40 Under 40 Economic Development Awards
Frequently Asked Questions about the 40 Under 40 Awards
The 40 Under 40 Awards are an economic development initiative that DCI hosts in partnership with Jorgenson Consulting, Inc. Every two years, the committee takes submissions from influential leaders in the economic development profession who are working to support their communities, organizations and the industry itself. A selection committee sorts through the nominations and selects 40 young leaders who have demonstrated strong leadership, innovation and forward-thinking. The award winners are celebrated and recognized in January at the IEDC Leadership Summit for their excellence in economic development.
FAQ
40 Under 40 is a leadership awards program that recognizes 40 individuals who have made a positive economic impact on a community or achieved success in economic development before turning 40 years old. The 2025 awards ceremony will be co-hosted by Jorgenson Consulting and Development Counsellors International.
Candidates must be under the age of 40 as of January 1, 2024.
Of course! As long as they are still under the age of 40 as of January 1, 2024.
Nominations will open in the fall of 2024 and close in October.
Absolutely! A nominee can either self-nominate (and the committee encourage this!) or be nominated by a third party.
Fill out and submit the nomination form by October 19, 2024.
The committee looking for young leaders who have raised the bar in economic development: those who have brought innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity, high standards, strong character and a track record of success to their community and the profession. Candidates must be under the age of 40 as of January 1, 2024. For this particular award, service providers in the economic development industry are not eligible.
No. Judges will not know who nominated who. They will just see the name of the nominee.
No, a nominee does not necessarily have to work for an economic development organization. However, the nominee must hold a career within the industry.
Having this accreditation may give the nominee a boost, but it’s completely up to each judge on how they’ll rate or grade each entry.
Email the name and contact information directly to Nick Reshan at [email protected]. We’ll be sure to follow up with each person directly letting them know that someone thought they would be a good fit for the award.
Winners, and all others who submitted an application, will be notified of the status of their nomination in the winter of 2024.
DCI will officially announce and recognize winners during the International Economic Development Council’s Leadership Summit.
No. DCI releases the award every two years.
The selection committee represents a broad mix of representatives from the economic development industry including recruiters, economic developers and site selectors. For more information on the individuals on the 2023 panel, visit the Selection Committee page.
After DCI receives the nominations, the selection committee will independently review and rank each nominee. We will compile all rankings and use an averaging system to determine the top 40.
Candidates who are selected are required to send us a photo to include on the website, as well as complete a quick questionnaire. In addition, DCI would love them to attend a special recognition dinner during IEDC’s Leadership Summit should the event take place in person.
Quantify impact. The most successful nominations integrate metrics to demonstrate the nominee’s impact on community development and the industry.