Rural Maryland Council Elects 2020 Leadership
The Rural Maryland Council met on Wednesday, December 11, 2019, for its Annual and Executive Board Meeting at the DoubleTree Hotel in Annapolis and elected officers for the 2020 calendar year. The Council elected the following officers:
- Chair: Mr. John Hartline
- First Vice-Chair: Mr. Erroll Mattox
- Second Vice-Chair: Mr. Greg Padgham
- Immediate Past Chair: Mr. Scott Warner
Mr. Hartline currently serves as the Executive Director for the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, a cooperative planning and development agency to foster the social and economic development of the Southern Maryland Region. “I am looking forward to serving the residents of rural Maryland and am excited about this opportunity,” said Mr. Hartline. “With the 2020 Legislative Session of the Maryland General Assembly fast approaching, we look forward to focusing our legislative priorities on continued fund support for the Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund (RMPIF), rural economic development, preservation of agricultural lands, rural broadband expansion and increased access to health care.”
Mr. Erroll Mattox serves as Farm Management Specialist for the University of Maryland Extension where he provides consultation and education for small farms and organic farmers. “Agriculture remains Maryland’s largest commercial economic sector, and it is incredibly vital to our rural areas. Sustaining and enhancing agriculture and agritourism builds strong rural communities.”
Mr. Greg Padgham serves as Executive Director of the Tri-Council Council of the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland, the purpose of which is to facilitate regional planning and development in Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. “The Council is very concerned about access to broadband and health care services. Building infrastructure and supporting health care delivery will be a major focus in the future.”
Mr. Scott Warner of the MidShore Regional Council continues to serve on the RMC Executive Committee as the Immediate Past Chair.
The Rural Maryland Council operates under the direction of a 40-member executive board in a nonpartisan and nondiscriminatory manner. It serves as the state’s federally designated rural development council and functions as a voice for rural Maryland, advocating for and helping rural communities and businesses across the state to flourish and to gain equity to its suburban and urban counterparts. The vision for RMC is the ultimate realization that residents in rural communities are achieving success in education and employment, have access to affordable, quality health care and other vital public services, and live in an environment where natural and cultural resources are being sustained for future generation