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MDBC Represents Top 1% of Accredited Economic Development Organizations Globally
Miami, FL) January 10, 2018 – The Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the County’s official public-private economic development partnership has been recognized as one of 62 economic development organizations to be designated by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) as an Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO). The Miami-Dade Beacon Council was one of the first national organizations to be accredited, and has maintained that designation for almost twenty years.
“The Miami-Dade Beacon Council displays the professionalism, commitment, and technical expertise that is deserving of this honor,” said IEDC President and CEO Jeff Finkle.
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 the structure, organization, funding, program, and staff of the candidate economic development organization.
“Being a designated AEDO is coveted honor, since it places us in a distinguished, internationally recognized elite group,” said Michael A. Finney, President & CEO of The Miami-Dade Beacon Council. “Over the years, The Miami-Dade Beacon Council has continued to innovate and hone best practices that allow us to not only allow us to successfully market Miami as a world-class business destination, but attract companies to relocate to this community while diversifying the economy.”
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, who co-chairs the Beacon Council’s One Community One Goal initiatives, noted the importance of this AEDO reaccreditation in terms of spotlighting South Florida’s growing role on the world’s economic stage. “This success sends a clear message to global investors, corporations and entrepreneurs that the advantages of living, working, doing business, enjoying life and traveling to Miami continue to grow. We achieved this prosperity by developing seven areas of our economy, including technology, aviation, entertainment, banking and finance, trade and logistics, hospitality and tourism, and life sciences and healthcare. This winning approach sets us up for even greater future accomplishments.”
Earning the AEDO accreditation tells the community and prospective business enterprises that The Miami-Dade Beacon Council has attained an exceptional level of excellence, assuring residents and organizations that their trust is well-placed, and their business is in good hands. This past year, the organization celebrated a major milestone by supporting 50 companies in expanding or relocating to Miami-Dade County, which in turn created almost 2,000 jobs generating more than $402.6 million in new capital investments. This is a testament to the strength of the organization’s economic development initiatives and programing, and the direct impact it has on the growth of this global community.
Maintenance of the AEDO status is required every three years and is accomplished through documentation submissions and/or onsite visits by a team of the AEDO subcommittee.
