Kansas City, MO – November 6, 2023 – SourceLink℠ is pleased to offer congratulations to all the International Development Council’s (IEDC) 2023 Entrepreneurship Development Professional (EDP) credential recipients, including SourceLink’s director and IEDC Board Member, Rob Williams, EDP, and SourceLink affiliate program coordinator for West Virginia BusinessLink, Mark Burdette, EDP.
“Earning the Entrepreneurship Development Professional certification from IEDC is a tremendous achievement that will allow our SourceLink team to better guide our affiliates across the country when it comes to entrepreneurship-led economic development,” shared Rob Williams. Mark Burdette echoed a similar sentiment, sharing that “the EDP credential has been a terrific learning opportunity that I plan to put to work by continuing to advance entrepreneurship-led economic development in West Virginia.”
SourceLink extends our congratulations to the rest of the 2023 EDP credential recipients, who include:
- Alan Beveridge, CEcD, EDP – Entrepreneurship Program Director, Maricopa Community College District (Mesa, AZ)
- Dave Diaz, CEcD, EDP – Senior Business Development Officer, Loudoun County Economic Development (Ashburn, VA)
- Jonathan Freeze, EDP – Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Raleigh, NC)
- Clarice Grove, EDP – Small Business Development Manager, Prince William County Economic Development (Gainesville, VA)
- Joi Harmon, EDP – Deputy Director, Martindale Brightwood Community (Indianapolis, IN)
- Shani Harvie, EDP – JEDI Coordinator, New Mexico Economic Development Department (Santa Fe, NM)
- Dale Hendon, EDP – Economic Development & Tourism Specialist, Stafford County Department of Economic Development and Tourism (Stafford, VA)
- Bill Hulsey, CEcD, EDP – Principal, ECONOVENTION, LLC (Austin, TX)
- Raina Lyman, EDP – Director of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, Envision Greater Fond du Lac (Fond du Lac, WI)
- Courtney Pogue, CEcD, EDP – Senior Director of Equitable Developer Academy, National Development Council (Nashville, TN)
- Buddy Rizer, CEcD, EDP – Executive Director-Economic Development, Loudoun Economic Development Authority (Ashburn, VA)
- Francisca Villegas, EDP – Small Business Program Manager, City of Tucson (Tucson, AZ)
The EDP requires candidates to have two years of full-time experience in economic development, complete the necessary education requirements and pass a rigorous certification examination. It is designed for professionals who work with entrepreneurs and small businesses, as well as those that support them via programs, networks and approaches that foster entrepreneurial growth.
“IEDC’s EDP credential has prepared this next class of professionals to serve and advance their communities. They have demonstrated great dedication and hard work through the completion of the program. This sets the foundation for great success in the future,” said IEDC President and CEO Nathan Ohle.
“Entrepreneurship and economic development go hand-in-hand,” added Penny Lewandowski, Principal at Change at the Edges, and a creator and proponent of the EDP credential. “This program teaches individuals new ways to think about economic development, encouraging a grow-from-within strategy that will lead to thriving and sustainable economies.”
The EDP credential and new courses were developed with the support of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and by a partnership with the University of Missouri-Kansas City SourceLink.
“Entrepreneur-focused economic development is one of the most powerful ways to spur growth. We are happy to continue supporting this initiative and look forward to seeing this next group of credentialed professionals use their skills to spring their communities forward,” said Philip Gaskin, Vice President of Entrepreneurship at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
About SourceLink
Founded in 2003, SourceLink is a national program of the University of Missouri-Kansas City that works to build vibrant and cohesive entrepreneurial ecosystems that attract startups, accelerate business growth, create jobs and develop sustainable partnerships. SourceLink provides access to a community of entrepreneurs, government leaders and ecosystem builders who share best practices and lessons learned for building diverse and equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems. Learn more about SourceLink at joinsourcelink.com, or visit joinsourcelink.com/edp to learn more about the Entrepreneurship Designation Professional (EDP) credential.
