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Dominick Murray Assistant Secretary for Regional Development
Dominick has a strong background in performance-based instruction, and commercial and technical sales. Before joining DBED, he served as the Economic Development Officer for the City of Baltimore. There, he was responsible for streamlining the City's development and permitting process, facilitating inter-agency communications on development issues and acting as a business-community ombudsman for the Mayor's Office.
Prior to public service, Dominick held a number of senior sales and account management positions for CBS Radio, G1440, ARIS Corporation, and GE Capital IT Solutions. He has also worked as the Director of Sales and Marketing with O/E Mid-Atlantic, and held business development and marketing positions with Westinghouse Electric Corporation.
Dominick received his BA in Radio and Television Communications from the University of Detroit. He has served on several technology and business development boards including: Greater Baltimore Committee's Technology Council, Johns Hopkins Diabetes Center and the University of Maryland Baltimore County Cooperative Education Office.
If you have any questions for Dominick, I encourage you to contact him at 410-767-0082 or dmurray@choosemaryland.org.
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MD posts solid job numbers |
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Maryland continues to outpace a slowing national economy. While the US shed 63,000 jobs in February, Maryland gained 4,300 jobs, further evidence of Maryland's diverse and resilient economy. Maryland's February unemployment rate of 3.8 percent was the 10th lowest in the US, far below the national average of 5.2 percent.
Later this month, I'll provide a complete rundown on the latest economic indicators. | |
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Governor helps repeal Tech Tax
It's been a challenging legislative session, but it ended on a high note last week when the Maryland General Assembly repealed the Computer Services Tax before it could take effect July 1. The tax was never  popular with Governor O'Malley, who worked hard in the final weeks to gain enough votes for a repeal. Since the tax was created during last year's special session, my staff and I talked with hundreds of businesses, small and large, and it became very clear that such a tax would significantly damage Maryland's reputation as a leader in the global, knowledge-based economy.
In the next issue, I'll provide an in-depth look at all of DBED's 2008 legislative and budget initiatives.
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Maryland climbs in Cyberstates rankings
I was pleased to see the results of last week's Cyberstates 2008 report released by the American Electronics Association (AeA). According to the report, Maryland added 3,200 new high-tech jobs in 2006, a 2 percent annual increase. Maryland employed  165,600 tech workers with a total payroll of $13.4 billion, giving the state the fifth highest concentration of tech industry workers in the nation. Eighty out of every 1,000 private sector workers were employed by Maryland's high-tech industry.
The biggest gains were primarily in computer systems design, engineering services, R&D and testing labs. Maryland venture capital investments were also strong, totaling $635 million in 2007, 7th highest nationally. Overall, Maryland moved up a notch this year, from 12th largest cyberstate to 11th.
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New tourism marketing campaign set to launch
The Office of Tourism, a division of DBED, is gearing up to launch its spring/summer marketing campaign on April 23. The campaign will concentrate primarily on reaching both in-state and regional travelers through print ads, television and radio commercials, internet search and advertising buys, and mobile promotions. Targeting prospective travelers within 400 miles, advertisements will be running through June, with an emphasis on Maryland's key feeder markets of Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Advertising money for tourism is money well spent. Maryland's latest visitor data confirms that in 2006, Maryland welcomed more than 28 million visitors who generated more than $11.4 billion in visitor spending. During 2006, the Maryland tourism industry generated more than $895 million in state and local taxes and provided more than 116,000 jobs to Maryland residents. | |
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County Corner
Each month, this section will provide a randomly selected snapshot of our local economic development partners statewide.
Baltimore County
Led by director David S. Iannucci, Baltimore County's Department of Economic Development supports Maryland's second largest job center. Baltimore County's diverse business community includes the state's largest private bioscience employer, BD Diagnostic Systems; world headquarters for Black & Decker and McCormick; and the federal headquarters for the Social Security Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Baltimore County is also home to the Sparrows Point steel mill and one of the East Coast's largest concentrations of computer game developers.
In one of Maryland's largest job expansions in years, T. Rowe Price is adding 1,400 new workers at its Owings Mills Financial Center. Other major business expansions include Pharmaceutics International, Global Payments, and defense firm AAI. Eleven companies, including two corporate headquarters, have moved to the new 1,000-acre Baltimore Crossroads @ 95 between White Marsh and the Baltimore County waterfront. GM Powertrain is manufacturing the first hybrid transmission designed and built in America, while more than $500 million in private development is underway in downtown Towson.
"A strong state and regional economy leads to a strong local economy," said director Iannucci. The county is active in partnerships that benefit the entire region, including the Chesapeake Science & Security Corridor and Ft. Meade Regional BRAC partnerships, BaltimoreBio business development partnership, and the new Baltimore Pharma Bio Training Partnership. | |
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