Renée Shreve writes for West Virgina News about Community Wealth building in Cumberland, MD and Western Maryland. WVNews highlights the year of work in Western Maryland by people in the community and the Democracy Collaborative:
Such issues as creative financing, business and workforce development, the use of anchor institutions (medical, academic, and nonmedical) to support communities, and sustainable agriculture and natural resources were discussed.
Creative financing topics included the use of Historically Underutilized Business Zones, employee stock ownership plans, investment credits, and coordination between business incubators and higher education institutions.
A panel of speakers addressed how to build a local economy from within a regional community, without relying on outside industry or government resources.