It’s very difficult at Hallmark card shops and grocery stores to find thank you cards expressing your appreciation for economic developers.
However, that group does have a time of the year when you’re supposed to show them appreciation for all they do – and that time is now.
From Monday, May 8 to Friday, May 12, economic development officials around the country are celebrating the aptly named “Economic Development Week,” and, if you were planning on showing them your gratitude for bringing in jobs and pumping up the local economy, now would be the perfect time to do so.
The Piedmont Triad Partnership and the Carolina Core initiative – a multi-pronged branding and economic development effort meant to showcase the virtues of central North Carolina – is one group that’s celebrating the week. According to information from the Carolina Core, in the last five years, there have been 42,300 office and industrial job announcements in the Carolina Core region.
The week meant to honor economic development officials was created in 2016 by, of course, a group of economic development officials, the International Economic Development Council, which is the largest international professional trade association for economic developers.
During the week, everyone in North America is encouraged to celebrate and recognize the contributions of professional economic developers who “create more economically vibrant and livable communities” and “increase awareness for local programs that create jobs, advance career development opportunities, and improve the quality of life in communities everywhere.”
The week is also supposed to be used to celebrate the good works that economic developers perform in their communities throughout the year.
Piedmont Triad Partnership President and CEO Mike Fox said this week that there’s a lot to celebrate in the central Carolina region that the Carolina Core promotes.
He said area job creation has been going very, very well.
“The Carolina Core has experienced impressive economic development momentum these last few years,” Fox said. “In 2018, we announced the goal of creating more than 50,000 office/industrial jobs in the Carolina Core in 20 years. Just five years into that 20-year goal, more than 42,300 jobs have been announced in the Carolina Core. We are celebrating that success this week.”
Fox also said that, during this week, thanks should also go out to business and educational leaders, elected officials and residents who’ve worked to help bring economic success to this region.
Carolina Core Regional Economic Development Director for the Piedmont Triad Partnership Loren Hill said that, during Economic Development Week, it’s crucial to recognize this region’s local economic development professionals.
“They work hard to help existing companies thrive and expand while also helping to recruit new companies to the Carolina Core,” Hill said.
In case you’re wondering, in this region, where to send your thank you cards, here are some choices: Alamance Chamber of Commerce; City of Burlington Economic Development Department; Carolina Core; Caswell County Manager’s Office; Chatham County Economic Development Corporation; Davidson County Economic Development Commission; Davie County Economic Development Commission; Town of Elkin Economic Development Dept.; Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corp.; Greensboro Chamber of Commerce; City of Greensboro Economic Development Dept.; Guilford County Economic Development Alliance; Harnett County Economic Development Partnership; High Point Economic Development Corp.; I-95/I-40 Crossroads of America Alliance; Montgomery County Economic Development Dept.; Moore County Economic Development Partnership; Piedmont Triad Partnership; Person County Economic Development Commission; Randolph County Economic Development Corp.; Rockingham County Center for Economic Development, Small Business and Tourism; Sanford Area Growth Alliance; Stokes County Economic Development Dept.; Surry County Economic Development Partnership; Wilkes Economic Development Corp.; Greater Winston-Salem, Inc.; and last, but certainly not least, the Yadkin County Chamber of Commerce.
