The Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) has announced Orange County as recipient for 2024 Workforce Excellence Award

June 6, 2024

News Release

Texas Economic Development Council

For Immediate Release June 6, 2024

The Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) has announced the recipients of our 2024 Workforce Excellence Awards. Seven recipients have been awarded in their respective population categories. An additional fifteen nominees were recognized for their outstanding workforce projects.

The Workforce Excellence Award program recognizes exceptional contributions by a Texas community or region that has implemented successful workforce initiatives. Members of the TEDC’s Workforce Development Committee reviewed and scored the applications from the nominees based on five criteria: innovativeness, transferability, community commitment and leverage, measured objectives, and secondary benefits.

Communities nominated included: Population Less than 15,000 – Granbury, Gonzales, Kilgore, Smithville; Population 15,001 to 40,000 – Greenville, Kingsville, Stephenville, Terrell; Population 40,001 to 100,000 – Conroe, Orange County, Pflugerville; Population 100,001 to 250,000 – Allen, Abilene, Pearland; Population 250,001 and Above: Laredo, Lubbock; Regional – Borderplex, Brownsville, McKinney/Wylie, San Antonio; Workforce Boards – Borderplex, Greater Dallas.

The 2023 Workforce Excellence Award recipients are:

Population (Less than 15,000): Kilgore Economic Development Corporation and City of Smithville

Population (15,001 to 40,000): Kingsville Chamber of Commerce

Population (40,001 to 100,000): Orange County

Population (100,001 to 250,000): Development Corporation of Abilene Population (250,001 and Above): Lubbock Economic Development Alliance Regional: Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation

Workforce Boards: Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas

“Our TEDC’s Workforce Excellence Award is one of the ways in which our organization honors the outstanding work done by our communities and regions, their leaders, and their economic development professionals in the area of workforce development,” noted Carlton Schwab,

President/CEO of the TEDC.”

The TEDC was organized in 1961 and provides information, education and legislative services to its members to foster the expansion of existing businesses, the location of new firms and the development of strategies that promote a positive business climate in Texas. With approximately 1,100 members, the TEDC is the largest state economic development association in the nation.