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Jacob C. Shade is a Republican Party politician from the State of Maryland in office since December 18, 2014. Shade, an Allegany County commissioner, is currently the youngest elected official in the state of Maryland. Early life and education Shade was born in Cumberland, Maryland and attended Allegany High School where he led the school's teenage republicans. Shade later served as the Maryland Teenage Republicans State Chairman. While in high school, Shade took an internship at the Cumberland office of Congressman Roscoe Bartlett. Shade went onto earn a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland, College Park with a major in government and politics and a minor in technology entrepreneurship. Career Shade served two years as Legislative Director in the Maryland General Assembly office of Delegates LeRoy Myers (R-Allegany and Washington) and Andrew Serafini (R-Washington). Shade was elected to the Allegany County Board of Commissioners in 2014, and led all candidates with 13,358 votes. He is currently serving a 4 year term. In Allegany County, the commissioner with the highest number of votes has traditionally been given the role of president of the commissioners court. As Shade received the highest number of votes among the commissioners, the tradition would of been to make him president. After being elected to the commissioners court, shade stated that he would become its president. After being sworn in, Shade joined the other commissioners in unanimously electing William Valentine, an incumbent commissioner, as president of the commissioners court. As commissioner, Shade "has said he wants to take a new tack on economic development. 'We need to overhaul our economic development strategy and shift our focus to advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity. These will be key industries for Allegany County over the next decade and are industries we can compete in.'" Shade's other priorities are "reducing the homestead property tax rate from 7 percent to 4 percent and working with the Board of Education and local businesses to expand high school financial literacy courses to include aspects of entrepreneurship. He said he would also set up a partnership with local colleges and business to create a countywide internship program to ensure businesses can find qualified job candidates." Political and civic associations Shade has served on the Allegany County Republican Central Committee since 2013 and has been a delegate to five Maryland republican conventions since 2008. Shade also participates in the following boards, organizations and civic associations: *Member, Board of Health, Allegany County *Member, Mental Health Advisory Board, Allegany County *Member, Social Services Board, Allegany County *Member, Task Force on Child Abuse, Allegany County *Member, Cumberland Allegany County Industrial Foundation, Inc. (CACIF) *Member, Tri-County Council for Western Maryland *Member, Allegany County Republican Club *Member, Queen City Lodge No. 131, A. F. & A. M.
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