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The University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ was well-represented at the Economic Developers Council of Ontario () conference this past week.

Three faculty members, two staff, and seven students of SEED’s graduate and professional economic development programs traveled to Toronto to engage with the profession and share information about programming. Many graduates of both programs attended the conference and renewed connections. The Master of Economic Development and Innovation (MEDI) sponsored the Thursday morning breakfast to promote the program’s relaunch and to celebrate its 30^th anniversary.

Michelle Madden (Foreground, Left) and Heather Hall (Foreground, Right) speaking with other EDCO delegates

Alumni of the MEDI program (formerly Local Economic Development) program rose to key leadership positions within EDCO and played prominent roles in the conference. Christina Kakaflikas (1998) became the new President of EDCO, while Michelle Madden (2012) was newly elected to EDCO’s Board of the Directors. Rebecca Mustard (2014) served as Co-Chair of EDCO’s Young Professionals Network (YPN) for the past year and will continue to do so until new leadership is determined in the coming months.

SEED faculty member Heather Hall presented in a session on Planning 101, while Tara Vinodrai was also on the judging panel for the EDCO marketing awards (along with Madden).

There was great celebration at the President’s Dinner for Sharon Jones, the Economic Development Program’s long-serving Program Administrator. EDCO recognized Sharon’s 31 years of service with the prestigious President’s Award. She has organized over 200 courses and training events reaching over 6000 participants, making her a familiar presence at industry events.

The University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ attends this conference every year but enjoyed an especially high profile in 2017 for all of the above reasons. Next year’s EDCO conference will be another great opportunity to meet colleagues, learn the latest trends and strengthen the network.