Consultant Connect, a consulting agency designed to bridge the gap between economic developers and site consultants, announced its 2019 list of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers Friday. Salt Lake City’s Department of Economic Development Director Lara Fritts made the top 50.  

The economic development professionals selected for this list were nominated by their colleagues in both the economic development industry and the site consultant community for excellent practices, innovation and success in building the communities they serve.

 “I am so honored to be included among this list of my economic development colleagues,” said Fritts. “It’s always special to be recognized by your peers and this award provides a great opportunity to highlight what we’re doing in Salt Lake City. I give credit to my team and our community partners for their invaluable guidance and commitment.”

Formed in 2016, Salt Lake City’s Department of Economic Development (SLC DED) has seen incredible business growth and economic success due in large part to the SLC DED team and Mayor Biskupski’s focus on economic development. Under the leadership of Fritts, the department has been instrumental in bringing over 9,000 jobs and nearly $1 billion in capital investment to the City.

“When I selected Lara Fritts to lead the first ever Department of Economic Development, I was looking for someone who would make Salt Lake City’s business development work second to none,” said Mayor Jackie Biskupski. “The results have spoken for themselves, both in terms of the opportunities she has helped create and through the recognition of her peers.”

Each top 50 economic developer will be featured individually starting May 20 through the selected social media channels of LinkedIn and Twitter. Each award winner will share leadership insights and wisdom for other practitioners in the profession.

Stated in a press release Consultant Connect strives to lift up this industry by recognizing remarkable economic developers for the entire economic development community to learn from. Recipients will receive their award at Consultant Connect’s ECONOMIX event in Charleston, South Carolina this December.

“This annual list recognizing North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers is designed to acknowledge the hard work of the top leaders in this field and elevate the conversation around economic development and job creation,” said Ron Kitchens, managing partner of Consultant Connect. “Each of the leaders represented on this year’s list are beyond deserving of this recognition for their efforts in building our communities.”

About Consultant Connect: Consultant Connect is designed to bridge the gap between leading economic developers and location consultants through exclusive networking events, educational services and leadership development. Consultant Connect not only gives economic developers an inside look into the world of site selection – it gives them the applicable information necessary to propel their careers and communities forward. For more information, please visit www.consultantconnect.org.

About Salt Lake City Department of Economic Development:Formed in 2016, under the leadership of Mayor Jackie Biskupski, Salt Lake City’s Department of Economic Development is focused on building Salt Lake City as a vibrant, beautiful, prosperous, diverse, and authentic place – a place that is economically accessible to everyone. Known as the “Crossroads of the West,” Salt Lake City is strategically located for businesses to succeed. SLCDED works to streamline processes, provide excellent customer service, and offer an array of resources and services to recruit and retain businesses in the City, and ensure they have the tools to thrive. 

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