Sunrise County Economic Council invites you to join us for conversations about Washington County's Future: 

Transformational Opportunities 2021

Summit Highlights: 

2021's Keynote Address presented by Megan Sorby, Kingfish Maine Development Manager

Megan Sorby is General Manager of Kingfish Maine, a proposed land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility in Jonesport.   Megan and her team are currently collaborating with the University of Maine’s Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research (CCAR) in Franklin to build the Yellowtail Kingfish broodstock for the future Jonesport facility.

Kingfish Maine is part of The Kingfish Company, a pioneer in sustainable land-based aquaculture. The company currently operates a recirculating aquaculture system in the Netherlands and its products are certified and approved as sustainable and environmentally friendly by Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) and British Retail Consortium (BRC).

Kingfish Maine will provide an estimated $46M in value added economic impact to the region, according to a recent University of Maine economic impact assessment. The facility is expected to create dozens of jobs in the construction phase and more than 70 long term positions at full production. Direct employment alone is estimated to add back 30% of the private employer jobs lost in Washington County in the past 10 years.

 

Welcome by Charles Rudelitch, Executive Director, Sunrise County Economic Council 

Please use the information below to select your breakout sessions before you register.

Breakout Session 1: 

1A. Innovations in Shellfish Aquaculture in Washington County

Join us to learn more about the new economic opportunities that are emerging through innovative applied marine research and collaborative field trials led by the Downeast Institute that have the potential to support entrepreneurship and community engagement in coastal Washington County.

 1B. Downeast/Apex Wind -  Creating New Clean Opportunities on a Utility Use Scale.

Join us to learn more about what  Apex Wind is bringing to Washington County, the path for renewable energy in Maine and the creation of sustainable wind energy that fits in well with the surrounding communities, agencies and agricultural practices.

 

1C. Downeast Broadband - Transforming Economic Opportunity through High Speed Internet

Join us for a conversation about how Downeast Broadband Utility, the first and only municipal internet utility in Maine, is transforming communities in eastern Washington County.  Dan Sullivan, President of Downeast Broadband Utility, will share the ways in which high speed internet has increased economic opportunity through multi-jurisdictional collaborations, and how Downeast Broadband has become a model for rural communities across the nation.

 

 

Breakout Session 2:

2A. Transformational Partnerships in Entrepreneurship 

 Join a guided conversation with Washington County Community College to learn about collaborative program innovations and impactful outcomes that revolve around entrepreneurship and small business growth in Washington County, and beyond. We will wrap up this exciting discussion with an overview of the Entrepreneurship Center coming to Washington County in 2022!

 2B. Healthy Acadia and Aroostook Mental Health Center

The Opioid crisis in Washington County continues to have lasting effects on individuals, families and the local economy.   Stigma and misconceptions about addiction can be barriers to employment for some residents even years into recovery.  Healthy Acadia and Aroostook Mental Health Center (AMHC) have both received million dollar federal grants to combat the opioid epidemic.  We will discuss their efforts in community prevention, and expanding partnerships with health centers, law enforcement and others.  

 

2C. Spaceport - How the Future of STEM Research and Careers for Students in the State of Maine is uniquely poised to become a global leader in the emerging sector of small launch services.

Presentation on Maine Spaceport Planning Effort and Plans for interacting with Maine’s local businesses, creation of STEM research and jobs, use of small lauch sites for sensible infrastructure, lower customer costs and utilizing Maine’s existing education and infrastructure of areospace for the future.

 

Register Now!