Bethany Fife named Director of Community Development

The Mayor and Council of Frostburg are pleased to announce the appointment of Bethany Fife as the Director of Community Development. Bethany has been working in the Community Development Department at the City since 2020, serving as Planner and most recently as the Interim Director of Community Development.

Bethany loves Frostburg and has spent a majority of her career working for various nonprofits and small businesses in the City. In 2014, she received a BA in English Literature from Frostburg State University, which she credits for her foundation of strong writing and critical thinking skills and for her ability to read between the lines, understand others, and communicate effectively. After deciding to pursue a career of non-profit work and public service, in 2019 she completed an MA program at the University of Kentucky in Arts Administration with a focus in arts-based community development. Through her Master’s program, she learned methods and strategies for community enrichment and investment through the arts.

The arts and sustainability have always been important to Bethany. In addition to her employment with the City, she has worked and interned with organizations such as FrostburgFirst, the Frostburg Center for Literary Arts, and Home Ground, a nature and sustainability nonprofit. She currently serves as staff support to the City’s Green Team, serves on the Board of Directors at FrostburgFirst, and has participated as a panelist through the Maryland State Arts Council’s Arts and Entertainment District sub-group and as a Green Team representative on a sustainability panel hosted by Wholesome Harvest Co-Op.

In her free time, Bethany stays busy by cross stitching custom quotes and portraits, planning road trips, reading books from her extensive home library, and operating an online vintage clothing and housewares business.