The Midcoast Economic Development District (MCEDD) named officers for its fiscal year 2015 at a June 27 board of directors meeting in Damariscotta.

Incoming President Brian Hodges, economic development director in Camden, stepped in for outgoing President Roger Moody, Knox County Commissioner.

Bill Whitten, Assistant Cumberland County Manager is vice president, Jim Chaousis, Boothbay Town Manager, is treasurer and Betty Johnson, Waldo County Commissioner, is secretary.

“I am delighted to serve as president of our regional economic development organization,” Hodges said. “The Midcoast has such potential and regional efforts are often the most effective at creating jobs and improving the economy. MCEDD will surely have significant impact upon the region and I am honored to contribute to that effort.”

The new officers are joined by several at-large members to comprise the executive committee: Bill Blodgett Lincoln County commissioner; Staci Coomer, executive director of the PenBay Chamber of Commerce; John Delvecchio, resident of Whitefield; Bill Giroux, Bath city manager; Pam Hile, Sagadahoc County administrator; Roger Moody, Knox County commissioner; and John Shattuck, Topsham Economic Development director.

The Midcoast Economic Development District serves Sagadahoc, Lincoln and Knox counties and portions of Cumberland and Waldo counties, in a district from Brunswick to Northport. One of seven federally designated economic development districts (EDD) in Maine, EDDs have also been recognized by Governor Paul LePage and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner George Gervais as key partners in the state of Maine’s economic development efforts. MCEDD develops a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for the region, administers the Mobilize Midcoast Maine project – a private sector driven, asset-based initiative to improve the region’s economic prosperity, offers a financing program to assist small business start-ups and expansions, facilitates a municipal cooperative purchasing program that saves approximately 10 percent on common and heavily used products or services, and provides direct assistance to municipal members such as grant procurement or administration and tax increment financing expertise.

For further information on MCEDD, contact Executive Director Jeff Kobrock, 207-370-6045, jkobrock@mceddme.org or go to www.mceddme.org.