Grenada, MS-based Leader Recognized for Successes as a New Player in Economic Development
Grenada, MS (PRWEB) October 14, 2012
Pablo Diaz, Executive Director of the Grenada Economic Development District, was awarded with the Outstanding New Economic Developer of the Year Award by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for his noteworthy emergence as a new force in the field. The honor was presented at an awards ceremony on Monday, October 1, 2012 during the IEDC Annual Conference, September 30 – October 3 in Houston, TX.
"The Outstanding New Economic Developer of the Year Award honors a professional for exceptional achievements at the dawn of his or her career in economic development, and Mr. Diaz has launched many a triumphant endeavor since his entrée into the business of economic development," said Jay Moon, IEDC chair.
Pablo Diaz is the Executive Director of the Grenada Economic Development District (the EDD) in Grenada, Mississippi, where he works to increase job creation and investment through retention and expansion, recruitment, and entrepreneurship-based programs.
Diaz has extensive experience working for local and regional economic development organizations and started his career as a graduate assistant for the Center for Economic & Community Development at the University of Southern Mississippi. He later served as Economic Development Specialist with the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation and as a Business Recruitment and Retention Manager with the Business Development Board of Martin County in Florida. In 2009, Diaz became the Executive Director of the Grenada EDD. Since then his team has announced 11 expansion and retention projects with an associated job creation of over 500 direct and indirect jobs in a community of less than 22,000 people.
Diaz developed and implemented a retention and expansion program named by Blane Canada, LTD as one of the top 10 programs in the U.S. and Canada in 2006, and he became a Certified Economic Developer by the International Economic Development Council in 2008 at the age of 28. His work over the past few years has gained recognition, including the 2010 IEDC Excellence in Economic Development Award in the categories of Economic Development Website and Internet and New Media, the 2010 Community Development Award from the Mississippi Economic Development Council, and the 2011 IEDC Excellence in Economic Development Award in the category of Retention and Expansion. Diaz has also been invited as a speaker at the Delta Regional Authority Annual Leadership Conference, the 8th International Economic Gardening Conference, the International City/County Management Association, and the New South Basic Economic Development Course.
Diaz holds an undergraduate degree in Accounting from the University of Yucatan, a Master’s degree in Economic Development from the University of Southern Mississippi, and he is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute by the University of Oklahoma.
Diaz lives in Grenada with his wife, Amber, and their daughters, Maya and Ella.
About the International Economic Development Council
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is the world’s largest independent non-profit membership and research organization devoted exclusively to the field of economic development. IEDC helps economic development professionals create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities and improve the quality of life in their regions. Serving more than 4,400 members, IEDC provides a diverse range of services including conferences, professional development and certification, publications, research, advisory services, and legislative tracking. Visit http://www.iedconline.org.
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