Arlington Economic Development earned a Gold Award for its innovative ReLaunch program from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the largest nonprofit association for professional economic developers in the world. ReLaunch was honored in the category of Resiliency, Recovery and Mitigation during the organization’s 2022 Annual Conference held September 18–21.
“Communities need our profession now more than ever. This year’s awardees exemplify the ingenuity, leadership and determination needed to meet the challenges of today and the future. The winners of IEDC’s Excellence in Economic Development awards represent the best of economic development and demonstrate the level of leadership that our profession strives for every day,” said IEDC President and CEO Nathan Ohle.
ReLaunch is a small business assistance program that gives owners access to business consulting or marketing services and helps them develop technology solutions to adapt to changing business landscapes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since launching in 2021, ReLaunch has assisted more than 150 small businesses in Arlington negatively impacted by the long-term economic effects of the pandemic.
“We are honored and humbled to have received this recognition from IEDC for our ReLaunch program,” said Tara Palacios, Director of BizLaunch, Arlington’s Small Business Assistance Program. “We knew that small businesses needed something innovative to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. ReLaunch helps give business owners the knowledge and resources they need to succeed in today’s environment. We’re thrilled to continue serving Arlington’s businesses with this great program.”
“On behalf of Arlington County, I am so proud of Tara and the BizLaunch team for their amazing work on the ReLaunch program and the recognition the program is receiving internationally,” said Shannon Flanagan-Watson, Interim Director of Arlington Economic Development. “The BizLaunch team understands the opportunities and challenges facing Arlington’s small business community and designed the program to specifically meet their needs at a difficult time.”
Awards were judged by a diverse panel of economic and community developers from around the world, following a nomination process held earlier this year. The complete list of IEDC award recipients can be found here.
Learn more about ReLaunch and other Arlington Economic Development programs to benefit small business at www.arlingtoneconomicdevelopment.com.
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