Whitney's primary responsibility is to oversee the activities of the Governor's Account Executives, a specialized team of business development experts committed to making it easier to do business in the state. Morris is working to ensure that the department's communications efforts, both internally and externally, align with its goal of creating economic opportunity for the people of Maine.
"Having worked with both Brian and Drew for just a short time now, I can proudly affirm that they are already making an impact. Their knowledge and insights are helping this department to function more effectively for job creators throughout the state," said DECD Commissioner George Gervais.
Whitney, of Augusta, has broad experience in economic development and legislative matters at the state and federal level. From 2005 to 2012, he served as the Director of Outreach and Economic Development for U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine). In that position, he worked as a senior-level staffer and liaison
between the Senator and officials across the different levels of government, as well as economic development entities and top management of corporations, in an effort to foster economic development opportunities in Maine.
Prior to joining Senator Snowe's office, Whitney worked as a Business Development Specialist at the Maine Department of Economic & Community Development and, preceding that, as a staff member in the Maine Legislature. During his tenure there, he served as Chief of Staff to Maine's Senate President during the historic power-sharing arrangement in 2002. Morris, of Winthrop, brings extensive communications and small business experience to the department. After graduating from Boston's Northeastern University with a journalism degree, he wrote for the Kennebec Journal in Augusta for two years before moving to Denver, where he joined the largest public relations firm in the region. Prior to joining an area real estate development company in 2011, Morris lived in France with his wife, where he helped his in-laws manage their 32-room hotel.
In the early 2000s, Morris founded an online advertising company for area restaurants and was the director of operations for a growing restaurant delivery service that employed 50 people at the time of his departure.
The Department of Economic and Community Development's goal is to position Maine for growth in the global economy by providing information about available financial resources and assistance and working collaboratively across state government to help resolve business-related issues in an effort to facilitate job creation and spur economic expansion. The department oversees the Office of Business Development and Innovation, Office of Community Development, Office of Tourism, Maine International Trade Center and the Maine Technology Institute.
Find the Department of Economic and Community Development on Facebook: www.facebook.com/mainedecd or follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/medecd.
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