TGCC Staff
Meet the Team Behind TGCC
Jennifer Walsh, Esq.
Executive Director, Tri-State Growth and Commerce Coalition
Jennifer Walsh, Esquire is the Executive Director for TGCC and Senior Associate Vice President for the Division of Advancement & Regional Development (DARE) at Frostburg State University. Her work focuses on forging partnerships and collaborations among key leaders and organizations across Mountain Maryland, northeastern West Virginia, and southcentral Pennsylvania.
About Jennifer Walsh, Esq.
Jennifer Walsh, Esquire is the Executive Director for TGCC and Senior Associate Vice President for the Division of Advancement & Regional Development (DARE) at Frostburg State University. Her work focuses on forging partnerships and collaborations among key leaders and organizations across Mountain Maryland, northeastern West Virginia, and southcentral Pennsylvania to advance initiatives that drive innovation, attract and nurture talent and businesses, develop a skilled workforce, expand the outdoor recreation economy, and cultivate next-generation leadership. Her outside contributions are many and include co-developing the I-68 Regional Alliance, serving on Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman’s Business Advisory Council, and serving on the Board of Trustees for the Rural Maryland Foundation.
Ava Breighner
Student Worker, Tri-State Growth and Commerce Coalition
Ava Breighner is a student worker at Frostburg State University, supporting both the Tri-State Growth & Commerce Coalition (TGCC) and the University’s Division of Regional Development & Engagement. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts with…
About Ava Breighner
Ava Breighner is a student worker at Frostburg State University, supporting both the Tri-State Growth & Commerce Coalition (TGCC) and the University’s Division of Regional Development & Engagement. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts with minors in Art History and Theatrical Studies and is a member of the President’s Leadership Circle, a program recognizing students for exceptional leadership and service. Ava also serves as the Student Vice President of Phi Kappa Phi and sits on the Society’s 2025–26 National Council of Students. In addition to her academic and regional development work, she contributes to the arts community as a member of the Artist Committee for the C. William Gilchrist Museum of the Arts.
Born and raised in Cumberland, MD, Ava is deeply committed to the Appalachian region and its economic and cultural vitality—an ethos that shapes both her artistic practice and her engagement in regional initiatives and advocacy.