Frederick County Office of Economic Development Executive Director Linda Boyer, Frederick County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Ric Adams, Frederick County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Linda Burgee, Frederick Community College President Dr. Carol Eaton, Fort Detrick Commander Colonel Gina Deutsch, FCBRE Executive Director David Markoe, and Community Foundation Trustee Beto Benitez

New Frederick County Business Roundtable for Education Fund Opens at Community Foundation

April 3, 2008: With the goal of creating a robust, educated workforce for the future, The Frederick County Business Roundtable for Education (FCBRE) recently established The Frederick County Business Roundtable for Education Fund at The Community Foundation of Frederick County to benefit the activities of the FCBRE.

Led by the Frederick Chamber of Commerce Office of Economic Development in conjunction with Frederick County Public Schools, Frederick Community College, and Frederick County business leaders including Fort Detrick, the FCBRE will partner with the business community to address the workforce needs of employers, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Leadership skills, talents, and disciplines will also be addressed.

“By linking students to the business community, we can create comprehensive learning opportunities that help prepare students for the future,” said David Markoe, Executive Director of the FCBRE.

Markoe said that the Community Foundation’s Frederick County Business Roundtable for Education Fund will help to support FCBRE’s activities and major goals which include student internships, teacher externships, mentoring and tutoring for students, as well as teacher training and staff development, among other proposed initiatives.

“This multi-pronged approach to addressing workforce needs has proven successful in other places across the country,” Markoe said. “With the tremendous growth of Frederick County and the current assessment that future workforce needs must include education in specific areas, The Frederick County Business Roundtable for Education Fund is essential in helping to get the ball rolling toward addressing those needs.”

Markoe said that information on partnering with the FCBRE can be found at www.frederickchamber.org.

Generous citizens seeking to create positive and lasting change through philanthropy turn to the expertise and credibility of the Community Foundation to create funds that are the catalyst for change. To date, the Community Foundation has given back more than $17 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and scholarships to students.

To make a secure, online donation to The Frederick County Business Roundtable for Education Fund, click here. Checks, with the Fund’s name inserted in the memo line, may be made payable to The Community Foundation of Frederick County and mailed to 312 East Church Street, Frederick, Maryland 21701. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.