For Immediate Release Contact:  Erin Way, Media Relations
October 19, 2008 (202) 942-9474, eway@iedconline.org

Regional Development Corporation to receive honorable MENTION at economic development conference

Santa Fe, NM-based Organization Recognized for Sustainable Development Initiative

Acknowledging the Regional Development Corporation (RDC) for its sustainable development initiative, the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) will recognize the Santa Fe, New Mexico-based entity with an Honorable Mention at IEDC's Annual Conference, which is scheduled to take place in Atlanta, Georgia, October 19-22. The organization will be noticed for this achievement during an awards ceremony on Tuesday, October 21st. 
 "Economic development efforts have long been a keystone in the quest to bolster the economy and improve quality of life in every locality across the country," said Robin Roberts Krieger, IEDC chair. "As the nation continues to tackle longstanding challenges in the midst of an inhospitable financial climate, these efforts have taken on an even greater significance. With the award, we laud trendsetting organizations like the Regional Development Corporation for leading the charge."

Competing in the category of Sustainable and Green Development by organizations serving areas with populations exceeding 200,000, RDC was a clear standout. RDC developed a Renewable Energy Program (REP) to address both environmental and economic concerns in Northern New Mexico. Serving as a clearinghouse for clean energy projects, REP creates strategic partnerships between the private and public sectors to enable more clean energy projects. REP identifies new or existing wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and other clean energy opportunities throughout New Mexico and works with the local communities to implement their clean energy projects. RDC responded to a growing need within the wind energy industry for qualified wind energy technicians by helping develop the North American Wind Research & Training Center (NAWRTC) at Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, New Mexico. 

A collaborative effort between REP, Mesalands Community College, New Mexico State University, Florida Power & Light, Sandia National Labs, and Governor Richardson's administration, NAWRTC is designed to offer an Associate of Applied Science degree in Wind Energy, customized industry training for wind energy technicians, and R&D for operations and maintenance issues related to wind farm operations. The NAWRTC is also establishing important relationships with surrounding school districts, enabling students in science classes to learn about the value of wind energy as a contribution to the nation's energy challenges and as a source of employment within a rapidly growing industry.

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is headquartered in Washington, DC. Its mission is to provide leadership and excellence in economic development for communities, members and partners. IEDC's professional economic development awards annually recognize excellence in the economic development profession.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 12, 2008
Contact: Ed Burckle, Executive Director, Regional Development Corporation, 505-820-1226

Local Business Assistance Program Wins Major National Award

Regional Development Corporation gains further high-profile recognition

Santa Fe, NM – For the second time in the last three months the Regional Development Corporation (RDC), a Santa Fe based economic development organization, has been recognized on a national level. The RDC has just been named the 2008 winner of the International Economic Development Council’s (IEDC) award in Entrepreneurship.

The award honors RDC’s Empowering Business Spirit (EBS) program. EBS, is a collaboration of 20 business assistance organizations, lenders, and educational institutions that provide free services to entrepreneurs, business and financial literacy education for youth and adults, and outstanding information on the importance of small businesses to the economic health of Northern New Mexico for regional policymakers

IEDC is the world's largest membership organization serving the economic development profession and each year it recognizes the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships. A panel of economic development experts consisting of members from both the public and private sectors selected the EBS project from numerous worldwide entries.

In addition, the IEDC singled out the RDC’s Clean Energy Program for Honorable Mention in the 2008 award package. Winners will be recognized at the IEDC’s Annual Conference in Atlanta this October.

RDC’s Executive Director, Ed Burckle commented, “it’s an honor to work with a talented group of professionals who really care about making Northern New Mexico a better place to live and work. The award is also a major tribute to the extraordinary leadership of the 20 EBS partners who banded together to make our region a fertile area for growing entrepreneurs.”

The RDC is a private non-profit Economic Development Organization (EDO) serving Northern New Mexico. The RDC partners with Northern New Mexico communities, organizations and small business economic development activities on projects that help to diversify and expand the region’s economy.

