The next meeting of the Senator George Edwards Fund Board will be on Friday, August 28th, 2026 at 11:00am. Members of the public may observe the open session portion of the meeting by calling in with these credentials:
(331) 218-0717 PIN: 268 397 239#
In the 2022 Legislative Session, the Maryland General Assembly passed Senate Bill 474, sponsored by Senators George Edwards, Paul Corderman and Katie Hester to catalyze economic development in Western MD. The legislation called for the creation of the Senator George C. Edwards Fund and established the Western Maryland Economic Future Investment Board to review, evaluate and rate applications for funding from the program.
It also made this program a part of the Tri-County Council of Western Maryland, which staffs the board and administers the fund.
In the 2023 Legislative Session, Senate Bill 865 and House Bill 768 called for a larger board with fewer voting members and allowed for the hiring of an Executive Director. The present board makeup is described in The Board section below.
In the 2025 Legislative Session, Senate Bill 861 and House Bill 1459 streamlined the board and made changes to the requirements of projects seeking funding.
The purpose of the Fund is to provide grant or loaning funding to create jobs and significant economic development opportunities in the region.
The Board will seek projects that make a substantial economic impact, bringing significant employment opportunities and/or increasing the tax base in Western Maryland.
There are two categories of funding. Money in the fund can only be used to award grants and provide loans to capital infrastructure projects and business development projects to improve the economic conditions in the region.
Senate Bill 865/House Bill 768 in the 2023 session changed the positions which are represented on the board and allows for the hiring of an Executive Director. Additional changes restructured the Board in 2025 through SB861/HB1459. Currently, the Western Maryland Economic Future Investment Board is comprised of the following positions and is filled by the people listed:
George C. Edwards, Councilman, Town of Grantsville
Andrew Serafini, Former Senator
S. Ramani Pillai, Attorney, BLP Law
Hugh J. Breslin, Owner, HJB3 Media
Jake Shade, The Lockhouse Group
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Projects need to meet all statutory requirements as outlined by Senate Bill 861 and House Bill 1459 of the 2025 Legislative Session including job creation and match requirements. The minimum grant amount is $200,000, projects less than this amount may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Inquiries should be made to Executive Director, Jake Shade at jshade@lockhousegroup.com, a Member of the Board, or Tri-County Council for Western Maryland.
