Where is Rural Maryland?
See a list of Executive Board members
Read about RMC Milestones through the years 1994-2007
RMC Board Creates New Committees (October 2009)
Read the Rural Maryland Council's 2009 Annual Report
Read the Rural Maryland Council's 2008 Annual Report
Read the Rural Maryland Council's 2007 Annual Report
Read the Rural Maryland Council's 2006 Annual Report
Former RMC Chairman Charlie Ross was interviewed by Dr. Brad Gottfried, president of the College of Southern Maryland on the radio show, Southern Maryland Perspectives (February 2008). Listen to the Interview.
Read the RMC brochure for general information about what Council does. (June 2008)
The Rural Maryland Council (RMC) brings together citizens, community-based organizations, federal, state, county and municipal government officials as well as representatives of the for-profit and nonprofit sectors to collectively address the needs of Rural Maryland communities. We provide a venue for members of agriculture and natural resource-based industries, health care facilities, educational institutions, economic and community development organizations, for-profit and nonprofit corporations, and government agencies to cross traditional boundaries, share information, and address in a more holistic way the special needs and opportunities in Rural Maryland.
Our goals are to:
As a collaborative partnership, the RMC operates in a nonpartisan and nondiscriminatory manner. Policy-makers and managers from stakeholder agencies and organizations at all levels of government and the private sector are valued participants. Where practical, the decision-making undertaken by the RMC is made by reaching consensus.
The vision for the RMC is the ultimate realization that citizens living in rural communities are achieving success in education and employment, have access to affordable, quality health care and other vital public services, and live in an environment where natural and cultural resources are being sustained for future generations.
Rural jurisdictions share common characteristics that set them apart from their suburban and urban counterparts, such as geographic isolation, lack of transportation, and lack of access to and availability of health care. The state definition of rural is articulated in the Annotated Code of Maryland and includes 18 of the 24 jurisdictions in Maryland. Each is represented on the Rural Maryland Council. The following counties constitute rural Maryland:
Federally-designated rural jurisdictions are:
(October 2009) -- The Rural Maryland Council Executive Board approved the creation of four new working committees. These committees help the RMC develop a greater depth of policy expertise by engaging already committed and knowledgeable rural advocates from across the state in specific policy areas.
The primary responsibility of a committee is to identify a specific challenge facing rural areas across the state or region, research the problem to get an overall understanding of it, and then, by consensus, develop and implement proposed solutions. Anyone interested and committed to the topic area is welcome to join these committees. If you are interested, email us at: rmc@mda.state.md.us.
New committees include:
Existing Committees Include:
For more information, or to join a committee, email us at: rmc@mda.state.md.us