The International Economic Development Council announced that Salt Lake City’s Department of Economic Development has been recognized as an Accredited Economic Development Organization.
The accreditation was given to Mayor Jackie Biskupski and Director Lara Fritts, following remarks by the mayor at the IEDC Economic Future Forum, currently being hosted in Salt Lake City. With over 5,000 members worldwide, only 64 organizations have attained AEDO status from IEDC.
“Salt Lake City’s Department of Economic Development displays the professionalism, commitment, and technical expertise that is deserving of this honor,” said IEDC President and CEO Jeff Finkle.
Salt Lake City’s Department of Economic Development was created by Mayor Jackie Biskupski in 2016 as part of vision to make the City a better place to live and work. Since 2016, the Department has helped create 9,000 jobs, generate $900 million-dollars in capital investment, and has attracted or retained over two-dozen companies in Salt Lake City, including Amazon, Stadler Rail, UPS, and Post Consumer Brands.
“This accreditation helps to validate all we have done to make Salt Lake City’s economic outlook stronger and more resilient for all people,” said Mayor Jackie Biskupski. “While the numbers certainly speak for themselves, what our team has also done is to create a cultural shift in how businesses view Salt Lake City government’s role in their success and their attitudes on the City as a whole.”
According to IEDC, 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. Earning the AEDO accreditation tells the community and prospects that and organization has attained a measure of excellence assuring that their trust is well-placed, and their business is in good hands.
“It’s an honor to receive this accreditation just three years after starting our work as a department,” said Lara Fritts, Director of SLC’s Department of Economic Development. “This places Salt Lake City amongst a global elite of organizations doing this work and will ultimately elevate our status as a place to do business.”