This is the second time the RDC has been recognized on a national level within the past three months. In June the RDC was honored as one of three top-rated economic development organizations in the nation for 2008 by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration for “Excellence in Rural Economic Development”.

A distinguished national panel of economic development practitioners, academicians, and government representatives recognized the RDC for “how effectively they utilized innovative, market-based strategies to improve rural economic development results.”

2008 is shaping up to be a very impressive year for the Regional Development Corporation! ###

P  R  E  S  S     R  E  L  E  A  S  E                                                     

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 6, 2008

Contacts:  

Liddie Martinez, Dir., Community & Econ. Development Division, SOC Los Alamos, (505) 699-1323
Scott Beckman, Program Manager, Regional Development Corporation, (505) 989-8004

LANL Major Subcontractors Offer Grants to Local Non-profit Organizations

KSL donates $50,000 to Consortium Economic Development Grant Pool

Los Alamos, New Mexico -  Christina Archuleta-Mares, Client Services Manager for KSL Contracts, presented a $50,000 check to the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s (LANL) Consortium of Major Subcontractors’ Economic Development Grant Pool on July 16th.  

The Consortium is a group of major LANL subcontractors formed in February 2004 to manage resources they have committed to enhance Northern New Mexico’s economic development.   

The Economic Development Grant Pool is one of several Consortium initiatives.  The purpose of the Grant Pool is to provide Consortium members with a way to make high-impact cash contributions to the region’s economic development.

In 2007, the Taos Community Foundation; Movimiento; and the Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation received grants to conduct youth entrepreneurship projects in Northern New Mexico. The Santa Fe Farmers Market; Luciente; Taos Community Foundation; Espanola Valley Fiber Arts Center; and ACCION New Mexico received grants in support of industry cluster development.
 
“LANL Subcontractors are privileged to be able to help some exemplary Northern New Mexico organizations to address basic economic development needs,” said Archuleta-Mares.

Consortium Grant Pool Committee Chair, Liddie Martinez, Director of Community and Economic Development Division of SOC Los Alamos, another LANL major subcontractor, added “By investing in Youth Entrepreneurship programs and Industry Cluster Development projects that create and strengthen local small businesses, LANL Subcontractors are supporting community-based organizations who help diversify the local economy and that is a big win for the entire Northern New Mexico region,”

A Grant Pool subcommittee made up of Consortium members has issued Requests for Proposals (RFP) from local economic development agencies. Deadline for receipt of completed applications is August 29, 2008.  Local organizations that would like to receive the RFP can call Scott Beckman, Program Manager, Regional Development Corporation at 505-989-8004 or e-mail scott@rdcnm.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2008   
Contact: Ed Burckle, Executive Director, Regional Development Corporation, 505-820-1226
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RDC IN ELITE GROUP OF U.S. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES

Santa Fe, NM – A Santa Fe based economic development agency, the Regional Development Corporation, was one of three top-rated economic development organizations in the nation in the 2008 U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration’s “Excellence Rural Economic Development” award competition.  A distinguished national panel of economic development practitioners, academicians, and government representations recognized the RDC for “how effectively they utilized innovative, market-based strategies to improve rural economic development results.”

The Regional Development Corporation (RDC) is a private non-profit Economic Development Organization (EDO) serving Northern New Mexico. The RDC partners with Northern New Mexico communities, organizations and small businesses economic development activities on projects that help to diversify and expand the region’s economy.

Ed Burckle, Executive Director of the RDC said, “Economic development is a team sport.  We want to share this distinction with the dozens of outstanding organizations and hundreds of people that we work because it’s their cooperation, creativity, and dedication to building a better economic future for Northern New Mexico that is being recognized here.”

The RDC is involved in a broad-range of economic development partnerships.

The RDC is coordinating the Regional Economic Development Initiative (REDI), a Los Alamos County-funded multi-community Progress through Partnering project.  REDI partner communities are now identifying regional economic development projects that will improve the economy and quality of life in the four-county region over the next 25 years in Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Taos counties.

