Sandy K. Baruah, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development

President Bush has said, “The role of government is to create conditions in which jobs are created, in which people can find work.” The twin goals of his administration are to increase the competitiveness of the American economy and to ensure that all communities share in economic opportunity. To help accomplish this, the President has proposed the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) – a bold strategy that mobilizes federal resources and programs in a manner that will spur innovation and speed new ideas to the marketplace.

One of the ways that the Economic Development Administration is supporting the ACI is by spotlighting “best practice” regional strategies for economic development and competitiveness through the EDA Excellence in Economic Development Awards program, and sharing those best practices with economic development practitioners throughout the nation.

The challenge for today’s state and local officials and economic development organizations is to fashion action-oriented, market-based strategies to ensure their communities and regions are positioned not just to compete, but to thrive in the 21st century’s global economy. Some of America’s leading economic development practitioners and thinkers have developed innovative strategies for accomplishing this, and have achieved outstanding results. The Excellence in Economic Development Awards 2006 recognize these leaders of American competitiveness.

The Excellence in Economic Development Awards competition is open to nonprofit organizations, local, state and regional government entities, and universities and colleges. Nominations for each category were reviewed by a selection panel of highly qualified and independent economic development practitioners, academics and government representatives, and the winners were announced in early June 2006. I look forward to officially presenting the awards throughout the next month in the respective communities of the following winners:

Category: Urban or Suburban Economic Development
Winner: Tinley Park Economic Development, Tinley Park, Illinois

Category: Rural Economic Development
Winner: Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation, Yuba City, California

Category: Enhancing Regional Competitiveness
Winner: Catalyst Connection, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Category: Economic Adjustment Strategies
Winner: The City of Pueblo, Colorado

Category: Technology-led Economic Development
Winner: North Dakota State University Research and Technology Park, Inc., Fargo, North Dakota

Category: Community and Faith-Based Social
Entrepreneurship Winner: St. Patrick Center, St. Louis,Missouri

Category: Innovation
Winner: ConnectKentucky, Bowling Green, Kentucky

This issue of Economic Development America is dedicated to sharing the innovative thinking, planning and execution that went into each of these award-winning economic development initiatives.

I trust you will find these articles as insightful as I have, and I thank the authors for sharing their experiences with us.

Sincerely,

Sandy K. Baruah
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development