Acknowledgements

This material is based upon work supported by the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce Grant Agreement through a grant to the Rural Development Center, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, an EDA University Center, under agreement #EDA 01-66-07293. Dan Kuennen, the RDC's director, has been an early and important collaborator, including serving on the planning committee, and we appreciate his support.

For her invaluable work on the planning committee and in generally keeping us moving forward and focused on our mission, we are pleased to recognize Salisbury University 's Ruth Baker of BEACON. To Ellen Zinner of Salisbury University , whose idea first got us started, our sincere thanks. Gains Hawkins, of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, put his talents to the task of promoting the symposium, which included finding succinct and graceful words to describe it, earning our respect and gratitude.

DEF staff put their hearts and souls into preparing for the symposium, as well as their exceptional skills, which we may sometimes seem to take for granted but never will. For this we thank DEF office manager Linda Jagusiak and staff assistants LaChesha Bevel and Heather Rieken.

We are indebted to The Greater Salisbury Committee for making available a fine meeting room for our plenary sessions. The Wicomico County Free Library was gracious in providing additional meeting space for our small group discussions.

Don's daughter Katherine Harting photographed the symposium and edited these proceedings. We recognize her generous support of DEF through her labors and are deeply grateful. Our spouses, Shirley and Ed, endured months of our spending long days at the office and then more time thinking out loud at home. They must know we could not have done this without them, and so, gratefully, we proclaim just that.

Finally, to the participants, including our speakers and board members: You took a risk in committing a long day to an unfamiliar effort sponsored by a fledgling organization. We are delighted to be so well launched on our mission and pledge to live up to your confidence as we go forward.