Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. (LVEDC) won four awards from the International Economic Development Council, including a Silver Award for Economic Development Organization of the Year.
The awards continue the string of recognition on the Lehigh Valley for its collaborative efforts to grow the economy and create good-paying jobs. 
LVEDC competed against the largest economic development organizations in the world (those in regions of at least 500,000 people), many of which have bigger budgets and more staff.
The Excellence in Economic Development Awards won by LVEDC were:
Gold Award, Special Event, for the Fall Signature Event last November, “Lehigh Valley’s Technology Sector: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”
Silver Award, Economic Development Organization of the Year.
Silver Award, Lehigh Valley Hot Careers Dashboard.
Silver Award, LVEDC Annual Report.
The International Economic Development Council is the largest economic development association in the world, with more than 4,500 members globally. LVEDC is one of only 73 organizations to meet the council’s rigorous accreditation standards.
“These honors are a powerful validation of the leadership of LVEDC’s Board of Directors who set successful strategies, and of the strength of the partners and investors who collaborate with LVEDC to make sure the Lehigh Valley economy continues to grow and provide opportunities for everyone,” said Don Cunningham, President & CEO of LVEDC.
“It is both exciting and gratifying to see the LVEDC team’s work recognized on a national level. Don Cunningham and team do an amazing job telling the Lehigh Valley story. Once again, LVEDC’s work rose to the top against competition that included the largest cities and regions in the country,” said LVEDC Board Chair Ed Dougherty, Senior Vice President & Chief Business Development Officer at Lehigh Valley Health Network, now proudly part of Jefferson Health.
Each year, IEDC recognizes organizations that demonstrate consistent, exemplary performance in the economic development profession through projects that have a significant impact on revitalizing communities and improving the practice of economic development.
"Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. is setting the standard of excellence for economic development. These awards highlight LVEDC’s commitment to its community and demonstrate the transformative impact of economic development,” said Nathan Ohle, IEDC President and CEO. “It is with great pride that IEDC presents these awards to LVEDC, celebrating their leadership and innovation in the field of economic development."
The Fall Signature Event held by LVEDC last November celebrated the Lehigh Valley’s legacy in developing critical technology and looking ahead to how the region is attempting to position itself as a national stalwart of innovation.
The Lehigh Valley was the first location in the U.S. to mass produce transistors, the forerunner to semiconductors, at Western Electric in Allentown in 1951. Today, the Lehigh Valley’s technology industry features about 30 companies including Intel, Broadcom, Coherent, Infinera, and iDEAL Semiconductor. Collectively, they employ about 1,500 people and produce technology relied upon by brands such as Google, Microsoft, Meta, AWS, AT&T, Verizon, Netflix, and Nokia.
This is the seventh consecutive year that LVEDC’s annual report has been recognized with an award from IEDC. The 2023 report documents LVEDC’s activities working with our partners to attract new businesses, to help existing businesses expand, to develop a skilled workforce for employers, to support entrepreneurship, and to promote the Lehigh Valley brand. The report is produced by LVEDC staff and designed by Michelle Chrin, who also designs several other LVEDC publications.
The Hot Careers Dashboard is an interactive, digital resource to help students and job seekers explore careers that are growing in the Lehigh Valley’s major industry sectors. It previously received an award from The Council for Community and Economic Research in June for “Projects Supporting Business, Economic, and Workforce Development Activities.”
IEDC will celebrate the 2024 Excellence Awards winners at its upcoming Annual Conference in Denver on Sept. 15-18.