University Economic Development Association

IEDCLogoWashington, DC (June 18, 2015) – The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and the University Economic Development Association (UEDA) have announced a new workshop on effective collaboration between economic development and higher education institutions. The workshop, called ED+Ed: Partnering to Bridge the Gap, will be in Anchorage, Alaska, on Thursday, October 1, 2015, and is held in conjunction with both associations’ annual conferences.

Higher education institutions and economic development organizations overlap on many projects including technology transfer, revitalizing surrounding neighborhoods and regions, entrepreneurship promotion, real estate development, and talent development. Yet practitioners sometimes do not collaborate as well as they could because of differing definitions and metrics for success, and misperceptions of each other’s roles.

JoAnn Crary, CEcD, President of Saginaw Future Inc., in Saginaw, Michigan and current Chair of the IEDC Board of Directors notes “Fostering the engagement between economic development organizations and institutes of higher education is essential in our work towards our common goal of growing jobs, entrepreneurship, investment, and talent in the knowledge-based economy.”

UEDA President Mike Dozier, of California State University in Fresno, California adds that “Institutions of higher learning, in partnership with economic and workforce development professionals provide a portfolio for the community and region to establish a strong foundation for economic growth and stability.”

Workshop participants will meet university, college, state, and local officials who are successfully bridging the ED-ed gap to win grants and undertake innovative projects in four of the most urgent and important spaces for collaborative effort: assisting entrepreneurs, offering relevant workforce training, leveraging assets, and conducting research to grow high-tech manufacturing. Panelists will lead participants in breakout discussions on lessons learned and discuss actionable emerging mechanisms for greater higher ed-EDO collaboration.

Registration for ED+Ed: Partnering to Bridge the Gap is $175. Registrants attending either the IEDC Annual Conference or the UEDA Annual Summit will save $50 off their workshop fee.




About the International Economic Development Council

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 4,500 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.

About the University Economic Development Association (UEDA)

Established in 1976, the University Economic Development Association (UEDA) is the cornerstone membership organization representing higher education, private sector and community economic development stakeholders. UEDA works to expand economic opportunity in our communities by leveraging research, community resources, campus planning, talent development, and technology commercialization. UEDA’s mission is to serve its members by advancing knowledge and practice in economic engagement by institutions of higher education. UEDA’s vision is to be recognized as the pre-eminent association for higher education engagement in economic development.

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