The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a nonprofit, non-partisan membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 5,000 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.
Our Mission: Provide leadership and excellence in economic development for our communities, members, and partners.
We embrace the following core values. They reflect and support our mission, and guide our decisions, actions, and provision of services:
- Social responsibility and a dedication to building healthy, just, and competitive communities
- Creation of wealth for individuals, businesses, and communities
- Advancement of both the economic development profession and professional
- Cooperation and collaboration
- Diversity, tolerance, and equity
Our Members
IEDC is the world's largest membership organization serving the economic development profession. From public to private, rural to urban, and local to international, our members represent the entire range of economic development experience, including:
- Regional, state, county, and city economic development organizations
- Chambers of commerce and other business support agencies
- Community and neighborhood development organizations
- Technology development agencies
- Utility companies
- Educational institutions
- Consultants
- Redevelopment authorities
The strength of our organization comes directly from the expertise and influence of our members. This expertise includes:
- Real estate development and commercial revitalization
- Workforce development
- Infrastructure and business finance
- Business marketing, attraction, expansion, and retention
- Community development
- Industrial rehabilitation and location
- International trade
- Tourism development
What is IEDC's purpose?
IEDC works to help economic developers do their jobs more effectively, and to raise the profile of the profession. If we succeed, our members create more high-quality jobs, develop more vibrant communities, and generally improve the quality of life in their regions. To that end, we provide information on trends and best practices, networking opportunities, professional development courses, and numerous other services.