Assistant Secretary Byron Leaving DBED To Helm the Maryland Medical Marijuana Commission After eight years as assistant director of the Maryland Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts, Hannah Byron will be moving on to take over the leadership of the Maryland Medical Marijuana Commission. During Byron’s tenure, Maryland’s tourism industry grew more than 21 percent and has become a thriving $15 billion industry. Byron’s selection drew praise from Baltimore County delegate Dan K. Morhaim, the only medical doctor in the Maryland legislature, who told The Baltimore Sun, “Hannah is an outstanding, highly capable, exceptional, smart, savvy, personable public official, and I look forward to working with her.” Commission Chairman Dr. Paul Davies agreed calling Byron an, “extraordinarily effective public official” and adding, "We are excited that she will bring her deep experience with the business community and her commitment to the citizens of Maryland to lead the commission." “We face an urgent challenge to get medical marijuana to patients whose doctors have certified that they need it," Byron said to The Sun. "I look forward to working with the medical profession and patients, law enforcement, business and agricultural leaders, the commissioners and others to implement this law."

Annual Maryland Tourism Report Highlights Strong Growth The Maryland Office of Tourism has released its Tourism Development Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2014 and the numbers are impressive. Maryland’s tourism industry grew over 3.2 percent, marking the fourth consecutive year the state’s Tourism revenue grew by at least three percent. Visitor spending reached $15.4 billion for the year and generated nearly $2.1 billion in state and local taxes. The thriving tourism industry directly employs more than 138,500 people with a payroll of $4.6 billion. The Maryland Office of Tourism Development is extremely proud of this sustained growth and, through innovative leadership and our continued partnership with public and private sector partners, continue to increase the benefits of tourism and travel for all Marylanders.

Economic Impact Report Highlights Spectacular Success Star-Spangled Spectacular is officially in the books and the numbers prove the event was a resounding success. Spectacular drew more than 1.43 million visitors to Baltimore in a single week with more than 200,000 making their first visit to Baltimore. The event combined with home games for the Baltimore Orioles and Ravens to create the biggest tourism week in Baltimore history according to Visit Baltimore CEO Tom Noonan. The event was produced with an investment of $4.57 million and, according to the report by Forward Analytics, generated an economic impact of more than $164.1 million, a staggering return. The entire three-year statewide commemoration had an impact of $333 million. Beyond the impressive economic numbers, the events highlighted the importance of tourism as an economic engine for the state and served to create other important benefits for Maryland. The relationship forged with the U.S. Navy’s elite Blue Angels demonstration team was a big hit on both sides, and the Angels will return to the skies over Baltimore in October 2015. The Star-Spangled Spectacular also put Maryland front and center on the World Stage with a live PBS concert that aired for an initial audience of more than 1.6 million viewers, coverage on national television including Sunday Night Football, The Colbert Report, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and more than 2,000 news stories with a circulation of more than 2.2 billion. Additionally, awareness of Baltimore as the birthplace of the National Anthem has grown from 25 percent six years ago to 39 percent of Americans today, an important recognition of the city and state's unique place in American history.

Eighth Time’s the Charm as Kevin Spacey Brings Home His First Golden Globe After seven prior nominations, House of Cards’ star Kevin Spacey finally brought home the hardware, winning the 2015 Best Actor award. Costar Robin Wright was also nominated for Best Actress, an award she won in 2014, but didn’t repeat. During the Golden Globes Broadcast, the Netflix original series, which is shot on location in Maryland, also released its first trailer for the show’s third season and anticipation is mounting amongst fans of the political thriller. Season three will be released on February 27 and the trailer can be viewed here. The Golden Globes win highlights what is turning into a big month for Maryland-based productions. HBO’s Veep and House of Cards both garnered multiple nominations from the Producers Guild and the Art Director’s Guild, including a nomination for Maryland-based set director Tiffany Zappulla. Emmy nominee Zappulla received the nomination from her peers in the Art Director’s Guild for her work on House of Cards. Zappulla is just one of the legion of Marylanders employed in the film and television industry.

President Obama signs Measure Creating Harriet Tubman National Park After years of lobbying by the Maryland federal legislative delegation, on December 19 a bill creating the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historic Park was signed into law by President Barack Obama. The park will celebrate the life and deeds of Dorchester County native Harriet Tubman, an American hero and icon of freedom, who, after escaping from slavery, became an important conductor on the Underground Railroad. The park will cover 5,750 non-contiguous acres in Caroline, Dorchester and Talbot counties and is expected to become an economic driver for the area.

Governor Elect Hogan Appoints Mike Gill to Head DBED Mike Gill, chairman of the Columbia based banking firm Evergreen Advisors has been appointed the new secretary of the Maryland Department of Economic and Business Development, according to the Baltimore Business Journal.

Maryland Minute On CBS radio stations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. plus WBAL-AM, Margot Amelia is featured in the weekly Maryland Minute. This week’s version highlights events for this upcoming weekend.

Baltimore Sun Recognizes Massive Impact of Star-Spangled Spectacular The Sun cited an economic impact of $164 million and increased national awareness of Maryland’s role in the War of 1812 and the creation of the Star-Spangled Banner.

Brewers Association of Maryland Taps Kevin Atticks As Executive Director According to the Baltimore Business Journal, Kevin Atticks, executive director of the Md. Wineries Association has been named to the same position with the Brewers Association of Maryland and will be helming both organizations.

Visit Maryland Named a “Must Follow” DMO According to the influential marketing site, Bad Consulting, Maryland has been named number 28 on the list of 100 “Must Follow” DMOs.

Maryland Tourism Grows More Than Three-Percent for Fourth Consecutive Year The Washington Post and Associated Press reported on Maryland’s sustained economic growth.

Harriet Tubman Statue Unveiled at Governor’s Mansion The Washington Post was on hand for the unveiling of the bust of Tubman, now part of the permanent collection of art housed in the Governor’s mansion.

Kevin Spacey Wins Best Actor For Role in MD Based House of Cards Kevin Spacey’s acceptance speech upon winning his first Golden Globe made big news, but what he did next was the best moment of the Golden Globes, according to Deadline.