MOBILE, Ala. – The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) has announced that the Mobile Chamber has been recognized as one of 94 economic development organizations nationwide and the only organization in Alabama accredited by IEDC as an Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO).

“The Mobile Chamber displays the professionalism, commitment and technical expertise that is deserving of this honor,” said IEDC President and CEO Nathan Ohle.

“This accreditation is a reflection of the standard our team holds itself to every day, and of the trust this community and our investors place in us to do this work well,” said David Rodgers, CEcD, Mobile Chamber president and CEO designate. “It also sends a clear signal to companies considering Mobile: this is a region with the professionalism and technical expertise to support their growth.”

“Our board and investors have long expected excellence from this organization, and this accreditation confirms we are meeting that bar,” said Teresa Williamson, Mobile Chamber Chairman. “It is a credit to our economic development team and to the partners across this community who make our economic development work possible.”

“As an integral part of Team Mobile, the Mobile Chamber’s dedication to helping recruit high-paying jobs to our city is certainly worthy of praise,” said Mobile Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis. “I’m proud of the work they do every day to help grow the city, and I look forward to continuing this invaluable partnership in the future.”

“Mobile County benefits from a strong, collaborative approach to economic development, and the Mobile Chamber leads the effort to bring public and private partners together for the benefit of our local economy,” said Mobile County Commission President Connie Hudson. “This accreditation affirms the quality of that work and strengthens Mobile County’s ability to compete for jobs and investment.”

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 Mobile Chamber 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.