DURANT, Okla. – The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has been recognized as one of 84 economic development organizations accredited by International Economic Development Council (IEDC) as an Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO). The Choctaw Nation is the first Native American tribe to receive this accreditation.
The AEDO designation places the Choctaw Nation in the top one percent of economic development organizations in the U.S. Only three other Oklahoma communities - Ada, Ponca City and the Tulsa Chamber, have received this prestigious recognition.
The Choctaw Nation assists communities in its reservation with marketing and recruiting businesses to their area. Last year, the Choctaw Nation Economic Development team assisted with 38 site selection Request for Proposals (RFP) and seven site visits. Three businesses chose to locate manufacturing operations in the Choctaw Nation, creating 120 new jobs and $93 million in capital investments.
“We are committed to helping our communities grow and prosper. It’s important for them to market themselves to businesses so we can invest in our future and create a sense of pride in our communities,” said Chief Gary Batton, Chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. “Our economic development efforts, help communities create an attractive environment for businesses and their employees.”
“The Choctaw Nation displays the professionalism, commitment, and technical expertise that is deserving of this honor,” said IEDC President and CEO Nathan Ohle.
The AEDO program is a comprehensive peer review process that measures economic development organizations against commonly held standards in the profession. The program consists of two phases: a documentation review and an onsite visit. Each phase is designed to evaluate information about the structure, organization, funding, programs, and staff of the candidate economic development organization.
Earning the AEDO accreditation tells the community and prospects that the Choctaw Nation has attained a measure of excellence assuring that their trust is well-placed, and their business is in good hands.
Maintenance of the AEDO status is required every three years and is accomplished through documentation submission and/or onsite visits by a team of the AEDO subcommittee.
