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Rural Maryland Council Honors Rural Community Advocates

Photo: Walter Chase of Trappe, Maryland accepts the Rural Community Volunteer award for his leadership, dedication, and noteworthy volunteer achievement beyond the call of one’s professional duties to help improve their community. From Left to Right, Dan Rider, Charlotte Davis, Walter Chase, Nan Mann, Madison Bryce, Susan O’Neill, and Scott Warner.

The Rural Maryland Council (RMC) and its membership convened at the Crowne Plaza in Annapolis on Monday, November 13, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. for its Executive Board Meeting and Rural Impact Awards Ceremony. This annual event provides an overview of upcoming events and activities for 2024 and honors advocates for rural Maryland communities. Board Chair Susan O’Neill was the master of ceremonies for the evening and said, “It was an honor to meet and award our Rural Community Advocates, each of whom works to uplift others, and each inspires us to continue our vision where all of Rural Maryland is prosperous with thriving resources, vibrant economies, and healthy, connected communities.”

This year, five awards were presented for the 2023 Rural Impact Award Ceremony:

  • Outstanding Rural Community Volunteer to Walter Chase for his leadership, dedication, and
    noteworthy volunteer achievement beyond the call of one’s professional duties to help improve their
    community
  • Outstanding Rural Community Development to Caroline School House’s Culinary Arts Center’s
    Shore Gourmet Curbside Market for leadership, dedication, and noteworthy achievement to help improve
    rural communities
  • Outstanding Rural Economic Development to Hardwire, LLC for leadership, dedication, and
    noteworthy achievement to help improve economic development opportunities in rural communities
  •  Rural Champion to Delegate Kenneth Kerr for his outstanding leadership and public service in
    promoting legislation and policy solutions to benefit rural communities
  • Rural Legacy Award to Duane Yoder for his extraordinary efforts in combating the causes and effects
    of poverty by supporting families and individuals, allowing them to gain economic security and a better-
    quality of life throughout his work in rural Maryland

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 generations.

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