On the Ground: Economic Development Administration Meets Communities Where They Are

Partnerships are key at the Economic Development Administration (EDA), where our merit-based and competitive grant investments help to fuel economic ecosystems for job creation in communities across the country.

Guided by the basic principle that communities must be empowered to develop and implement their own economic development and revitalization strategies, EDA works directly with local leaders and economic development officials to make grant investments that are well-defined, timely, and linked to a long-term, sustainable economic development strategy.

At EDA, we are committed to being the strongest partner possible to the regions we serve.  As an essential component to that, we are strategically boosting capacity to be more responsive to our partners and stakeholders.  In fact, EDA currently has the highest staff capacity since 2011.

It takes a team – from senior leadership to our front line, client-facing professionals – to build sustained and strong partnerships with our communities.   Therefore, our efforts are focused across all functions.

To meet regional needs, EDA customers are served by HQ and six regional offices: Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, and Seattle.

Today, EDA is pleased to have three new Regional Directors on-board.

Angie Martinez is our Regional Director for the Denver region, and Jorge Ayala and Linda Cruz-Carnall are heading our Austin and Philadelphia offices.

They join a dedicated regional team, including Regional Directors H. Philip Paradice, Jr. of Atlanta, Jeannette P. Tamayo of Chicago, and A. Leonard Smith of Seattle

We also have welcomed additional new staff at all of our regional offices and HQ divisions.  This includes new regional office  Economic Development Representatives (EDRs), who work directly with local partners and stakeholders to support community-driven, bottom-up economic development - tailoring our investments to local needs.   Each and every U.S. state and territory has a dedicated EDR.

Overall, our improved staff capacity means that EDA is better positioned to serve the communities with whom we work to help foster job creation and keep America globally competitive.