Discover St. Mary's County 2009 - (Page 50) of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), which pumped an additional 10,000 jobs into the region in the 1990s. NAS Pax River, the county’s largest employer, is the key economic driver in the area along with its major tenants, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and Naval Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD). With more than 200 high-tech defense contractors supporting NAS Pax River, St. Mary’s has emerged as a world class center for maritime-aviation research, development, testing, and evaluation. This has created a ground swell of new housing options and services including shopping, restaurants, hotels, arts, and entertainment. Today’s economy is an interesting blend of a vibrant high technology sector alongside rural tradition. “It’s the best of both worlds,” says Carolyn Laray, tourism manager for St. Mary’s County. “It’s still rural with a high quality of life but at the same time, especially if you are a young profes- sional, you’re still able to enjoy fine arts, entertainment and cultural offerings.” St. Mary’s, in fact, boasts the youngest median age in the state, while also finding itself a destination of choice for retirees. Education is at the forefront in this growing community. St. Mary’s public school system, which has developed key partnerships with the Navy and the local technology industry, ranks among the best in Maryland. The county also offers an array of higher education choices, including the College of Southern Maryland, the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland, a nationally recognized liberal arts school. Surrounded on three sides by the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac and Patuxent Rivers, the peninsula enjoys approximately 500 miles of shoreline; and endless waterways provide an abundance of recreation including canoeing, kayaking, and charter fishing. Communities, such as Historic Leonardtown, with its newly revitalized waterfront, retain much of Maryland’s early history and small town flavor. With a workforce exceeding 50,000, three-fourths of St. Mary’s labor force works within the County, the highest rate of in-county employment in the Washington-Baltimore metro region. For those who wish to commute, the northern part of the county is only 25 miles from the Capital Beltway and 60 miles from the Baltimore Beltway, and the MTA Commuter Bus service serving St. Mary’s is one of the busiest in the state. St. Mary’s County’s progress in the last 375 years is undeniable. While many things have changed, much of what makes this place special has remained the same—a rich history of people looking forward. A ST. MARY’S RESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE Dr. Jane Margaret O’Brien is the president of St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She moved to St. Mary’s 12 years ago and now lives in Leonardtown. 1. Safer and quieter communities near America‘s # 1 city, Washington DC… 2. Education—K-12 and colleges—is always at the center of what’s happening… 3. Everyone rubs elbows with the House Majority Leader at the annual County Fair and Oyster Festival… 4. Rockfish, crabs and oysters are still the main fare of most restaurants… 5. Community banks and businesses give generously to education and the arts… 6. Volunteerism involves everyone from neighborhood churches and community organizations helping neighbors recover after a storm… 7. Pride of place yields regular parades and events at the numerous parks and outdoor museums… 8. Loveville, home to our Mennonite and Amish communities, is the most stamped city on Valentine’s Day… 9. One of Maryland and America’s strongest military and technology corridors… …And… 10. Sunsets over the Patuxent, St. Mary’s, and Potomac River are visible from the 500 miles of Saint Mary’s County shoreline. contact info: St. Mary’s County Department of Economic and Community Development PO Box 653, Governmental Center 23115 Leonard Hall Drive Leonardtown, MD 20650 301-475-4200 x1400 decd@stmarysmd.com www.stmarysmd.com/decd St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce 44200 Airport Road, Suite B California, MD 20619 301-737-3001 info@smcchamber.com www.smcchamber.com 50 ST. MARY’S COUNTY VISITORS GUIDE 2009 http://www.stmarysmd.com/decd http://www.smcchamber.com
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