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Economic Development Association of Minnesota (EDAM) Announces 2026 Excellence in Economic Development Award Winners
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Winners of the Excellence in Economic Development Awards were announced on January 22, 2026 as part of EDAM’s annual Winter Conference. The City of Luverne, in partnership with Kids Rock! Child Care Center, has been selected as a winner of the Innovation Award as part of the Excellence in Economic Development Awards.
These awards recognize projects and professionals in the economic development industry who have gone above and beyond or overcome significant challenges in the past year. The awards are presented annually to highlight outstanding projects, initiatives, and leadership that demonstrate innovation, community impact, and effective problem-solving. The Innovation Award specifically recognizes a creative solution to an economic development challenge and may be awarded to a community, county, organization, individual, or collaborative team.
The Greater Minnesota Innovation Award was awarded to the City of Luverne and Kids Rock! Child Care Center in recognition of our collaborative efforts to address critical workforce and childcare challenges through innovative, community-driven solutions. This recognition reflects the strength of our partnerships, the leadership demonstrated by the City and Kids Rock! throughout the project, and the measurable impact on economic development and quality of life in our community. It also brings positive statewide visibility to Luverne and reinforces the importance of investing in childcare as essential for economic growth.
Here is the link to the Awards Page:
https://www.edam.org/EDAM/EDAM/About/Awards/Awards.aspx
Here is the link to the You Tube Video for the Innovation Award Project:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q4xyAUKOBs
As part of the Conference, Sammons and McClure were also speakers along with First Children's Finance and ISG for a facilitated panel discussion about how the commu...
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