Who is FrostburgFirst?
FrostburgFirst’s Main Street Manager, Deirdre Robertson
A native of Keyser, WV, Deirdre grew up going to swim meets at Frostburg University and doing community theatre at the Palace. Robertson completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at Shepherd University, and then completed a Master of Journalism and Mass Communications degree at Marshall University, with a concentration in public relations. As a student, she worked at the Marshall Artists Series in the public relations and marketing department and got to see firsthand the benefits of a strong relationship between a university and the surrounding community. Deirdre taught public speaking, public relations, and other communications courses at Shepherd University for several years, and upon her return to the Keyser area, she worked as a library assistant at Keyser-Mineral County Public Library. As a result of this experience, Robertson pursued a second Master degree in Information Science at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. While completing her degree, Robertson worked as a museum/archives technician with the National Park Service (NPS) at Harpers Ferry Center in the NPS History Collection and the NPS Commissioned Art Collection, which fostered her interest in historic preservation and community identity. Robertson is thrilled to be a part of a thriving community and working together to implement a collaborative vision for downtown Frostburg, and hopes to contribute to making Frostburg a destination for arts and entertainment, cultural heritage, economic vitality, and historic significance.
FrostburgFirst’s Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Dana Bridges
Dana Bridges, a 27-year-old Frostburg native, has been involved in the local arts community and area events for over a decade. Graduating Mountain Ridge High School in 2009 she went to graduate summa cum laude from Frostburg State University in 2013 with a degree in International History and minors in sociology, psychology, and cultural anthropology. Following college, she began to work as the Assistant Director of Mountain City Traditional Arts and the FSU Appalachian Festival. In 2015 Dana and a few coworkers started the Frostburg Winter Famers Market which is going strong in its 4th year. Dana has worked for and volunteered with the Allegany Arts Council and is on the board of Cumberland’s Whiskey Rebellion Festival. Dana has also been very involved in local community theatre through the last decade working as an actress, stage manager, costumer, production assistant, and director.
FrostburgFirst’s Student Interns
Stephanie Ray
Stephanie is a graduating senior at Frostburg State University, with a degree in Mass Communication and a focus in event planning, and a minor in African American studies and Theater. Stephanie draws her inspiration from wanting to help people and hopes to work to support a nonprofit organization founded by her mother. She hopes her background in event planning will bring fresh new ideas to FrostburgFirst. From doing volunteer work to working with many different non-profits, Stephanie is not only excited to share what she has learned, she is also proud to help support this cute and rustic town.
Melai Boozer
Melai is a junior at Frostburg State University studying Mass Communication with two minors in Business Marketing and International Studies. When not dedicating time to schoolwork or extracurricular activities, she loves to read books and watch movies of all genres, and she loves learning new things and visiting new places. Her long-term goals include working in areas of advertising/marketing, media production, media writing for various platforms, event planning, and steadily developing overall confidence. Melai is bringing her skills and training in film editing and graphic design to add a new dimension to FrostburgFirst’s online platforms. Melai looks forward to doing great things for Frostburg First!
Board Members of FrostburgFirst
Officers 2018/201
Diana Iman – President (Funky Repurps and More)
Meg Roque – Vice President (Carter and Roque)
Jacki Dixon- Secretary (Mountain City Center for the Arts)
Dr. Joseph M. Hoffman- Treasurer (Frostburg State University Representative)
Directors
Donny Carter (Mayor and Council Representative)
Elizabeth Stahlman (City Staff Representative)
William Mandicott (Frostburg State University Representative)
Bill Bingman (Children’s Literature Centre)
Lauren Pappas (Princess Restaurant)
Erin Gotay (Dante’s)
Website Contributors:
Paul Maxey – Web Design & Development
Ed DeWitt – Photo Contributor – Check out Ed’s facebook page for more information on his photography!