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Columbus, OH – Kenny McDonald, president and CEO of Columbus 2020, the economic development organization for the 11-county Columbus Region, was elected today secretary/treasurer for the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) at the organization’s Annual Conference in Toronto, ON. McDonald will serve the position for a two-year term.
IEDC’s mission is to help economic developers do their jobs more effectively, and to raise the profile of the profession. The organization provides information on best practices and trends, professional development, networking opportunities and more. With more than 4,000 members from communities around the world, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind.
McDonald, who currently serves as chair of external member relations on IEDC’s Governance Committee, brings to the board more than 20 years of regional economic development and management consulting experience focused on helping companies develop and execute their location strategies and helping communities achieve their goals. He holds the professional designation of Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), and serves on several local boards, including the Columbus Crew, NAIOP, SciTech, MidAmerican Global Ventures and Transportation Research Center.
Earlier in the week at the IEDC 2017 Annual Conference, Columbus 2020 was also recognized. The organization received two IEDC marketing awards, one gold and one silver. In addition, results from two industry studies ranked Columbus 2020 as the No. 1 “best in class” regional economic development agency and recognized the organization as one of the “most valuable economic development brands.”
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About the International Economic Development Council
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 4,000 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities, by creating, retaining and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth and provide a stable tax base. From public to private, rural to urban, and local to international, IEDC’s members are engaged in the full range of economic development experience. Given the breadth of economic development work, our members are employed in a wide variety of settings including local, state, provincial and federal governments, public private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities and a variety of other institutions. When we succeed, our members create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and improve the quality of life in their regions. www.iedconline.org.
About Columbus 2020
As the economic development organization for the Columbus Region, Columbus 2020’s mission is to generate opportunity and build capacity for economic growth across 11 Central Ohio counties. In 2010, hundreds of business and community leaders developed the Columbus 2020 Regional Growth Strategy, and the Columbus Region is now experiencing the strongest decade of growth in its history. The Columbus 2020 team conducts business outreach, promotes the Columbus Region to market-leading companies around the world, conducts customized research to better understand the Columbus Region’s competitiveness, and works to leverage public, private and institutional partnerships. Funding is received from more than 300 private organizations, local governments, academic institutions and JobsOhio. Learn more at ColumbusRegion.com.
Columbus 2020 Media Contact
Irene Alvarez
614-225-6941
ia@columbusregion.com