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Media Release
For Immediate Release: Economic Development Commission To Host Annual Industry Appreciation Dinner
Antonio J. Mendez to Provide Keynote Address
Contact(s):
Sarah J. Lankford Marketing Specialist Hagerstown-Washington County EDC 240-313-2284
(Hagerstown, MD — April 1, 2007) The Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission will honor the local business and industrial community April 8th at Celebration of Business 2008. This event, by invitation only, will be held at the Fountain Head Country Club in Hagerstown, Maryland, beginning with a VIP Reception at 6:00 p.m. followed by dinner.
“The annual Celebration of Business is the Economic Development Commission’s opportunity to recognize and thank local companies for doing business in Washington County,” said Timothy R. Troxell, CEcD, Executive Director of the Economic Development Commission. “Because local businesses provide good jobs for our citizens and support important events and quality of life initiatives, we want to take this opportunity to say thank you for all they do to make Washington County a better place to live, work and play.”
The Keynote Speaker for the event will be Antonio J. Mendez. Mr. Mendez is a retired CIA intelligence officer, an author and an artist. He lives and works in his studios and gallery on a forty-acre farm in rural Washington County Maryland. Mendez is also an award-winning painter with an international reputation.
Mr. Mendez is most famous for the Canadian caper during the Iran hostage crisis. Six American diplomats were smuggled out of Iran by disguising them as a Canadian film crew using passports supplied by the Canadian government.
His first book, The Master of Disguise; My Secret Life in the CIA, was published by William Morrow in November 1999 on the tenth anniversary of the Wall coming down in Berlin. For twenty-five years he worked undercover, often overseas, participating in the shadow conflicts in some of the most important theaters of the Cold War. His book chronicles many of these covert action and human intelligence collection operations.
“The Economic Development Commission is very pleased that Antonio Mendez is joining us for Celebration of Business 2008. We look forward to his presentation as it includes a special surprise for certain members of the audience,” said James D. Lobley, Economic Development Chair.
In addition, the Economic Development Commission will honor more than 25 local businesses during the event who have reached milestones in their number of years of conducting business in Washington County.
Celebration of Business 2008 is generously sponsored by over 20 local businesses including: A.C. & T. Company, Inc.; Bowman Development Corporation; Capital Express Group, LTD; Callas Contractors, Inc.; Centra Bank; Charles E. Brake Company, Inc.; City of Hagerstown; Corporate Office Properties Trust; Demcore Development; Ellsworth Electric, Inc.; Hagerstown Kitchens, Inc.; Hagerstown Trust Company; Keller-Stonebraker Insurance, Inc.; Kline Associated Roofing Contractors, Inc.; Liberty Property Trust; M&T Bank; MEC Realty Associates, Inc.; Orrstown Bank; PenMar Development Corporation; PNC Bank; Sovereign Bank; Susquehanna Bank; and, Tri-County Council for Western Maryland.
The EDC is a county agency that provides assistance to new and existing businesses throughout Hagerstown and Washington County, Maryland. The EDC interacts with a vast network of public, private, and nonprofit organizations to address the business needs of the community, as well as attract new companies to the county.