On May 15, 2008, the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) was pleased to announce the twenty-nine finalists for the EDA Excellence in Economic Development Awards 2008 (Awards 2008). Nominations for Awards 2008 that received the three highest evaluations in their respective category qualified as finalists. Note: Several categories have four or five finalists because two or three received identical scores.

EDA will announce the winners of EDA's Awards 2008 on May 30, 2008. Awards 2008 will be presented in ceremonies held in the winners' respective communities. Members of each winner's congressional delegation will be invited to join senior Department of Commerce officials in the award presentations.

The finalists in each category are listed below alphabetically.

In the category of Excellence in Urban or Suburban Economic Development, nominations are evaluated to determine how effectively they utilize innovative, market-based strategies to improve urban or suburban economic development results. The three finalists follow:

East Baltimore Development, Inc.
Baltimore, Maryland

Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce Specific Program: Technology Strategy for the 21st Century Scranton, Pennsylvania

Youngstown Edison Incubator Corporation and Youngstown Central Area Community Improvement Corporation Specific Program: Taft Technology Center Youngstown, Ohio

In the category of Excellence in Rural Economic Development, nominations are evaluated to determine how effectively they utilize innovative, market-based strategies to improve rural economic development results. The three finalists follow:

Jackson County Development Council, Inc.
Green Circle BioEnergy, Inc., (Project "PELLET") Marianna, Florida

New Mexico Regional Development Corporation Santa Fe, New Mexico

North Iowa Area Community College John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center Mason City, Iowa

In the category of Excellence in Enhancing Regional Competitiveness, nominations

are evaluated to determine how effectively they enhance regional competitiveness and support long-term development of the regional economy. The three finalists follow:

City of Lima, Ohio
Lima, Ohio

Little Rock Port Authority Little Rock, Arkansas

SIRTI (Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute) Spokane, Washington

In the category of Excellence in Economic Adjustment Strategies, nominations are evaluated to determine how effectively they help communities plan and implement economic adjustment strategies in response to sudden and severe economic dislocations.

EDA announces that in this category, five nominations qualified as finalists because three received an identical score. The five finalists follow:

Community of Newton, Iowa
Newton, Iowa

Duluth Economic Development Authority Specific Program: Aeronautical Manufacturing Cluster Duluth, Minnesota

Gaston County Economic Development Commission Belmont, North Carolina

Ogden City Corporation Specific Program: Business Depot Ogden Ogden, Utah

Southwest Michigan First Kalamazoo, Michigan

In the category of Excellence in Technology-led Economic Development, nominations are evaluated to determine how effectively they support technology-led economic development and demonstrate the important role of linking universities, industry and technology transfers.

EDA announces that in this category, five nominations qualified as finalists because three received an identical score. The five finalists follow:

Ben Franklin Technology Partners
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

City of South Bend Specific Program: Metronet South Bend, Indiana

Michigan Technology Enterprise Corporation Houghton, Michigan

Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company Specific Program: Bioprocess Development and Training Complex San Juan, Puerto Rico

University of Wyoming Specific Program: Wyoming Technology Business Center Laramie, Wyoming

In the category of Excellence in Community and Faith-Based Social Entrepreneurship, nominations are evaluated to determine how effectively they

advance community and faith-based social entrepreneurship in redevelopment strategies for areas of chronic economic distress. The three finalists follow:

Desert Alliance for Community Empowerment
Coachella, California

LeMoyne-Owen College Community Development Corporation Specific Program: Soulsville Revitalization Initiative Memphis, Tennessee

NewLife Technical Institute East Liverpool, Ohio

In the category of Excellence in Innovation, nominations are evaluated to determine how effectively they incorporate innovative strategies for maximum results.

EDA announces that in this category four nominations qualified as finalists because two received an identical score. The four finalists follow:

Bladen's Bloomin' Agri-Industrial, Inc.
Elizabethtown, North Carolina

Office of Hawaiian Affairs: OHA Malama Loan Program Honolulu, Hawaii

Pittsylvania County Economic Development and the city of Danville, Virginia Chatham, Virginia

Washington County Authority - Southpointe II Washington, Pennsylvania

In the category of Excellence in Historic Preservation-led Strategies to Enhance Economic Development, nominations are evaluated to determine how effectively they use regional historical assets (including heritage tourism) to advance innovative economic development strategies. The three finalists follow:

Silver City MainStreet Project
Silver City, New Mexico

Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation Medora, North Dakota

Vandalia Heritage Foundation Fairmont, West Virginia