Economic development professionals and organizations honored for excellence in the profession

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the largest nonprofit professional association for professional economic developers in the world, has awarded more than 100 different economic development organizations and leaders for achieving excellence in the profession. Recipients were awarded gold, silver and bronze designations at a ceremony during IEDC's Annual Conference in Indianapolis, IN in recognition of their work in communities across the United States and Canada.

IEDC's Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world's best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year's most influential leaders. 34 award categories honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities.

"The recipients of IEDC's Excellence in Economic Development awards represent the very best of economic development and exemplify the ingenuity, integrity, and leadership that our profession strives for each and every day," said 2019 IEDC Board Chair, Tracye McDaniel. "We're honored to recognize more than 100 communities for their excellent work, which forges new opportunities for our profession."

Awards are judged by a diverse panel of economic and community developers from around the world, following a nomination process held earlier this year. IEDC received over 400 submissions from 12 countries.

Leadership award winners include:

• Samuel Blatt, CEcD, the Director of Economic Development at the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, in Miami, Florida was awarded the Young Economic Developers of the Year award
• Jonathan Ferry, a Financial Analyst and Project Manager at the St. Louis Development Corporation in St. Louis, Missouri was awarded the Young Economic Developers of the Year award
• Justin Moffett, CEO of Old Town Companies in Carmel, Indiana was awarded the Citizen Leadership Award for his leadership as a business owner influencing economic development
• Mayor of Carmel, Indiana, James Brainard was awarded the Leadership Award for Public Service in recognition for his advocacy of economic development as an elected official
• Rita Gue was awarded the Institutional Leadership Award for her leadership as President of the Arlene and Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana
• Maureen Elbert was awarded the Jeffery A. Finkle Organizational Leadership Award for her leadership as the Executive Director at Kossuth/Palo Alto County Economic Development Corporation in Algona, Iowa over the past 20 years
• Kevin Ham, CEcD was awarded the Jeffery A. Finkle Organizational Leadership Award for his leadership as the Director of Economic Development at the City of Vista, California
• Dr. M. Ray Perryman was awarded the Chairman's Award for his lifetime achievement as the President and CEO at the Perryman Group in Waco, Texas
• Kenneth Dobson, FM, HLM, GRI, CSI was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Economic Development for his over for 40 years in the economic development field.

A full list of winners can be accessed here. Photos of the awards ceremony are available upon request.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Tanner Bokor

Manager, Marketing & Communications

International Economic Development Council

[email protected]

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 5,000 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 are engaged in the full range of economic development experience. Given the breadth of economic development work, our members are employed in a wide variety of 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.

SOURCE International Economic Development Council

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