MOBILE, Ala. — The Mobile Chamber has earned national accreditation from the International Economic Development Council, becoming one of just 94 economic development organizations in the country, and the only one in Alabama, to hold the council’s Accredited Economic Development Organization designation. Chamber leaders, city and county officials, and investors celebrated the recognition Wednesday night, Sept. 23, at the MacQueen Alumni Center at the University of South Alabama.
The designation, known as AEDO, comes from a peer review that measures how an economic development group is organized, funded, staffed and run. For the Chamber, which leads the Mobile area’s efforts to recruit new employers and help existing ones grow, leaders say the accreditation sends a message to companies deciding where to locate.
‘The Standard Our Team Holds Itself To’
David Rodgers, the Chamber’s president and CEO designate and a Certified Economic Developer, said the recognition reflects both the staff’s work and the trust of the Chamber’s supporters.
“This accreditation is a reflection of the standard our team holds itself to every day, and of the trust this community and our investors place in us to do this work well,” Rodgers said. “It also sends a clear signal to companies considering Mobile: this is a region with the professionalism and technical expertise to support their growth.”
At Wednesday’s celebration, Rodgers said the designation sets Mobile apart from the regions it competes with for new projects.
“We are heads and tails above where our competition is in economic development. What that means for us is we’re the only one in the state of Alabama, we’re one of 94 in the country when it comes to economic development organizations, so it’s very trustworthy organization to have back to our investors and our community that we’re doing economic development the right way,” Rodgers said.
He also said the accreditation tells markets outside Mobile that the Chamber is ready to deliver for the community.
Nathan Ohle, president and CEO of the International Economic Development Council, praised the Chamber’s staff. “The Mobile Chamber displays the professionalism, commitment and technical expertise that is deserving of this honor,” Ohle said.
Board, City and County Leaders Weigh In
Teresa Williamson, chairman of the Mobile Chamber’s board, credited the economic development team and its partners.
“Our board and investors have long expected excellence from this organization, and this accreditation confirms we are meeting that bar,” Williamson said. “It is a credit to our economic development team and to the partners across this community who make our economic development work possible.”
Mobile Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis called the Chamber an important partner in bringing well-paying jobs to the city.
“As an integral part of Team Mobile, the Mobile Chamber’s dedication to helping recruit high-paying jobs to our city is certainly worthy of praise,” Cheriogotis said. “I’m proud of the work they do every day to help grow the city, and I look forward to continuing this invaluable partnership in the future.”
Mobile County Commission President Connie Hudson said the Chamber brings public and private partners together, and that the accreditation will help the county compete.
“Mobile County benefits from a strong, collaborative approach to economic development, and the Mobile Chamber leads the effort to bring public and private partners together for the benefit of our local economy,” Hudson said. “This accreditation affirms the quality of that work and strengthens Mobile County’s ability to compete for jobs and investment.”
What AEDO Accreditation Involves
The AEDO program is a detailed peer review that measures economic development organizations against widely accepted standards in the field. It has two phases:
- Documentation review: The organization submits materials describing its structure, governance, funding, programs and staff. This review also helps decide whether the group is eligible for accreditation.
- Onsite visit: Members of the council’s AEDO committee visit the organization, typically over two days, to meet with key staff and community leaders.
Both phases look at the same core areas: how the organization is structured, how it is organized, where its money comes from, what programs it runs and who is on its staff. The council describes the review as an evaluation rather than a simple pass-or-fail test.
Accreditation must be renewed every three years. Renewal involves submitting updated documents, onsite visits by an AEDO subcommittee team, or both.
Being accredited tells the community and prospective employers that an organization has met a recognized level of excellence. In economic development, where companies often share confidential expansion plans with local recruiters before announcing anything, that kind of third-party check on professionalism can matter.
About the International Economic Development Council
The International Economic Development Council is a nonprofit membership group for economic development professionals, based in Washington, D.C. It formed in 2001 through the merger of two older professional associations, the older of which traced its roots to 1926.
The council has thousands of members from the public and private sectors. Along with the AEDO program, it runs professional training and awards the Certified Economic Developer credential, or CEcD, which Rodgers holds.
With only 94 accredited groups nationwide, the AEDO designation is relatively rare. The Mobile Chamber is the only organization in Alabama to hold it.
A Milestone During a Leadership Transition
The accreditation comes during a change in leadership at the Chamber. Earlier this year, the Chamber’s board chose Rodgers, then its vice president of economic development, to succeed President and CEO Bradley Byrne. Byrne, a former congressman and former chancellor of Alabama’s community college system, took the job in 2023 and plans to retire in July 2027.
Rodgers became president and CEO designate on Aug. 3, giving the Chamber about a year for a gradual handoff. Rodgers and Byrne are working together during that time, so companies and public partners involved in active projects have continuity.
The Chamber’s economic development staff works with city and county governments, state agencies and other regional partners to recruit industry and support local businesses.
Why It Matters for Mobile
Local leaders say the accreditation is a credential Mobile can point to when competing with other Southern cities for new plants, headquarters and expansions. When site-selection consultants and corporate executives compare locations, the quality of the local economic development organization is one of many things they look at.
As Hudson put it, the designation “strengthens Mobile County’s ability to compete for jobs and investment.” The Chamber will need to go through the review again in three years to keep its status.