For many young adults, college is the first time they are in control of the majority of their finances. As freshmen across the country embark on their first semester, Shore United Bank has highlighted eight tips to help ease their transition to financial independence.

“Striking the balance between spending and saving can be particularly hard when you are focused on everything else that comes with college life, but it is important to keep a close watch on your spending habits from day one,” said Laura Heikes, SVP Community & Government Relations Officer. “There’s no better time than the first year of college to establish good money habits and take control of your financial future.”

Shore United Bank offers the following tips to help ease the transition to financial independence for college freshmen.

1. Create a budget. Take some time to figure out your income and set your goals, factoring in recurring expenses that must be paid (like tuition, books, and car insurance), some of your “wants” (like concert tickets and other recreational activities), and savings for emergencies. Shore United Bank offers services that will help you keep track of your money – and stay on track of your goals.

2. Track your spending. Create a spreadsheet or download an app to see where your money is going each month. Mapping out your spending habits can help you identify where you might want to make adjustments.

3. Save a little each month. Save your spare change and deposit it into your bank account at the end of each month. Increase the amount by $5 each month or quarter. This is an easy and manageable way to establish good financial habits that “Future You” will appreciate.

4. Open an interest-bearing account. Stash some of your high school graduation money in an account that earns interest for doing nothing. When you open a certificate of deposit (CD), for example, you will earn interest in exchange for agreeing to leave your money alone for a specific period of time. Plan it right, and you can have CDs mature right as you need them each semester to help pay for tuition and expenses.

5. Utilize campus resources. Universities today offer plenty of amenities to students for little-to-no cost. Take advantage of benefits such as free access to the campus rec center and shuttles that take you to off-campus locations.

6. Take advantage of student discounts. When you want to take a break from the campus dining halls, or feel the urge to treat yourself, try looking for places that offer student discounts. Most discounts typically range from 10 to 15 percent and will accept your campus ID as verification.

7. Build credit wisely. Look into applying for a student credit card that you can use for small purchases that you are able to pay off in full each month, like a music streaming subscription. If you don’t have your own source of income or are not comfortable handling the responsibility of credit alone, ask your parents to add you as an authorized user for one of their credit cards to establish a history of credit.

8. Ask questions. Just like in the classroom, this is a learning experience. If you need help or are curious about a financial issue, ask trusted resources like your parents or your bank.

Shore United Bank is a full-service community bank offering innovative banking solutions. From student checking accounts to mobile banking to many other convenience services, we have products and resources to help college students manage their finances. With over 20 branches serving Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, stop into a branch near you or call 877.758.1600. For more information, visit ShoreUnitedBank.com. Member FDIC

Easton Utilities recently celebrated significant service milestones achieved by ten employees. “It is always rewarding to celebrate the commitment our people have to our organization and our customers,” said Vicki L. Petro, Director of Human Resources for Easton Utilities.

Photo: (Left to Right), Eddie Westerfield (20 yrs), Russel Miles (30 yrs), John White (10 yrs), Dallas Johns (40 yrs), Cheryl Bryan (30 yrs), Phillip Peerman (20 yrs), Diane Skinner (40 yrs), David Boyd (10 yrs), Hugh Grunden, President & CEO, Tim Bowser (20 yrs), and Gary Collins (10 yrs).

40 years
• Dallas Johns, Superintendent of Water Distribution & Wastewater Collection
• Diane Skinner, Billing Coordinator celebrated 40-year anniversaries.

30 years
• Cheryl Bryan, Special Projects and Administrative Supervisor
• Russel Miles, Superintendent of Electric Distribution

20 years
• Tim Bowser, Network Operations Technician
• Phillip Peerman, Supervisor of IT Infrastructure & Cybersecurity
• Eddie Westerfield, Associate Engineer

10 years
• David Boyd, Electric Technician
• Gary Collins, Industrial Electrician II
• John White, Software Engineer

Each and every year following the annual meeting, all Easton Utilities employees are required to participate in a tree planting at a specific location in Easton. This year they planted 21 trees along the Rails to Trails near Idlewild Avenue and replaced four trees along Bay Street. “This tradition is one I hold in high regard as we display the value of teamwork, the pride we have for our community, and our commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Hugh E. Grunden, President and CEO for Easton Utilities.

There are numerous environmental benefits associated with trees and they enhance the aesthetics of any area. The Rails to Trails is a visible area enjoyed by many residents in the community and Bay Street is a commonly used entry into town. To date, Easton Utilities has planted over 350 trees to enhance the Town of Easton.

Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and telecommunications company operating the Electric, Natural Gas, Water, Wastewater, Cable Television, and Internet services for the Town of Easton and portions of the surrounding area. Please visit www.eastonutilities.com or call 410-822-6110 to learn more.

SVN, Miller, RAUCH, inc., KRM Development, Shore Studios, BB&T, The Arc-Central Chesapeake Region, and What’s Up Media are pleased to sponsor the 2^nd Annual SED Talks –ushering in Maryland Economic Development Week, Oct. 20-26. The event will be held at Chesapeake College Todd Performing Arts Center on Friday, October 18^th from 8:30-12:00 p.m.

There is no cost-interested attendees are encouraged to invite colleagues, clients or others who may be interested.Continental Breakfast served at 8:30 a.m. The program begins at 9 a.m. Register at: www.sedtalks.org.

