The Greenville Eastern North Carolina (ENC) Alliance received three 2025 Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), including Economic Development Organization (EDO) of the Year for the 25,000 to 200,000 population size.
“Our team is proud to be recognized with this prestigious award. There are many individuals who deserve acknowledgement for the extensive time and energy they exerted during the creation of this organization in 2019,” said Josh Lewis, president and CEO of the Greenville ENC Alliance. “Our successes would also not have been possible without the support, vision, and commitment of the City of Greenville, Greenville Utilities Commission, and Pitt County, along with our board of directors and private sector supporters.”
A panel of nine judges ranked the organization for its overall community impact and success over an 18-month period through its services, programs and initiatives, partnerships and collaborations, marketing and promotions, and financial performance. As part of the application, the Alliance also submitted its strategic plan and quotes of support from stakeholders and industry leaders.
“While attracting new jobs and investment are vital, earning the EDO of the Year title from IEDC encompasses more than just project announcements. The judges cited our community’s quality of research and metrics, as well as our talent programming and marketing efforts. Several also mentioned the impressive community support and our strong partnerships with the public and private sectors. The combination of all these initiatives allows us to successfully attract private investment and job opportunities,” added Lewis. “This award is an achievement that our community, investors, and stakeholders should be very proud of.”
In addition to the EDO of the Year award, the Greenville ENC Alliance was recognized with a Multimedia Promotion Gold Award for a video and digital storytelling campaign and a Talent Development and Retention Gold Award for its participation and coordination of the 2024 Better Skills, Better Jobs career fair.
“The Greenville ENC Alliance is leading the field of excellence in economic development with its projects and programs. These awards spotlight the Alliance’s commitment to its community and showcase the significant impact of economic development,” said Nathan Ohle, IEDC President and CEO. “IEDC is honored to present this award to the Greenville ENC Alliance to celebrate both their leadership and innovation in the field."
Each year, IEDC honors economic development organizations that consistently demonstrate excellence in the field, leading transformational projects that revitalize communities and advance the practice of economic development. The Greenville ENC Alliance will be honored nationally at the IEDC 2025 Annual Conference in Detroit, Michigan next month.
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Media Relations Contact:
Maria Satira
Vice Presidnet, Marketing and Talent Programming
Greenville Eastern North Carolina Alliance
satira@encalliance.com
252-414-2875
