Celebrating economic development

Economic Development NZ last night celebrated the economic development professionals of NZ through its Annual Gala Awards Dinner.
The Awards recognise best practice in a number of important endeavours including:

• Collaboration with Iwi, business and community
• Innovation
• Inward investment
• Primary Research
• Integrated planning

The Awards also celebrate the role of the individual practitioner through a Distinguished Service Award and an Honorary Life Membership Award.
The Awards were presented by Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-secretary for Regional Development during a glittering gala awards dinner.
Details of the winners for each category can be found below.

Best Practice – Collaboration with iwi, business and community

The winning nomination for Best Practice in Collaboration was: Smart Waikato for its Secondary Schools Employment Partnership

A commendation for best practice collaboration goes to the Matariki Strategy Governance Group for Project 1000.

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Best Practice – Integrated Strategic Planning

ATEED for its Tripartite Business Programme

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Best Practice Award for Inward investment

Winner is: Northland Inc for the Hawaiki Submarine Cable System

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Commendation for inward investment

And the winner is Enterprise Great Lake Taupo for its shed to stock exchange initiative.

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Best Practice for Sustainable Development

And the winner is Northland Inc for the Extension 350 project.

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Best practice award for Innovation

The winner is: ATEED for DIGMYIDEA

Commendation for Best Practice Innovation

And the winner is the Central Economic Development Agency for NZ AgriFood Week.

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Best practice award for primary research

And the winner of the BP award for primary research is: Enterprise North Canterbury for its Community Connector Project.

The final best practice award is the premier award and is conferred on one of the finalists acknowledged above.

The winner of the 2018 EDNZ Premier Award was ATEED for the Tripartite Business Programme.

Distinguished Service Award

The Award is EDANZ’s premier individual award and recognises the contribution of individuals to:

• the image and practice of economic development
• research that has advanced the theory or practice of economic development in NZ
• the advance of EDANZ national or international recognition of the economic development profession within NZ

And the winner of the DSA is:

Dr David Wilson, Chair of EDNZ, CEO of Northland Inc

Honorary Life Membership of EDNZ

The panel has the opportunity to recognise the long and dedicated service of a practitioner who is retiring.
The winner has rendered conspicuous service to the profession. Which includes involvement with EDNZ and its forerunner, contributions to economic development education, promotion of the profession to the wider community, representation of the profession in Government, non-Government, and community bodies or forums and the list goes on.
In recognition of that service the recipient has been granted Honorary Membership of EDNZ.
It is fitting that the first Honorary Member of EDNZ is: Stuart Trundle, CEO of Venture Taranaki.

ends

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