Mr. Daniel S. Kuennen, Director (51% Senior Agent, 1890 MCE - 49% Center Director - UMES)

Located at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the RDC assists in public development projects that carry out approved economic development conversion strategies. The RDC assists community groups, non-profit organizations, local elected and appointed officials and private firms. We assist them with plans, loans, grants, projects, and programs for community and county vitality on the nine-county Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Some of the projects we have assisted include:

· Pocomoke River Learning Center: Learning with the Flow
The Pocomoke River Learning Center will attract visitors to Pocomoke City, MD and provide an attraction that interprets the natural environment of the scenic Pocomoke River and its cypress swamps.

· Chesapeake East Ceramics: Small Business Expansion
Business expansion assistance helped a local ceramic studio to expand and sparked a waterfront renaissance in Salisbury, MD.

· Maryland Winery Cooperative
Maryland wineries looking for local suppliers turned to the RDC for help growing a new industry on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

· African-American Heritage Brochure & Web Site
Developed by Worcester County, Maryland, The African-American Heritage brochure and web site are designed to enhance the experience of millions who flock to Maryland's beaches.

· Hydroponics Greenhouse
The hydroponics greenhouse located at UMES, is the hub of a local grower network which is introducing agricultural alternatives throughout the Shore.

· Minority Business Incubator
The Town of Princess Anne, MD, and the RDC launched an incubator to develop local minority-owned businesses.

· 3-D Construction Models
The RDC funds the construction of scale models to help potential funders visualize the benefits of local projects.

· Maryland Capital Enterprises
A networking and financial boon for the smallest enterprises, MCE provides capital and support to budding entrepreneurs.

· Smith Island Crabmeat Cooperative
When local crab picking operations failed to meet stricter health regulations, the RDC stepped in to save a centuries-old industry.

· De-odor Rod: Minority Business Venture
A minority-owned Eastern Shore business is venturing onto the World Wide Web thanks to RDC assistance.

· Lower Eastern Shore Heritage Committee Web Site
Heritage tourism is a lucrative worldwide industry. The Heritage Web Site helps draw visitors to Maryland's Eastern Shore.

· Delmarva Birding Weekend Web Site
Avid birders flock from as far away as the western U.S. for the annual birding weekend. The RDC helped fund this site to get the word out.

· Migrant Health and Housing Programs As board President of Delmarva Rural Ministries, the Director assisted a $1.9 million, 34 unit Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker rental housing development in rural Delaware funded by the Rural and Community Development Services, RECD, USDA. A similar project was developed 6 years ago in Salisbury Maryland as a prototype. The units will serve migrant and seasonal farmworkers on the Delmarva Peninsula. A project is planned for Eastern Shore Virginia and an expansion to the Salisbury development has been applied for. On May 20, 1997, DRM received the Maxwell Award for Excellence from the Fannie Mae Foundation.