Economic Development, Community Development and Tourism
Our Team
We are a passionate group of public servants from a wide variety of backgrounds. From finance, to planning, to adventure sports, to tech, our eclectic experiences and skills makes us a dynamic team that continually helps promote and grow our community.
Economic Development
Economic development touches a range of topics, including workforce development, business attraction, new amenities, resident growth and even speculative housing. Learn more about the team dedicated to addressing these issues in Allegany County.
Director, Economic and Community Development | jbarclay@alleganygov.org
Jeffrey Barclay
As the director of the department, Jeffrey Barclay oversees both Allegany Economic Development and the Office of Tourism. With a BSc in Environmental Analysis and Planning from Frostburg State University, Jeffrey started his career with Allegany County Government in May 2001 as a Planner.
By 2007 he joined the Department of Economic and Community Development, becoming its Director in 2017. Jeffrey was appointed by Former Governor Larry Hogan to serve on the Maryland Department of the Environment Land Reclamation Committee and serves on the Western Maryland Economic Futures Fund Board. For over 20 years, Jeffrey has been facilitating land development and economic growth in Allegany County. From enabling advanced manufacturing, to attracting national retail brands, Jeffrey, who also goes by Jeff, provides steady leadership to the Allegany County Economic Development team. Jeff is also a 2022 National Semi-Pro Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. Born and raised in Allegany County, he and his wife live in Cresaptown with their two children.
Senior Project Manager | nprice@alleganygov.org
Nathan Price
Nathan Price, Senior Project Manager, is a lifelong resident of Allegany County, Maryland. He grew up in Cumberland and graduated from Bishop Walsh High School. He received his B.S. degree in Computer Information Systems from Marymount University in Arlington, VA, and his M.B.A. from Frostburg State University.
Nathan held various positions over his 15 years in the banking field, including Branch Manager, Relationship Manager, and Assistant Vice- President, and was the recipient of a number of performance awards and recognitions for outstanding customer service. Nathan is a graduate of the 2017 Leadership Allegany program, as well as the 2019 Leadership Somerset, PA, County program. Nathan has worked for the Allegany County Department of Economic Development since May 2021. He, currently, serves as a board member for the Cumberland Economic Development Corporation, and previously held memberships on the Downtown Development Commission and Rotary Club of Cumberland.
Economic Development Specialist | astrott@alleganygov.org
Adam Strott
Having spent most of his professional life working in the tech industry, Adam Strott has a passion for exploring the intersection between economic development and innovation. Adam is a native of Annapolis and graduate of DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, MD.
Adam attended Stevenson University in Owings Mills, Maryland, earning a B.S. in Film. After graduating in 2012, he worked in Baltimore for a tech startup, later moving to São Paulo, Brazil where he earned he earned his M.B.A. in International Business at Fundação Instituto de Administração (FIA) in 2016. After working for LatAm based tech companies, Adam relocated to Miami in 2018 wherein he participated in a full-time International Studies M.A. at the University of Miami, focusing on sustainable economic development, all the while also working full-time as a software delivery and localization specialist for a tech firm in the aviation space. Adam speaks fluent Portuguese and Spanish, lives in Cumberland with his wife and young son.
Community Development
With a focus on administering local, state and federal funds for programs that focus on housing and human services, our Community Development Office supports local non-profits and other poverty reduction organizations.
Community Development Representative | dnedved@alleganygov.org
David Nedved
David Nedved has been the Community Development Representative for the department since 2012. Prior to that he was the Economic Development Representative for four years. He is responsible for acquiring and satisfying requirements for various funding sources for Allegany County.
This includes 13 million dollars in Community Development Block Grants, 9 million dollars in Appalachian Regional Commission grants, 4.2 million in COVID-19 related grants, and other federal government sources through HUD, USDA, and FEMA. For ten years he worked for a market research firm for the retail industry, as well as having worked for the world’s largest market research company, A C Nielsen. David also has an extensive history in retail management. As a retail manager he oversaw store openings and renovations in Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan. David has separate Bachelor Degrees in Economics and Psychology from the University of Rochester and a Master Degree in Business Administration from Frostburg State University.
Tourism
The Tourism Office focuses on attracting visitors to Allegany County, both through outreach and the development and support of new programs and assets.
Director of Tourism | aworkman@alleganygov.org
Ashli Workman
As the Director of Tourism, Ashli and her team, strengthen destination awareness through promotion, development, and services that attract visitors to stay longer and spend more in our community. She has over 17 years of marketing and tourism experience. In 2017, Ashli was appointed as Director of Tourism for Allegany County.
Ashli combines her love for Mountain Maryland and her tourism and destination marketing expertise to lead the promotion of Allegany County, the Mountain Side of Maryland. Under her leadership, the destination reemerged into the marketplace through a rebranding initiative, relaunched a new website – mdmountainside.com, garnered national media coverage in placements such as Southern Living, Travel Channel, Men’s Journal, and MSN Travel, and has been the recipient of multiple statewide awards including ‘Best New Website’ (2019), ‘Best Cooperative Partnership’ (2020), and ‘Leveraging Partnership Award’ (2021) awards. Ashli is a 2008 graduate of Frostburg State University, and lives in Allegany County with her husband and two young children.
Marketing and Sales Manager | jsainz@alleganygov.org
Jessica Sainz
Jessica brings over seven years of experience in nonprofit organizations and the public sector to her role as the Tourism Marketing and Sales Manager. Her specialties include content creation, grant writing, public relations, program and project management and partnerships.
Graduating from Frostburg State University in 2009 with a degree in English Language and Literature, Jessica began her career at the Frostburg Center for the Literary Arts, where she organized and publicized successful events such as the Nightsun Writers Conference, Indie Lit Festival, and One Act Festival. In 2015, Jessica became the Director of FrostburgFirst, the City of Frostburg's Maryland-designated Main Street program. As a Main Street Maryland Community, Jessica helped support local businesses and was an integral part of developing and promoting Frostburg's Main Street district. Today, she is responsible for planning and implementing sales and communications strategies and projects as well as publishing Allegany County's yearly destination guide. Jessica lives in Frostburg with her husband and son.
Visitor Services Manager | mbowling@alleganygov.org
Mark Bowling
Mark grew up in Frostburg and was quick to develop a passion for the outdoors, exploring Allegany County and the region in his youth. He graduated from Frostburg State University and started his career in the outdoor industry, guiding rock climbing and hiking in southeast Alaska, Joshua Tree National Park.
Mark also led canyoneering trips around various national parks near Moab, Utah and has also climbed internationally in Thailand and New Zealand, where was a guide. Mark has helped to establish operational procedures and developed, marketed, sold and guided multi-day excursions. Mark is a former EMT, Wilderness First Responder, and American Mountain Guide certified instructor, and maintains CPR and First Aid certifications. He has also received swift water training from the American Canoe Association. He is a member of the American Alpine Club, Access Fund, and local organizations including the Western Maryland Grotto and Western Maryland Climbing Coalition.