News Release
IEDC Recognizes Economic Development Organizations for Excellence in the Field
Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance receives Gold Award for its Business Retention and Expansion Program at the 2022 IEDC Annual Conference.
ALBUQUERQUE – September 20, 2022 –The International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the largest nonprofit professional association for professional economic developers in the world, has selected the recipients of its 2022 Excellence Awards. Recognized each year during the IEDC Annual Conference, the awards honor organizations for exemplary economic development marketing campaigns, projects, and programs. 25 award categories honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, & rural communities.
“Communities need our profession now more than ever. This year’s awardees exemplify the ingenuity, leadership, and determination needed to meet the challenges of today and the future. The winners of IEDC’s Excellence in Economic Development awards represent the best of economic development and demonstrate the level of leadership that our profession strives for every day,” shared IEDC President and CEO Nathan Ohle.
Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance was honored with a Gold Award in the Business Retention and Expansion Initiatives category for organizations serving a population of greater than 500,000. Over the past 15 years, Albuquerque Economic Development Inc. (renamed Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance in 2022) has engaged consultant services to outreach to local firms primarily to respond to requests for support in obtaining state and local workforce training and infrastructure incentive grants. However, the program was not resourced with full-time in-house staff or tools to allow for additional data collection and analysis on topics such as biggest obstacles to growth, talent needs, or buyer/supplier connection needs in the market. It was decided in mid-2021 to make a significant staffing and technology tools shift to a program with a full-time staff member focused on target industry outreach and interviews and delivering NEW support services and offerings to assist in their business development. In addition, a new website interface and educational brochure specific to this program of service was created from scratch to educate local businesses.
“This year’s awards selection process was especially competitive. We are honored to recognize the more than 100 communities whose marketing submissions, projects, and partnerships have improved regional quality of life,” added IEDC Awards Advisory Committee Chair Christina Winn.
“We are thrilled to receive this award recognizing the hard work of the AREA team, and I am personally very proud of the work that our Business Retention & Expansion Manager, Beth Waldrip, has executed already this year, visiting with more than 50 local firms and providing a wide range of assistance,” said Danielle Casey, President & CEO of AREA.
Awards are judged by a diverse panel of economic and community developers from around the world. IEDC received over 500 submissions from the United States and four additional countries around the world.
Businesses in the greater Albuquerque region interested in learning more about this support program can learn more at https://www.abq.org/local-business/.
About the International Economic Development Council
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 4,800 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities by creating, retaining, and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth and provide a stable tax base. From public to private, rural to urban, and local to international, IEDC’s members engage in the full range of economic development practices. Given the breadth of economic development work, our members are employed in various settings, including local, state, provincial, and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities, and a variety of other institutions. When we succeed, our members create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and improve the quality of life in their regions. Learn more at iedconline.org.