Welcome! Economic Development Division
The Economic Development Division's mission is to advance the practice and state of the art of economic development planning by increasing the understanding of economic development as a key element of public policy at all levels of government, and to promote it as a critical element of the neighborhood, community, regional, and national planning process.
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Congratulations to our award winners! Hunter Award, Best Practice, Innovation, and Student Projects Recognized at NPC
At NPC22, we recognized professional and students for outstanding economic development work. The Division's awards program took a hiatus during the virtual NPC programming but returned with full force to recognize the annual Hunter Award and new awards including Best Practice, Innovation, and Student Projects.

Call for Nominations! Interested in being an EDD leader?
Serving as an elected leader in APA offers a tremendous opportunity to sharpen your skills, expand your networks, and work directly to strengthen the impact of the organization. APA Chapters, Divisions, and the Student Representatives Council are seeking a diverse group of committed members to lead your planning organization in the years ahead.
Every two years, the EDD elects a new slate of executive officers through the APA's consolidated election process. We are looking for nominees interested in Chair-Elect and Secretary-Treasurer. Candidates interested in Chair-Elect must be prepared to make a multi-year commitment as Chair-Elect (2 years), Chair (2 years), and Immediate Past Chair (2 years). The Secretary-Treasurer is a 2 year commitment. The portal for candidate self-nominations will be open through May 16, 2022 at https://apa.directnominations.net/, and includes all the groups and positions up for election this year.

Awards and Scholarships
The Economic Development Division supports its members through its annual scholarship and awards program. The scholarship is named in memory of longtime APA member and economic development visionary, Dr. Terry Holzheimer of Arlington County, Virginia and Virginia Tech. The $2,000 award is a scholarship provided by the APA's Economic Development Division. Our awards program includes the signature Donald E. Hunter Award which recognizes one outstanding project out of all award recipients each year.
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Division News
Division Events
- There are no upcoming Division-related events at this time.