EDA 2017 Annual Conference 

Two Important Deadlines: Tomorrow and Sunday

There are two deadlines coming up that you don't want to miss:

1. Tomorrow at 4:30 pm is the deadline for submissions for our EDA Awards of Excellence. 

All of the information including the criteria of each award and the online submission form is available on our website.       

·        Economic Developer of the Year

·        Outstanding Young Professional Award

·        Awards of Excellence 

·        Alex Metcalfe Awards      

Celebrate excellence in economic development in the province! Any EDA association member that is in good standing and resides within Alberta is eligible to submit an entry. The Awards will be presented at our Conference during the Minister's Dinner Thursday, March 23.

2. Sunday, January 29 is the deadline to apply for our Ignite® Session at EDA's 2017 Annual Conference. This is open to everyone. You don't have to attend the Conference to be involved in Ignite®#EDA2017

Read about the session and submit the online application.

Ignite® is a presentation format where a presenter speaks while slides advance automatically to support them. An Ignite® presentation is exactly 5 minutes and contains exactly 20 slides.

• February 12, 2017: Ignite® Applicants Notified
• March 4, 2017: Ignite® Presentation Slides Due
• March 22, 2017: Mandatory Practice with all presenters, 9:00-11:30 AM.

EDA Member News 

Call for EDA Board Nominations 2017-18

On March 24, 2017, a new Board Directors will be elected to Economic Developers Alberta (EDA).

If you are interested in submitting your intent to run for the board, please fill out the online form here on or before February 24, 2017 by 4:30 PM. 

There are four vacancies to be filled. All nominees must be “voting” members in good standing for at least one year. 

The following items are required in the form: 

• Name
• Organization and Title
• Phone
• Email
• How long you have been a member of EDA
• Number of years in the economic development profession
• What specific skills you will bring to that role

Please note, potential candidates must:

• Be willing to attend bi-monthly Board of Director’s meetings (usually a conference call approximately 1.5 hours long);
• Have the necessary skillset/experience required;
• Be able to develop a strong understanding of the organization, its needs and requirements;
• Contribute their time and knowledge to the organization and be prepared to exercise his or her duties with skill and care;
• Understand the role and function of a governance board, have an understanding of basic governance concepts and the legal duties of a director of a non-profit organization.

All nominations submitted before the deadline will be vetted by the EDA Nominating Committee to ensure they are eligible for nomination, and that they have the key skills/experience identified for the upcoming year. 

A slate of eligible nominees will be presented at the AGM, at which time nominees will be permitted to say a few words in support of their nomination. A vote by the membership will then take place. The top nominees will be elected to the board. As usual, nominations will be taken from the floor, but to ensure we have an efficient AGM we would prefer any interested candidates let us know in advance.

Sincerely,

2017-18 EDA Nominating Committee

EDA 2017 Annual Conference 

EDA 2017 Annual Conference 

EDA Awards of Excellence Submission Deadline Friday

This is a reminder that you have until Friday, January 27 at 4:30pm to submit your entry for our EDA Awards of Excellence. 

*Late entries will not be considered. 

All of the information including the criteria of each award and the online submission form is available on our website.       

·        Economic Developer of the Year

·        Outstanding Young Professional Award

·        Awards of Excellence 

·        Alex Metcalfe Awards      

These Awards recognize excellence in economic development in the province. Any EDA association member that is in good standing and resides within Alberta is eligible to submit an entry. 

The Awards will be presented at our Conference during the Minister's Dinner, Thursday. March 23. 

Follow us on Twitter @edaalberta #EDA2017 for all the latest information about the 2017 Conference. 

See you at the Conference #EDA2017 

EDA Professional Development 

Community Economic Development Training Program 

Tomorrow, our Business Retention and Expansion Course begins. 

Register now to avoid the waiting list. 

Business Retention and Expansion (BRE)

Online through the University of Calgary  

Register here

This course is what you need to help your business community improve its competitive position. 

As you know, our CEDTP training program is an excellent professional development opportunity for those in the field of economic development. Our program helps your competitive advantage by offering a variety of courses designed to deliver information on the best practices and established tools you can use to help your region thrive.

These courses are eligible for credits towards the Management Certificate-Economic Developers offered through the University of Calgary in conjunction with EDA. They can also be applied to your Ec.D designation.

#EDAOnline

Plan ahead. All of our online courses are open for registration. 

See our 2017 calendar here.

Plan to host one of our CEDTP courses in your community. 

Email admin@edaalberta.ca for information.

EDA 2017 Annual Conference 

EDA Media Release

For Immediate Release 

Economic Opportunity Assessment studying current challenges and opportunities in Wood Buffalo 

(Fort McMurray, AB – January 23, 2017) – In the wake of the May 2016 wildfire, an Economic Opportunity Assessment is being conducted this week to better understand the current economic climate in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and to plan future supports.

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo’s (RMWB) Economic Development Department and the Recovery Task Force have invited a team of 10 experts in economic development following a natural disaster to conduct this in-depth assessment.

The team, led by Economic Developers Alberta (EDA), will work with local businesses and key stakeholders to study the current challenges, the progress of recovery, and opportunities to improve the economic outlook of our community as a whole.

“EDA is pleased to bring together this team of experts, because we know that economic developers have a critical role to play in economic and business recovery efforts,” said Leann Hackman-Carty, EDA CEO. “Many communities across North America have experienced natural disasters in the past, and have valuable expertise to share with others. By bringing together a team of economic development professionals with specific expertise and experience, we are able to help support the RMWB’s ongoing economic recovery efforts.”

This assessment is made possible thanks to funding and support from the Government of Alberta. A report based on the assessment findings will be delivered in March and will include short-, medium- and long-term recommendations for success in the business community, which drives job creation, workforce development, and local commerce.

“We are excited to partner with the team from EDA as we work to better understand where there are opportunities to improve the future of Wood Buffalo,” said Natasha Hartson, RMWB Economic Development Department. “Thanks to this we can better support the business community and accelerate the economic recovery of the region.”

For more information about the assessment, email economic.development@rmwb.ca or visit choosewoodbuffalo.ca/eoa or visit edaalberta.ca. 

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Media Inquiries:

Leann Hackman-Carty, EDA CEO
Cell: (403)-807-7746

leann@edaalberta.ca

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo
pio@rmwb.ca