Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership (NEI) Earns International Economic Development Council Accreditation

FORT WAYNE, Ind., June 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) today announced that the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership (NEI) has been recognized as one of 89 economic development organizations recognized by IEDC as an Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO).

“The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership displays the professionalism, commitment, and technical expertise that is deserving of this honor,” said IEDC President and CEO Nathan Ohle.

NEI is the first regional economic development organization in Indiana to earn the IEDC accreditation.

“This accreditation validates NEI’s evolution into a modern, high-performing economic development organization,” said NEI President and CEO Stéphane Frijia. “Over the past four years, we’ve expanded our reach, deepened our impact, and embraced a more collaborative, data-driven approach. Being the first regional organization in Indiana to earn this recognition reflects our leadership, accountability, and commitment to regional prosperity.”

In their accreditation site report, the IEDC describes NEI’s Marketing Department as “a new model for marketing in economic development.” The IEDC also applauded efforts by Frijia to build an in-house department helmed by leading marketing executive Jonathan Sackett.

“I’m truly honored that this team is getting recognized for their hard work. Their expertise in digital/video disciplines and knowledge of the region have been powerful assets. Our creative approach has allowed us to be very strategic with the way we promote our region, which was validated by over 5.5 million video views over the last year.” Vice President of Marketing and Communication Jonathan Sackett said.

The AEDO program is a comprehensive peer review process that measures economic development organizations against commonly held standards in the profession. The program consists of two phases: a documentation review and an onsite visit. Each phase is designed to evaluate information about the structure, organization, funding, programs, and staff of the candidate economic development organization.

Earning the AEDO accreditation tells the community and prospects that NEI has attained a measure of excellence assuring that their trust is well-placed and their business is in good hands.

Maintenance of the AEDO status is required every three years and is accomplished through documentation submission and/or onsite visits by a team of the AEDO subcommittee.

The International Economic Development Council is the largest membership association serving economic and community development professionals in the world. With over 5,000 members nationwide and abroad, IEDC offers the economic development profession one source for information and professional development, one voice for the profession and one force for advocacy. For more information on IEDC or the AEDO program, call Dana Crater at (910) 821.0245; fax (202) 223.4745; write to IEDC at 1275 K Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005; email aedo@iedc.org; or visit IEDC’s website at www.iedconline.org.

CONTACT: Jonathan Sackett, 
Title: VP of Marketing & Communication, 
Phone: 630-291-0151

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SOURCE Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership (NEI)