OED, Chamber Win Award

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development and Frederick County Chamber of Commerce received an Honorable Mention for Excellence in Economic Development for their Frederick County Business Roundtable for Education in the category of New Media for communities with populations of 200,000 – 500,000 from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).

The honor was presented at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, September 28 during the IEDC Annual Conference, September 26-29 in Columbus, Ohio.

“We recognize the Frederick County Office of Economic Development and Frederick County Chamber of Commerce for providing successful strategies to promote new paradigms in economic development in this period of global recovery,” said William Best, IEDC chair. “Our awards honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in communities. The Frederick County Office of Economic Development and Frederick County Chamber of Commerce is showing that they are at the forefront of the economic development profession and are using innovative and effective practices that can be replicated in other communities."

The Frederick County Business Roundtable for Education (FCBRE) was developed by the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, Frederick County Office of Economic Development, Frederick County Public Schools, Fort Detrick, and Frederick Community College to address the current and future workforce need in the Frederick County business community. FCBRE connects classroom learning and the workplace, and promotes academic excellence. This nonprofit partnership supports educational initiatives within the school system and addresses workforce needs in the business community. The goal is to help prepare the next generation of business leadership in the community and educate future leaders on the opportunities in Frederick County to live here and work here. Currently FCBRE holds an annual career exploration conference for high school sophomores, titled Future Link. FCBRE also provides both internship and externship programs with teachers and students in the Frederick County Public Schools. The student internship program is designed to provide ideas, perspective, and real-world learning opportunities to prepare students for the future. The teacher externship program is designed to provide teachers the opportunity to work in a business and connect the curriculum from the classroom to the application of the concepts used in the business.

The Excellence in Economic Awards Program annually recognizes the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year’s most influential leaders. The program honors organizations and individuals in 28 categories for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities.

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is the premier membership organization dedicated to helping economic development professionals create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities and improve the quality of life in their regions. Serving more than 4,500 members, IEDC represents the largest network of economic development professionals in the world. IEDC provides a diverse range of services, including conferences, certification, professional development, publications, research, advisory services and legislative tracking.