Regional progress,
built together.
We bring Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties together to plan for growth,
connect people and resources, and turn shared priorities into lasting opportunity.
Three counties. One regional mission.
Established in 2001, the Mid-Shore Regional Council is a cooperative planning and development agency serving Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties. Maryland law charges the Council with fostering the region’s physical, economic, and social development and making effective use of State assistance.
MSRC connects local governments, businesses, educators, and community organizations to shape shared strategies, assemble resources, and advance projects that individual jurisdictions may be less equipped to pursue alone.
3
Counties served: Caroline, Dorchester & Talbot
2001
Established by Maryland legislation
2009
Federally designated Economic Development District
Local priorities. A stronger regional voice.
Since September 2009, MSRC has served as a federally designated Economic Development District (EDD) through the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). That designation helps the Mid-Shore coordinate economic development planning and pursue qualifying federal investment.
At the center is the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)—a public-private roadmap that identifies needs, establishes priorities, and helps move promising projects toward implementation.
Economic distress criteria guide EDA eligibility and investment rates; a federal designation does not guarantee funding for every project.
Build the strategy
Public and private partners identify priorities through the CEDS process.
Bring the region together
MSRC coordinates governments, organizations, and technical expertise across county lines.
Support investment
Regional priorities guide project readiness, grant applications, and implementation.
From a shared challenge to a stronger outcome.
MSRC is a convener, planner, and partner—not a replacement for local economic development. Its value comes from helping the region act together when a challenge or opportunity crosses boundaries.
Identify Priorities
Understand shared needs and opportunities across the region.
Build Partnerhsips
Bring counties, organizations, and stakeholders together.
Mobilize Resources
Connect regional priorities with funding and expertise.
Measure Impact
Advance project and track meaningful regional outcomes.
The return on working together.
Regional coordination turns planning into investments, projects, and jobs. The following figures are reported for FY2025 and describe different—but sometimes overlapping—measures of MSRC’s work.
6.62×
689
$44.3M
Investment beyond a single grant.
The $44.3 million in reported project funding supported infrastructure, broadband, entrepreneurship, workforce, and community development.
- Jobs created or retained across CEDS-supported projects (reported as 898.5)
- ≈899
- EDA awards since the inception of the Mid-Shore CEDS, as reported in the FY25 infographic
- $19.2M
Where regional capacity makes a difference.
MSRC's value is expressed through practical work across the Mid-Shore's communities, industries, and public institutions.
Planning
Shared strategies turn local priorities into coordinated regional action.
Infrastructure
Technical capacity helps communities prepare projects for investment.
Workforce
Partnerships connect employers, educators, and residents to opportunity.
Entrepreneurship
Regional support helps small businesses and founders find their next step.
Community
Local voices stay connected to the decisions shaping the Mid-Shore.
How to read these results. ROI includes direct and leveraged investments from all sources but excludes the one-time $10M RMEDF award. The CEDS figures and RMPIF-supported work have overlapping projects (estimated at $2.34M and 639 jobs in FY25), so the figures above should not be added together.
The greatest value of a regional council is not only the funding it helps secure, but the planning, partnerships, and sustained capacity that make investment possible.
Independent by design. Accountable to the region.
Established under Maryland’s Economic Development Article, Title 13, Subtitle 9, MSRC brings public leadership and community perspectives into a cooperative regional framework.
Public purpose
MSRC is an independent, tax-exempt body politic and corporate, established to coordinate regional development and effectively use State assistance.
Representative governance
The Council includes county and municipal officials, General Assembly members, administrators, and public and private representatives. Its Executive Board consists of nine members in the source booklet.
Transparent stewardship
State, federal, and county resources support MSRC’s work. Maryland law sets minimum State and county appropriations and calls for annual work programs and budgets.
People at the center of regional progress.
The Council draws on elected leadership, local government, business, and community perspectives. Browse the roster by role; Executive Board members may also appear among voting members.
Let’s build what’s next for the Mid-Shore.
Have a regional challenge, a promising project, or an idea for collaboration? Connect with MSRC to explore how shared planning and partnerships can move it forward.