The Colony Mayor Joe McCourry has joined mayors across the country in recognizing the importance of economic development in their communities by proclaiming May 9–15 as “National Economic Development Week”.

“The hard work of The Colony Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to facilitate high-quality commercial growth has retained and created employment opportunities, increased community wealth, and provided a stable tax base in our city,” said Mayor McCourry, as he issued the proclamation during the May 4 City Council meeting.

From attracting destination development such as Grandscape to assisting local independent entrepreneurs, Mayor McCourry stated that the results of The Colony’s proactive economic development strategies are evident citywide, including its COVID-19 response.

In the Spring of 2020, The Colony EDC quickly created and activated a Small Business Support Grant program to help local businesses financially impacted by the State mandated shut-down and following service limitations. The Colony EDC also helped businesses connect with county, state and federal COVID-19 grant opportunities and continues to do so.

“We are grateful for the support of our EDC Board and City Council for the commitment and sense of responsibility to our business community that we all share,” said Keri Samford, Executive Director of Development of The Colony EDC.

“We look forward to continuing a united effort to ensure a strong business base today, while encouraging the next generation of businesses that will further enhance our community’s prosperity and quality of life.”

The Colony EDC is an active member of the International Economic Development Council, which spearheads the National Economic Development Week campaign annually.

This article is featured in The Colony Courier-Leader