1 February 2012

The Virginia Beach Economic Development Department has been recognized by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) as an Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO).  Virginia Beach is one of only 29 of the 22,000 economic development organizations in North America to have earned this distinction.

The AEDO program measures economic development organizations against commonly held standards in the profession. It evaluates the structure, organization, funding, program and staff of the candidate organization.

“The Virginia Beach Economic Development Department displays the professionalism, commitment and technical expertise that is deserving of this honor,” said IEDC President and CEO Jeff Finkle. “We are proud to be acknowledged for our organizational excellence and success in business recruitment and retention,” said Warren Harris, director of Virginia Beach Economic Development. “This achievement was made possible by the vision and support of the City Council and Economic Development Authority and the outstanding quality of our staff.”

Virginia Beach was first accredited in 2005. Maintenance of the accreditation is required every three years. IEDC is the premier membership organization dedicated to helping economic development professionals create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities and improve the quality of life in their regions. It represents the largest network of economic development professionals in the world.

The mission of the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development is to attract and retain national and international business and industry that results in the creation of new capital investment and jobs that increase the per capita income in the community. The City of Virginia Beach is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Virginia with a population of 434,000 and is the 39th largest city in the United States.

The City of Virginia Beach is recognized as the best run cities in America, by 24/7 Wall Street in 2012, and in 2011, Virginia Beach ranked number one for economic growth potential by Business Facilities.. In 2012, the Department of Economic Development received re-accreditation through the International Economic Development Council, one of only 29 economic development organizations in the world to have this recognition. In 2011, the Department won an Award of Excellence for its marketing efforts from the International Economic Development Council. For more information, visit www.yesvirginiabeach.com.

For more information please contact: City of Virginia Beach, City Manager’s Office, Media & Communications Group at (757) 385-4679  or visit VBgov.com. Additional contacts may be reached at Cynthia Whitbred-Spanoulis (757) 385-6464 or Cindy Mackey (757) 754-4553.