Posted: May 19, 2026
Northwest Florida's economic development ecosystem achieved historic recognition at this year's Florida Economic Development Council (FEDC) Annual Conference, securing four of the state's most prestigious awards. The sweeping victories underscore the region's accelerating momentum, collaborative leadership, and rising prominence as a powerhouse for global business expansion and workforce innovation.
The annual FEDC awards celebrate individuals, organizations, and projects that demonstrate outstanding contributions to economic diversification and community prosperity across the state of Florida. This year, Northwest Florida dominated multiple flagship categories, recognizing excellence across marketing campaigns, rural and urban deal structures, and individual professional achievement.
"We are incredibly proud to see Northwest Florida recognized so distinctively on the state stage," said Jennifer Conoley, President & CEO of Florida's Great Northwest (FGNW). "These awards are a testament to the relentless hard work, seamless regional alignment, and pioneering vision of our local economic development partners, professionals, and the businesses choosing to invest in our communities. Together, we are creating a world-class economy right here in our region."
The 2026 FEDC Honors Awarded to Northwest Florida Include:
The individual and project-based accolades highlight the diverse economic strengths of the 13-county region. Jackie Chang's recognition points to the depth of rising talent driving forward local economic strategies in communities like Santa Rosa County. Concurrently, FGNW's targeted Mission-Ready Veterans Business-Ready Results Campaign showcased the region's proactive stance on capturing the highly skilled pipeline of separating military personnel to fill critical, high-demand jobs across advanced sectors.
Furthermore, the Deal of the Year accolades for both Wakulla and Okaloosa Counties demonstrate that Northwest Florida offers an ideal business climate for leading manufacturers, whether in rural landscapes or thriving urban epicenters. Point Blank Enterprises' commitment to Wakulla County and Williams International's footprint in Okaloosa County serve as premier models of how public-private partnerships can successfully yield long-term regional prosperity.
With these accolades in hand, Florida's Great Northwest and its county partners look forward to building on this statewide recognition to further cultivate business growth, foster top-tier workforce ecosystems, and elevate the standard of living for all residents across the region.
Florida's Great Northwest is the regional economic development organization for the Florida Panhandle. The organization was created to promote Northwest Florida for economic growth and diversification, advocate for economic development issues that affect the region, and collaborate to improve regional competitiveness. The organization accomplishes this in partnership with the state and local economic development organizations, rural regional economic development organization, utility partners, private sector businesses, local government, higher education institutions, workforce boards, and community leaders.
