Michael Dreisbach has filed to run as a Democratic candidate for Maryland’s District 1A House of Delegates, serving Garrett and Allegany Counties. A business consultant and partner of Fronterra Resources, he and his wife, Jan Russell operate six tourism and hospitality businesses in Garrett County – their best known are Savage River Lodge in Frostburg and The Cornucopia Café in Grantsville. As a fiscally conservative businessman, he and his wife employ approximately 90 people in their different businesses.
Mike has been active in Garrett County for the last 25 years, even prior to the development of Savage River Lodge. He grew up in Williamsport and Hagerstown in Washington County, and graduated from Hagerstown Community College, Frostburg State College, and also attended Penn State.
Mike spent over 25 years in the business world, serving in many different roles. His ideas on empowering people have been successful tools in developing some of the most participative, non-traditional workplaces in the United States and Canada. While in Washington County, Mike worked at Fairchild Republic and Rohr Industries, as well as in his own small business manufacturing game calls called Woodland Echoes. At Fairchild he became politically active in the United Auto Workers Union (UAW), Local 842 as a committeeman, shop chair and, ultimately, President of Local 842. He was on temporary assignment for the UAW as an international training representative at Black Lake, Michigan. After leaving the UAW he became a labor mediator, first working for William Usery, President Gerald Ford’s Labor Secretary, before starting his own mediation business, Workplace Community Associates. As a mediator he worked in the aerospace, auto, chemical and coal mining industries. Locally, in the early 1990s he was the Executive Director of Cumberland Area Labor Management organization where he dealt with public and private labor unions and their employers.
Mike is a graduate of Leadership Maryland class of 2007 and Leadership Washington County class of 1989. He belongs to many outdoor organizations – many of which he is a lifetime member of – like Sierra Club, National Wild Turkey Federation, Ruffed Grouse Society, Trout Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Izaak Walton League. He is President of Garrett Trails and belongs to other hiking biking outdoor organizations in the region.
Mike’s career got its start because of his love of the outdoors. Today, Savage River Lodge has become a model of sustainability for small business and many of their green practices have been recognized. For example, Savage River Lodge has the largest commercial solar energy system in Garrett County. In 2008 the Dreisbach and Russell were honored as Model Entrepreneur of the Year by the Trident Initiative, in 2009 Savage River Lodge was the Maryland Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year, and the Maryland Department of Tourism Green/Sustainable Business of the Year in 2011. He has been a member of the Board of Visitors for the Appalachian Laboratory of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Studies and is a member of Frostburg State University’s Business School Advisory Board. Another of his passions is Habitat for Humanity. He and Jan have helped found and currently volunteer in chapters based in Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties.
Mike is looking forward to giving the citizens of Garrett and Allegany Counties a choice that will lead them to a brighter future.
Mike for Maryland 