Auburn’s GEDI announces latest EDAA Leadership Institute graduates

Published: August 13, 2020

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The Government and Economic Development Institute at Auburn University, or GEDI, has announced its most recent graduates of The Economic Development Association of Alabama, or EDAA, Leadership Institute program.

The Leadership Institute program is a partnership between EDAA and GEDI designed to educate and engage elected officials, economic development professionals and other community leaders regarding key issues in economic and community development. To earn an EDAA Leadership Certificate, participants must complete four core courses and attend at least one EDAA Conference within a three-year period. Completion of this program underscores each graduate’s commitment to economic development and the communities they serve.

The EDAA recently held its 2020 Summer Conference, and graduates of the EDAA Leadership Institute program who were in attendance were presented with their certificates of completion during a special lunch ceremony. The 2020 program graduates recognized, along with their employers, are:

William Belcher, Troy University
David Exum, Alabama Power Company
Hunter Gentry, Historic Main Street Oxford
Burt Hankins, Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood Inc.
Cory Johnson, West Alabama Regional Commission
Roy Light, Scottsboro Industrial Development Board
Jennifer McCurdy, Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce
Haley Medved Kendrick, Innovate Birmingham/University of Alabama at Birmingham
Gail Moore, First Southern State Bank
Jacob Morgan, Covington County Economic Development Commission
Heather New, The Chamber of Gadsden & Etowah County
Kelley Stone, Alabama Power Company
Susan Youngblood, City of Selma

GEDI is a department of University Outreach that specializes in providing training and consulting to government employees, workers in private businesses, nonprofit employees, elected officials and economic development professionals. Having more than 35 years of experience, GEDI has established itself as a leading provider of economic development education and training in Alabama.

Auburn University also serves as a Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration University Center. The Economic Development Administration, or EDA, supports universities in their mission to assist states and their economic development community through the EDA University Center program.

For more information on GEDI and its programs, visit its website at www.auburn.edu/gedi.

Submitted by: Jennifer Ryan