This year, the EMEDS committee is sponsoring a speaker series to engage and educate the community on economic issues impacting Eastern Maine. The series kicks off with a talk by Roger Merchant, an expert in sustainable rural development and tourism. Merchant is a University of Maine cooperative extension educator and leader in Piscataquis County. His talk "Niche Tourism: An Economic Development Strategy" will be held February 10th from 12 to 1:30 pm at the Penquis Higher Education Center in Dover Foxcroft.

The second talk, "Maine's Workforce: Increasing College Enrollment and Graduation Rates" will be held on March 2, from 12 to 1:30 at the University of Maine's Hutchinson Center in Belfast. Wendy Ault, Director of the MELMAC Foundation, will be the speaker. The MELMAC Foundation is Maine's newest and largest foundation dedicated to advancing the cause of education for all Maine citizens. Ault will discuss their efforts to improve college enrollment and graduation rates.

Charlie Colgan, a professor known state-wide from the University of Southern Maine's Muskie School is the speaker for the talk "Local Industry Clusters". Colgan will define industry clusters, describe how they function in Eastern Maine, and explain why they are important to Maine's economy. The talk will be held on March 22nd from 12 to 1:30 pm at the Ellsworth Public Library.

The last event will be on April 26th from 12 to 1:30 at the Bangor Public Library and is titled "International Northeast Economic Region - The New Economic Development Region". Andy Hamilton and Tim Woodcock, attorneys at Eaton Peabody and members of the board of the East-West Highway Association will define the International Northeast Economic Region that spans from Atlantic Canada across Maine to New York and discuss its important role in Eastern Maine's economic development.

Please contact Laura Mitchell of Mike Bush at Eastern Maine Development Corporation at 1-800-339-6389 with any questions on the speaker series of EMEDS.

Members of the EMEDS committee sponsoring these talks are:

• Sandy Blitz, East West Highway Assoc/Target Corp
• Fred Cook, Maine Tourism Commission
• Donna Fichtner, Bangor Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Michelle Gagnon, Ellsworth City Planner
• Linda Gilbert, United Kingfield Bank
• Joyce Hedlund, Eastern Maine Technical College
• Cathy Kecki, Lincoln Lakes Regional Develop. Corp.
• Renee Kelly, University of Maine
• Barry Martin, Tri-County Workforce Investment Board
• Bruce McClean, MAGIC, Katahdin Region
• Rod McKay, City of Bangor
• Andy McPherson, Camden Area Chamber
• Dave Milan, Town of Bucksport
• Charles Newton, Penquis CAP
• Jim Porter, City of Calais
• Drew Sachs, City of Brewer
• Mark Scarano, Piscataquis County Econ Dev Council
• Micki Sumpter, Ellsworth Area Chamber
• Terrence St. Peter, City of Belfast
• Dianne Tilton, Sunrise County Economic Council
• Tim Woodcock, Lawyer
• Mark Woodward, Bangor Daily News

The goal of the EMEDS is to organize and maximize resources for economic development, build community support to petition state and federal fund agencies, and understand Eastern Maine's economic situation. Eastern Maine's comprehensive EMEDS is available at: www.emdc.org.