An RDC-led Empowering your Business Spirit Initiative (EBS) is a collaboration of 20 business assistance organizations, lenders, and educational institutions that provides free services to entrepreneurs, business and financial literacy education for youth and adults, and outstanding information on the importance of small businesses to the economic health of Northern New Mexico for regional policymakers.

In an effort to diversify Northern New Mexico's economy, form strategic economic partnerships, and create new sources of jobs, the Regional Development Corporation has created a Clean Energy program to address both environmental and economic concerns in Northern New Mexico. Serving as a clearinghouse for clean energy projects, RDC will create strategic partnerships between the private and public sectors to enable more clean energy projects.

RDC also manages, Northern New Mexico Connect, a comprehensive suite of financial, technical assistance, management guidance, market research, and professional contacts primarily geared to help Northern New Mexico’s technology-oriented businesses to succeed. 

Since 2001, the RDC has raised over $4.9 million for projects, of which over $3.2 million have been private sector funds and in-kind contributions.  Although neither the RDC, nor its stakeholders view job creation as its primary metric of success, the RDC’s work has resulted in over 1,600 jobs created or retained since its inception as a grantor organization.

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FOR IMMEDIA TE RELEASE
January 14, 2007
Contact: Julie Habiger    (505) 662-8083
 
Los Alamos, NM -On November 6, the Los Alamos County Council approved award of a contract to the Regional DevelopmentCorporation (RDC) to prepare a regional economic development strategic plan for the Northern New Mexico I'Progress through Partnering" alliance. On January 10th, the RDC and the County hosted a large kick-off event at Mision y Convento in Espanola to celebrate the new alliance.
 
The event was well attended with over 50 representativesfrom the six regional partners (City of
Santa Fe, City of Espar1ola, Town of Taos, Santa Fe County, Rio Arriba County and Taos County)
plus other community leaders at the state and federal level.
 
Espanola Mayor Joe Maestas welcomed attendees to the celebration and to his community "We all share a
"This is a very significant event for the whole region," Maestas vision for a diversified economy for the region."told the audience.
 
Maestas introduced a local authority familiar with the artists and beautiful artwork inside the facility,
which is a replica of the original Spanish mission built in the heart of the town. He spoke to the
audience about the significance of the murals and carvings, including a panel depicting the times
and economic developmentof the valley, some history of Northern NM, and finally, a mural that
depicted World War II and the Manhattan Project that was the reason for Los Alamos' creation -
tying the murals together to the Jan. 10 event and the fact that all of the communities
together to create a new history and new future.
 
Following the informative presentation,Los Alamos County AdministratorMax Baker gave an
overview of the County's objectives for the REDI (Regional Economic DevelopmentInitiative)
program, and voiced his desire for the plan to be a vision that turns into reality in the years to
come.
 
"This will give us a strategic plan to guide us for the next 20 years," Baker said, adding that even if
many of those in the room might not be around in 20 years for the next celebration, he hoped that
future leaders would look back and remember today as "the day it all started".

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        
Contact: David Griscom, (505) 820.6267
October 30, 2006                                                                    
 
New Mexico Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program  Names New Director
 
RDC Announces New Director for Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program
 
SANTA FE - The Regional Development Corporation (RDC), a non-profit economic development organization based in Santa Fe, is pleased to announce the appointment of David Griscom as the new Director for the New Mexico Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP). SATOP is a FREE service designed to provide technical assistance to small businesses throughout New Mexico and the western United States. In addition to SATOP, David is the Clean Energy Projects Manager for the RDC. Prior to coming to the RDC, David served as the Executive Director of the North American Institute. David is a native New Mexican and currently lives in Santa Fe with his wife Peggy and daughter, Chelsea.
 
A private, nonprofit corporation, the RDC provides leadership in regional economic development and diversification in alignment with local, statewide, and national initiatives that add long-term value to the regional economy. For more information on the RDC and SATOP visit www.rdcnm.org, or call 505-820-1226.
 
PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
 
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