arts Council and the Maryland Film Office. The Maryland Tourism Development Office works to promote Maryland as a great state in which to tour and travel, as well as to hold meetings and conventions. Tourism is one of Maryland’s fastest growing industries and largest economic generators. In 2005, 27 million people visited Maryland, generating an estimated $10.7 billion in expenditures. In that year, the Maryland tourism industry generated more than $850 million in state and local taxes and provided more than 116,000 jobs to Maryland residents.
The mission of the Arts Council is to encourage and invest in the advancement of the arts in Maryland. The goals of the Council are to support artists and arts organizations in their pursuit of artistic excellence, to ensure the accessibility of the arts to all citizens, and to promote statewide awareness of arts resources and opportunities. In 2006, the Maryland arts industry contributed over $1.05 billion to the State’s economy and provided more than 13,762 jobs to Maryland residents.
The primary goal of the Maryland Film Office is to promote Maryland as an ideal location for film, video and broadcast productions. The Film Office provides location scouting and pre-production research, acts as a government and community liaison and provides full service throughout film production. Feature film and television production in Maryland continues to grow, generating an estimated $158 million in economic impact statewide in FY 2006.
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