One Acadiana has earned recognition as an Accredited Economic Development Organization, according to an announcement by Troy Wayman, president and CEO of One Acadiana and Jeff Finkle, president and CEO of The International Economic Development Council.
One Acadiana is one of only 66 economic development groups in the world to earn the AEDO status, which follows a six-month long documentation and site review process by the International Economic Development Council.
Finkle said, “One Acadiana displays the professionalism, commitment, and technical expertise that is deserving of this honor. AEDO accreditation tells the community, prospects, and stakeholders that their trust is well-placed in One Acadiana and their business is in good hands.”
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, program, and staff of the candidate economic development organization.
1A began the AEDO process in early 2019, compiling extensive documentation about the organization’s strategies, operations, and policies. IEDC’s review of 1A’s work in August of 2019 culminated with a December 2019 site visit by the AEDO Program review team.
1A President and CEO Troy Wayman said, “Earning AEDO accreditation is a significant achievement that places us among the best of the best in the industry. It is a testament to the efforts of 1A’s passionate and dedicated staff and our commitment to provide outstanding service to our partners and our community.”
LED Secretary Don Pierson said, “The AEDO designation assures the people and businesses of Acadiana that they have a world-class organization representing them in the pursuit of economic development results. When Louisiana Economic Development earned AEDO status in 2018, we became the only statewide agency then accredited by the International Economic Development Council. We are exceedingly proud of the leadership at One Acadiana and this accomplishment that places them in an elite group of Louisiana AEDOs by obtaining this certification.”
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.