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IEDC's Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) program recognizes organizational excellence in the areas of internal and external operations, structures, and procedures. This series profiles recently accredited AEDOs, putting some of economic development's highest-performing organizations in the spotlight. This edition: Invest Newark (N.J.).

In 2020 St. Tammany Corporation in Louisiana embarked on a large-scale fiber installation project that had 6,500 crossings and also many challenges. Over the next two years, the team learned a few things that might be useful to fellow economic developers.

IEDC is accepting submissions through May 30 for the 2023 Excellence and Leadership in Economic Development Awards. Workforce Solutions Borderplex’s Neighborhood Solutions Tour: Jobs Toolbox on Wheels won a Gold Award in 2022 in the Neighborhood Development category. Workforce Solutions Borderplex (WSB) in El Paso, Texas, expanded its workforce development from static centers into a mobile service, visiting neighborhoods in need of support for upskilling and improving quality of life. The project was created when the unpredictability of pandemic lockdowns forced WSB to take an innovative approach to serving communities in dire need of workforce development. The data-driven tours consider lower-wage quartile ZIP codes, unemployment ...

Led by the City of Tucson Office of Economic Initiatives, the Southern Arizona Coalition for Climate Adaptation and Resilience was named one of 60 finalists in EDA’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge out of more than 500 applicants from across the U.S. Though they did not win the phase two award, the region came away stronger and the coalition is staying together to maintain its commitment to building back better.

IEDC recently hosted a webinar titled ARPA: What Have We Learned? Economic development leaders discussed key takeaways, best practices, innovative projects, and what’s next as communities move forward. How did economic developers use ARPA funding to make a difference in their communities? To name a few ways: technical assistance, grants, infrastructure buildout, brownfield development, and revitalizing spaces such as historical landmarks. The webinar highlighted innovative projects in building resilience. Carver County (Minn.) spent $5 million on broadband development to bring connectivity to every resident. A grant project in Cleveland provided stimulus packages for businesses with 50 or fewer employees. Best practices include ...

IEDC's Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) program recognizes organizational excellence in the areas of internal and external operations, structures, and procedures. This series profiles newly accredited AEDOs, putting some of economic development's highest-performing organizations in the spotlight. This edition: Shiawassee (Mich.) Economic Development Partnership.

The new CitiesSpeak podcast, hosted by National League of Cities CEO and executive director Clarence Anthony, gives listeners a close look at local leadership across the United States. His guest on the first episode was Mitch Landrieu, who served as the mayor of New Orleans from 2010 to 2018 and is now a senior advisor under the Biden Administration in charge of coordinating the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The episode focused on the implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, part of the Build Back Better plan. Landrieu’s experience as mayor has assisted him in his new role. His tenure as mayor was “where the rubber meets the road” whereas federal positions often feel as if they are ...

IEDC held its Annual Conference last week in Oklahoma City featuring dozens of sessions covering today’s most important economic development topics. Here are a few of the highlights.