UMaine and Husson students present economic-development internship deliverables to Bangor committee

Students from the University of Maine and Husson University presented results of an economic-development internship hosted by Bangor City staff on June 2.

Brigida Ananda Smith, the city’s economic development officer, said the School of Policy and International Relations covered student travel expenses and that the program brought both domestic and international students to Bangor. The interns worked on projects tied to real city priorities and were hosted at the Bangor Innovation Center, where local business tenants mentored and coached them.

Liam Counter presented a four-phase, eight-step small-business retention plan for downtown Bangor that included a retention survey, a comprehensive list of resources and a proposal for community-building gatherings connecting business owners with financial and marketing advisors and city officials. "Once everything is implemented, the live space is tracked in the process to see how everything has unfolded," he said.

Christopher Yali presented a guide to help Bangor businesses become more energy efficient and climate resilient, compiling rebates, community solar options and technical resources into a single, searchable resource. "By putting all the information in one clear guide, this project actually gives businesses a product of way to take action that is more sustainable," he said.

Milos Shortson focused on promoting Bangor’s foreign-trade-zone (FTZ) benefits, producing contact lists, a potential business database and marketing strategies targeted at manufacturers and exporters in the region. Albert Vasment Cruz proposed converting underused space at the Bangor Innovation Center into incubator-style services such as accounting and marketing office hours and roundtable networking events for tenants.

Committee members and staff said the projects produced tangible deliverables that the city can implement. Staff said Liam’s retention survey and findings will be coordinated with Betsy at the Downtown Bangor Partnership to move the work toward implementation.