Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman has received the Community Leader Influencer of the Year Award.
Lehman was recognized at the Economic Developer’s Council of Ontario (EDCO) annual President’s Dinner at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, which concluded the EDCO's 61st annual conference.
According to the organization, the Community Leader Influencer of the Year Award reflects the growing importance of positive influence and the role of community leaders in championing economic development within their communities.
The award is given to elected officials who have made a 'significant impact on their peers, the industry, their community and/or the overall influence they have had on the profession of economic development,' the EDCO said.
“I’m hugely honoured to be recognized like this," said Lehman. "Growing jobs and our economy has been one of my top priorities since becoming Mayor. But the real source of Barrie’s economic success is the growth of Barrie’s businesses, and their continued investment in our community. It’s the City’s job to help create the economic climate for businesses to succeed, and I’m always pleased if I can play some small part in that.”
EDCO is an member organization comprised of individuals, municipalities and other organizations engaged in economic development in Ontario with the purpose of advancing economic development as a profession and support municipalities in fostering economic prosperity in the province of Ontario.
The EDCO Awards of Excellence is an annual program designed to showcase economic development initiatives being undertaken across the Province, and via a judging process, awarding the best and most effective campaigns.
Award winners are viewed as leaders in economic development and set a new standard of best practice for other communities to build upon.
Simcoe County Warden Gerry Marshall was the 2017 award recipient.
