2025 Winners

The 2025 Annual Awards of Excellence honour Alberta individuals for their contribution to the profession, as well as Alberta communities for excellence in the following categories:

• Economic Development Renewal Project
  
• Innovative Approach to Economic Development Project
  
• Regional Collaboration and Partnership Project
  
• Marketing for Economic Development Outcomes Project  
  

Economic Development Renewal Project  

• Large Community/Region: City of Edmonton - City of Edmonton Entertainment District
• Medium Community/Region:  City of Lloydminster - Lloydminster’s Central Business District Rehabilitation
• Small Community/Region: Town of Fox Creek - Alberta's Day of Snowmobiling

Innovative Approach to Economic Development 

• Large Community/Region: Calgary Economic Development - TalentED YYC Pilot
• Medium Community/Region: SouthGrow Regional Initiative - SouthGrow Electric Vehicle Charging Program
• Small Community/Region: Town of Didsbury - Earptopia Didsbury Day

Regional Collaboration and Partnership

• Large Community/Region: Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce - Work NW
• Medium Community/Region:  Alberta SouthWest Regional Economic Development-Manufacturing Energy Construction Ag Processing
• Small Community/Region: Town of Sylvan Lake - The 90 Minute Miracle

Marketing for Economic Development Outcomes

• Large Community/Region: Southern Alberta Investment and Trade Initiative - SAITI Global Agri-food Marketing and Investment Attraction
• Medium Community/Region: County of Grande Prairie - Site Selectors Forum Event
• Small Community/Region: Town of Morinville - More in Morinville

The Alex Metcalfe Awards
These awards celebrate the "best in show" in each community size: 

• Large Community/Region Project: Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce - Work NW
• Medium Community/Region Project: Alberta SouthWest Regional Economic Development-Manufacturing Energy Construction Ag Processing
• Small Community/Region Project: Town of Morinville - More in Morinville

The Individual Awards

Partner of the Year - Invest Alberta

Gerry Gabinet Mentorship Award - Bob Bezpalko - Executive Director, Northeast Alberta Information HUB

Emerging Talent in Economic Development - Bryanna Kumpula-Yung - Economic Development Coordinator, Leduc County

The Chair's Award - Kent Rupert - President, Rupert Strategies Consulting Ltd.

The Economic Developer of the Year - Jennifer Warren - Entrepreneurship & Innovation Mgr. FMWB Ec. Dev. & Tourism

Thank you to everyone who submitted their projects for consideration.

Thank you to EDA Board Director, Kate Koplovich, and previous Board Director, Amy Oshanyk, for chairing the Awards Committee.

Our 2026 Annual Awards of Excellence will be presented at EDA Xperience 2026 at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge.