Congratulations, Jake! EDC’s Director of Business Retention and Expansion Wins DCI’s 40 Under 40 Award

February 18, 2015

We love to celebrate the successes of our talented team. This month, we give a big round of applause to Jake Austin, Director of Business Retention and Expansion, for being selected as a winner in the economic development profession’s 40 Under 40 awards, the only award of its kind recognizing young talent in the industry.
 
A five-member selection committee chose the winners from a pool of more than 157 candidates based on their exceptional contributions to the economic development industry. The awards program was managed by Development Counsellors International (DCI), a New York-based firm that specializes in economic development marketing.
 
“Jake’s outstanding leadership and engagement with growing businesses in Hillsborough County have resulted in the creation of hundreds of new, high wage jobs for families here,” says Rick Homans. “He has been a valuable asset to our team from his first day on the job. We are proud of Jake and the well-deserved recognition he has received from DCI.”
 
Jake is responsible for the management and execution of the EDC’s retention and expansion efforts. He leads a team of three project managers responsible for business intelligence gathering, lead generation, and workforce recruiting and training assistance. Prior to his current role, he was responsible for the EDC’s business retention and expansion initiatives in Plant City, where he assisted companies like James Hardie, Dart Container, Toufayan Bakeries, C&S Wholesale Grocers, and others to help create 755 new jobs and nearly $164 million in capital investment in less than two years.
 
DCI’s 40 Under 40 award was designed to discover the economic development profession’s rising stars.
 
“The people chosen by the selection committee represent a bright future for the economic development world,” said Andy Levine, president of DCI. “They are a new breed of results-driven place makers. We’re very pleased to see Jake among the winners.”
 
Well done, Jake!