MANDEVILLE (press release) – St. Tammany Corporation has been recognized as an accredited economic development organization by the International Economic Development Council.
“This designation is the pinnacle of economic development organization accolades and is the exclamation point on our body of work over the last five years, signifying that we are indeed a high-performing, professional, twenty-first century EDO,” said Chris Masingill, St. Tammany Corporation CEO. “Even as a young organization, we have assembled a terrific team who focus daily on the key priorities and strategic initiatives that enhance our community’s economic competitiveness, and this accreditation is an acknowledgment of the team’s diligence and commitment to smart, sustainable, transformational economic development.”
St. Tammany Corporation is the latest organization to be approved as an AEDO, joining 76 other organizations across North America, and is the third local AEDO out of the six in Louisiana.
“This significant milestone for St. Tammany Corporation is a tribute to a vision and mission realized throughout the organization and facilitated by laser-focused leadership,” said Dr. William Wainwright, St. Tammany Corporation Board President. “St. Tammany Parish, the Northshore, and the entire Southeast Louisiana region are better served by having an organization like ours that has a clear and unmitigated dedication to excellence in economic, community, and workforce development.”
Earning this official recognition signals to partners, stakeholders, site selectors, prospects, and economic development colleagues that the organization has completed a rigorous review process and met the standards for excellence set forth by the international governing body for economic developers, thus joining the ranks of the most effective EDOs in the world. It also shows that the organization has a high-performing professional staff and is a recognized authority on the practice of economic development, demonstrating to local leaders that their trust is well-placed.
“St. Tammany Corporation displays the professionalism, commitment, and technical expertise that is deserving of this honor,” said Nathan Ohle, IEDC President and CEO.
The AEDO program is a comprehensive peer review process that measures economic development organizations against commonly held standards in the profession. The program consists of two phases: a documentation review and an onsite visit. Each phase is designed to evaluate information about the structure, organization, funding, programs, and staff of the candidate economic development organization.
Maintenance of AEDO status is required every three years and is accomplished through an additional round of comprehensive documentation submission and onsite visits by a team of members from the AEDO subcommittee.
