TEDC Honors Cities with Community Economic Development Awards

The Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) has announced the recipients of its annual Community Economic Development Awards (CEDA) for 2023.
The awards will be presented at the Award Luncheon at the TEDC’s 2023 Annual Conference on Thursday, October 12th , 2023 in Houston Texas. 

The Community Economic Development Award program recognizes exceptional contributions of TEDC member cities toward the economic vitality of their communities and the state of Texas through creativity, leadership, and partnership in the achievement of business retention, business recruitment and community improvement.

The CEDA committee received twenty-four applications this year. Nominees were judged on five criteria: innovativeness, transferability, community commitment and leverage, measured objectives, and secondary benefits. 

Communities nominated included: 

• Population Less than 10,000 – Brookshire, Hillsboro, Kaufman, Lamesa and Lorena.  
• Population 10,001 to 20,000 – Calhoun County, El Campo, Granbury, Mount Pleasant, Terrell and Tomball. 
• Population 20,001 to 50,000 – Boerne/Kendall County, Celina, Fate, Greenville, Lancaster, Seguin, Sherman, Stephenville and The Colony.
• Population 50,001 to 100,000 – Cedar Park, Georgetown, Missouri City, San Angelo, Orange County and Pharr. Population 100,001 to 250,000 – Allen, Mesquite, Sugar Land and Abilene.
• Population 250,001 and Above – Austin, Waco/McLennan County, Corpus Christi and Lubbock.

The 2023 CEDA recipients in population categories are: 

• Population Less than 10,000: Lorena Economic Development Corporation
• Population 10,001 to 20,000: Mount Pleasant Economic Development Corporation
• Population 20,001 to 50,000: Sherman Economic Development Corporation
• Population 50,001 to 100,000: Orange County Economic Development Corporation\
• Population 100,001 to 250,000: Development Corporation of Abilene
• Population 250,001 and Above: Lubbock Economic Development Alliance
• Innovativeness: Allen Economic Development Corporation
• Transferability: Seguin Economic Development Corporation
• Community Commitment and Leverage: Calhoun County
• Measured Objectives: City of Waco and McLennan County
• Secondary Benefits: Hillsboro Economic Development Corporation

“Our Community Economic Development Award is one of the ways in which our organization honors the excellent work done by our communities, their leaders, and their economic development professionals,” noted Ray Dunlap, 2023 Board Chair of the Texas Economic Development Council. 

“Each community nominated achieved excellence in economic development and substantially improved the economic base of their respective regions. The
recipient communities in each population category were recognized for extraordinary accomplishments in meeting the criteria set forth in the nomination process.”

The TEDC provides information, education and legislative services to its members to foster the expansion of existing businesses, the location of new firms and the development of strategies that promote a positive business climate in Texas. With 1,000 members, the TEDC is the largest state economic development association in the nation.