SVN Trade Show

SED Talks is a year-round non-profit private initiative that promotes economic development, business, preservation, and conservation improvements to the quality of life on the Eastern Shore.  SED Talks provides a forum to highlight successes of the past year and present on transformational ideas for future growth.  As such, the takeaways from the conference are truly action and group oriented.

Like Ted Talks, SED Talks are 15-20 minute dynamic conversations on successes, challenges, market shifts, strategies and opportunities on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.  The conference serves as a call to action to organize, harness and mobilize the top business, government and political leaders in the region to effect change and collaborate on innovative ideas to expand businesses and the economic base in the region.

Once again, the 2019 SED Talks program is shaping up to be an engaging one. This year’s conference will feature Talks focusing on innovations in agriculture and aquaculture here on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the transformational impact arts has on a community’s quality of life, and how economic development can be distributed by new, more contemporary applications.

107 Associates at Qlarant took time out on Thursday, September 12th to come together for their Annual Easton Office Picnic. Headquartered in Easton, Md., Qlarant is a solutions company that focuses on risk management, quality improvement programs, and delivering customized technical products and services to solve complex, real-world problems for their clients.

This year, they moved their annual event inside and decided to focus the event on the company’s involvement in a variety of community activities designed to benefit others. “This year we decided to link our picnic with our increasing involvement in the Talbot Goes Purple (TGP) awareness program,” said Qlarant CEO Ron Forsythe, Jr., PhD. “We tied this into our work battling the opioid crisis on a national level and decided to have a Qlarant Purple Day.” Each person received a purple t-shirt celebrating Qlarant’s theme “Choose to Make a Difference.”

Supporting the goals of TGP, 70 Qlarant employees attended training on the use of Narcan to treat an opioid overdose which was provided by Logan Harris and Beth Williams from the Talbot County Health Department. The one-hour course provided background information on the various types of opioids and related controlled substances and presented the staff with ways to recognize an overdose event. They showed the class how to administer Narcan and provided each attendee with a response kit and two doses to have in the event they needed to render assistance.

Associates also brought in donations to the Neighborhood Service Center. Each year, around the holidays, Qlarant collects food, necessities, and gifts to ease the needs of the poor—but the need doesn’t go away after the holidays. Qlarant encourages others to make sure they keep organizations like the NSC stocked with paper goods, toiletries, and other sundries.

During lunch, Qlarant welcomed Deputy Steve Elliott from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Department who provided everyone an update on the TGP efforts in Year 3. He thanked Qlarant for having approximately 40 people attend the kick-off event on September 4^th and related some experiences from his most recent speaking events. Steve didn’t leave empty-handed—Qlarant packed his vehicle with purple Frisbees to give out at schools and sporting events.

The final speaker was the Habitat Build Team leader Michelle Kennedy who brought everyone up to speed on the activities of the team supporting the efforts of Habitat for Humanity Choptank. For approximately two years, Qlarant associates have worked along with Habitat staff and future homeowners to build houses near Port Street in Easton, as well as locations in Cambridge. Michelle encouraged new associates to join the team for one Saturday each month.

“This was a different approach to our annual picnic,” said Vice President of Human Resources Deb Keller. “Much of our day-to-day work is centered on improving the lives and health of people across the country. It is remarkable to see how much the people who work here are willing to give of themselves in the various charities and good works right here in our own community. We constantly see evidence of our claim to have the best people, providing the best solutions, which yield the best results.”

About Qlarant

Qlarant is a not-for-profit, nationally respected leader in fighting fraud, waste, and abuse—improving program quality, and optimizing performance. The company uses subject matter experts and innovative data science and technology to help organizations see risks, solve problems, and seize opportunities. Solutions are customized for state and federal agencies as well as commercial industries across the nation. The Qlarant Foundation— the mission arm of the organization—provides grants to services provided in underserved communities. Qlarant employs nearly 500 people and has a 45-year record of accomplishment improving the performance of some of the Nation’s most important programs. Qlarant is a licensed AgileCxO Transformation Partner.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Pat Boos at 410.819.3553 or email at boosp@qlarant.com.  For more information and to view the video go to www.qlarant.com

Mid-Shore Community Foundation is pleased to announce that Kevin Moran has joined the staff as its new Chief Financial Officer.

Kevin spent over 35 years in the banking industry including employment with community and regional banks in a variety of lending, credit and business development positions. A 1980 graduate of the University of Maine in Orono, he recently retired as the Chief Credit Officer of 1880 Bank and previously held management positions at the Talbot Bank and PNC Bank/St. Michaels Bank.

Kevin Moran

Kevin has resided in St. Michaels for the past 19-years with his wife, Susan. Their children, all adults, now reside outside the area.  He currently volunteers with various community organizations including Habitat for Humanity Choptank and the Londonderry Retirement Community as a member of the Board of Directors, and serves as Treasurer of the Bay 100 Youth Task Force.  He previously served on the Board of Directors of Channel Marker and the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce.  He and Susan also volunteer at Talbot Interfaith Shelter.

“We are pleased to welcome Kevin to the Foundation,” said MSCF President Buck Duncan.  “Kevin’s extensive experience and knowledge of the community will be integral as we continue to maximize the impact of our work in the community.”

Established in 1992, the Mid-Shore Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to enhancing the quality of life throughout the Mid-Shore Region of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties.  Mid-Shore Community Foundation is one of the most significant foundations – public or private – in the State of Maryland, with more than $84.2 million in assets.  Since its founding, the Foundation has received over $83.1 million in contributions and has awarded more than $34 million in grants and scholarships.  To learn more, visit mscf.org.