Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland, Mid-Shore Regional Council, and Partners:
For more than a year the Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland (TCCLES), the Mid-Shore Regional Council (MSRC), and the Eastern Shore Regional GIS Center (ESRGC-Salisbury University) have been working to create an interactive, regional visualization tool. In 2018 a taskforce consisting of economic development and GIS professionals from the Lower Shore and Mid-Shore was formed to set parameters for the types of datasets to be displayed and the functionality of the electronic platform itself. A series of taskforce meetings and considerable effort by ESRGC professionals resulted in a mock-up of the dashboard, which was then evaluated by the TCCLES and the MSRC. Final adjustments to functionality and appearance resulted in the Delmarva Index going online on August 14, 2019, thus completing Phase I of the project.
In addition to the technical ability for rendering GIS and geo-spatial technologies into useful applications, ESRGC also has the talent to search for, collect and model into a user-friendly interface the mass of digitally available data. The Delmarva Index’s Economic Dashboard is an example of that ability. I would encourage everyone to go to this new resource and evaluate it for yourself. I believe you will be surprised at the clean, crisp nature of its graphics and the uncluttered appearance. Phase I of the DelMarva Index project was funded with Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund (RMPIF) monies that both regional councils received. Phase II of the project, also funded from FY20 RMPIF monies, envisions additions to the basic architecture as the need arises.
The Delmarva Index can be found at https://www.delmarvaindex.org/ with a direct link to the Dashboard itself at https://delmarvaindex.org/economicDashboard. The Tri-County Council website provides a link to the Index through the dropdowns Comprehensive Economic Development/Committees.
For more information, contact:
Gregory Padgham, Executive Director, Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore at 410-341-8989 or email: gpadgham@tcclesmd.org or visit www.lowershore.org
Scott Warner, Executive Director, MidSHore Regional Council at 410-770-4798 or email: swarner@midshore.org or visit www.midshore.org.
