Fairfax County, Virginia, October 6, 2021 – Fairfax County agencies won three Excellence in Economic Development awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), a trade organization serving economic developers around the world, at its annual meeting on October 5th. Fairfax County won awards in innovation, marketing and outreach. The honors recognize the county as being among of the world's best economic development programs and highlights the ongoing innovation that is the hallmark of region.

The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) won a Gold Award for its WorkinNorthernVirginia.com website in the category of special purpose website. The county’s Department of Economic Initiatives and Department of Transportation won a Silver Award for Relay, a Connected and Autonomous Vehicle operating in the Merrifield area, in the category of Innovation Programs and Initiatives. The FCEDA received a Bronze Award for its annual report “2020: Rising to the Challenge.”

“Fairfax County is focused on growing the economy through supporting competitive sectors and new technologies. By pursuing programs and partnerships, like Relay and the talent outreach initiative, we will stay on the leading edge and further diversify our tax base and talent pool,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay. “This award is a testament to our staff’s dedication to make positive change for the residents of Fairfax County.”

"It is gratifying to be recognized by our IEDC peers for our work, particularly this year winning a Gold Award for our groundbreaking talent website and a Bronze Award for our annual report video that captured a most challenging year," said Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. "I am also so proud of the Fairfax County team that won a Silver Award for the Relay autonomous vehicle. We have a big team pushing for economic success for the county and these wins demonstrate the wisdom of standing up a county Department of Economic Initiatives to work alongside the Economic Development Authority to make Fairfax County an even better place to live, work, play and learn."

IEDC's Excellence in Economic Development Awards honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Awards are judged by a diverse panel of economic and community developers. IEDC received more than 500 submissions from four countries. This is the third year that the FCEDA has won a Gold Award, the others coming in 2020 and 2013, and it is the first time that other county agencies have received an IEDC award.

About Relay:
In October 2020, Fairfax County along with its partner Dominion Energy, the Commonwealth of Virginia and local universities launched the connected autonomous electric (CAV) shuttle. Called Relay, it is a pilot project in the vibrant and growing Merrifield area that demonstrates the potential of autonomous vehicle technology and its role as a major economic driver and dynamic transit solution.

About the WorkinNorthernVirginia.com website:
Spearheaded by the FCEDA, the WorkInNorthernVirginia talent website is a collaborative effort by the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance (NOVA EDA) to serve as a one-stop-shop for talent to learn more about living, working, upskilling and thriving in Northern Virginia; and to connect talent with hundreds of hiring companies in the region. Since its creation in April 2020, the site has attracted more than 600,000 visitors and more than 72,000 views of open positions throughout Northern Virginia.  

About the FCEDA annual report:
Titled “2020: Rising to the Challenge,” the annual report highlights how the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) collaborated with the Fairfax County government, local employers, the region’s education institutions and many other partners to move the region forward together amid the pandemic while introducing new strategic initiatives for businesses and workers alike. The 2020 annual is a motion graphic video that focuses on the FCEDA’s initiatives in 2020, which included telling the stories of area pandemic heroes, focusing on job creation and saving strategies and creating a new talent initiative to draw people to existing jobs in Fairfax County.