The Foundational Board of Directors of Visit St. Mary's MD has selected Jason Aul to lead the newly established tourism organization. (Submitted photo)Jason Aul Begins as New Director of Tourism
New tourism entity begins operation
The Foundational Board of Directors of Visit St. Mary's MD has selected Jason Aul to lead the newly established tourism organization. Mr. Aul comes to St Mary's County from Washington, D.C. where he most recently managed tourism and brand management with Brand USA, an organization dedicated to marketing the United States as a tourism destination.
Mr. Aul holds a Masters of Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Public Policy Focus, from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
"I was drawn to St. Mary's people, culture, and boundless experiences. As the first director of Visit St. Mary's MD, I look forward to immersing myself in the tourism community and working collaboratively with stakeholders to raise the bar for tourism here in this beautiful county," said Mr. Aul.
Focusing on destination development and marketing, Mr. Aul will direct Visit St. Mary's MD through implementation of the county adopted Tourism and hospitality Master plan. The master plan was a result of input from the St. Mary's tourism community that identified key county tourism assets and amenities and provided strategies to enhance the county as a tourism destination and grow the local economy, Visit St. Mary's MD, a 501(c)6 organization, has a ten year operating agreement with St. Mary's County to carry out all tourism activities on behalf of the county and grow the tourism industry.
A five-person Foundational Board of Directors, made up of key stakeholders tasked with guiding the county through the process of establishing a separate non-profit tourism entity, conducted the search process. Once established, Visit St. Mary's MD will seek to expand the Board to include 12-15 individuals with broad representation from the tourism industry and business community. The creation of this new tourism entity demonstrates St. Mary's County's commitment to implement the Tourism and Hospitality Master Plan in support of an innovation-driven economy in St. Mary's County.
"This is an exciting time for the St Mary's County's tourism industry. The creation of a new, nimble non-profit entity that will be led by Jason will push tourism to the next level," said Chris Kaselemis, St Mary's County Economic Development Director. "Jason will bring together stakeholders to improve the visitor experience and attract more tourism dollars to St. Mary's County."
Visit St. Mary's MD will be co-located with the Department of Economic Development at the Governmental Center in Leonardtown.
Three Notch Trail Section Closure Extended
The closure of the Three Notch Trail section between Cedar View Court and Mechanicsville Road has been extended until August 3, 2018. This is due to additional work which is needed to be done and allow crews to safely complete construction in the area. The closure impacts an area along the trail, between Mechanicsville Road south to Cedar View Court .
A re-opening date will be posted on the St. Mary's County website.
For more information, please contact the St. Mary's County Department of Public Works & Transportation at 301-475-4200.
Health Department Seeking Organizations to Educate Youth on Health Risks of E-Cigarettes
The St. Mary's County Health Department is seeking organizations to educate local youth on the health risks of electronic cigarettes. These community organizations may include student groups, faith-based organizations, and civic organizations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that the number of middle and high school age students who have never smoked a cigarette but who have used an e-cigarette increased three-fold from 2011 to 2013. These youth are also nearly twice as likely to have an intention to smoke conventional cigarettes over those who have never used an e-cigarette. Funding for this award is provided through the Maryland Department of Health Cigarette Restitution Fund. For more information about this request for proposals, please visit the health department's website at www.smchd.org/rfp.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING: CONCEPT SITE PLAN # 18-13200008, VA OUTPATIENT CLINIC
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the St. Mary's County Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing, in The Commissioners Meeting Room in the St. Mary's County Chesapeake Building, located at 41770 Baldridge Street, Leonardtown, MD on Monday, August 13, 2018, beginning at 6:30 p.m. for the purpose of receiving public testimony to consider the following Concept Site Plan review:
CONCEPT SITE PLAN # 18-13200008, VA OUTPATIENT CLINIC
(Zoning Ordinance 10-02) (Use #34, Outpatient Care Center)
OWNER: Charlotte Hall Commerce Center
AGENT: Soltesz & Associates
LOCATION: Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622
TM-004 GRID-10 PAR-0083 ED-05 TAX ID-062438
LAND USE: Mixed Use Moderate Intensity
ZONING: Town Center Mixed Use District
ACREAGE: 57.54
ACTION REQUESTED: Review of a Concept Site Plan for a 24,000 square foot VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic.
This public hearing is required by law to allow the applicant and all interested parties the opportunity to present evidence and public comment regarding this proposal. A decision will be made solely on evidence and testimony presented during the public hearing. Information submitted after the public hearing record is closed will not be considered.
The file on this application will be available for review in the Department of Land Use and Growth Management, 23150 Leonard Hall Drive, Leonardtown, MD until 2:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. If you have any questions regarding this application, please contact Development Services Division, at the Department of Land Use and Growth Management, 23150 Leonard Hall Drive, Leonardtown, MD or at (301) 475-4200, ext., *1506.
Bill Hunt, Director
Land Use and Growth Management
Emergency Communications Personnel Recognized for Efforts in Wake of School Shooting
March 20, 2018, was a challenging day for the St. Mary's County community. But for the members of the St. Mary's County Emergency Services Communications Center, the day proved especially difficult as personnel were called into action following the tragic school shooting at Great Mills High School. In honor and recognition of their service that day, the Commissioners of St. Mary's County honored those who provided information, comfort and support in response to the event.
St. Mary's County Emergency Services Communications Center personnel were lauded for their handling of the incident. Their efforts were called "efficient and professional" as they worked with first responders in the field to provide critical information and assistance. This enabled them to respond to the incident and meet the needs of the community.
"Response to the incident by St. Mary's County Emergency Services Communications Center personnel included on-duty dispatchers and Department of Emergency Services staff who provided support to the Emergency Operations Center during the incident," said Commissioner John O'Connor (3rd District). "Many Emergency Operations Center employees not scheduled to work that day, reported to work to offer relief to those working through this traumatic incident. The influx of additional personnel proved critical to the successful response to the incident."
In issuing a proclamation, the Commissioners of St. Mary's County commended the St. Mary's County Emergency Services Communications Center for meritorious service to the community in response to the March 20 shooting. Individual commendations were also issued to all Emergency Services Communications Center personnel.