The Site Selectors Guild (SSG), the world’s largest group of senior site location advisors, honored Casey Barnes of the Orlando Economic Partnership with the 2017 Excellence in Economic Development Award at its annual conference, March 15, 2017.
Winning professionals and economic development organizations (EDOs) are nominated by SSG members and are selected based on mastery of process; ingenuity and creativity; going above and beyond; political acumen; staying power; and personal, caring touch.
“We recognize the top performers in economic development,” said SSG Board Chairman Mark Williams. “They are indispensable partners of the Guild and their outstanding efforts deserve to be celebrated.”
When ADP selected the Orlando, FL region as the site of a new regional headquarters, Barnes immediately became a pivotal member of the team to address their concerns and key success factors. Barnes played a critical role in responding to requests regarding labor pool depth, competitive demand and market competitive salaries. He took it upon himself to produce information about targeting for their desired workforce when it was not readily available.
“Casey brought a high level of knowledge to the project, along with a willingness to go above and beyond for the client,” said SSG Member Dennis Donovan, who nominated them for this award. “His pleasant personality and eagerness to serve the client made him a vital asset to the ADP team and we are happy to honor his commitment to outstanding service with this award.”
The Excellence in Economic Development Awards were created to promote positive interactions between site selection professionals and EDOs, to encourage innovation by highlighting EDO best practices and to introduce and advance high standards for the site selector profession.