Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) announced today that they have received a commitment from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to hire an Economic Development Representative for Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, along with the commitment that the position will be based in Maine.
In conjunction with the Maine Economic Development District Association, Senators Snowe and Collins advocated strongly for this decision and express appreciation for EDA’s swift approval of their request. In a letter to Assistant Secretary of Commerce Sandy Baruah, the Senators underscored the need to have this position filled, and specifically asked that it be based in Maine.
“We wholeheartedly welcome this decision by EDA as this position is vital to the economic vitality of our state and promises to lead to increased economic development activity throughout Maine. Today’s decision should help refocus efforts of the agency at this critical juncture, and it is a positive step in Maine’s economic development efforts.”
The Economic Development Administration is an agency under the auspices of the US Department of Commerce whose mission is to generate jobs, help retain existing jobs, and stimulate industrial and commercial growth. EDA is guided by the basic principle that distressed communities must be empowered to develop and implement their own economic development and revitalization strategies. Based on these locally and regionally developed priorities, EDA works in partnership with state and local governments, regional economic development districts, public and private nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes.
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