Buda’s Economic Development Director Wins National 40 Under 40 Award

Ann Marie Miller, CEcD, Executive Director of the Buda Economic Development Corporation has been selected as a winner in the economic development profession 40 Under 40 awards, the only award of  its kind recognizing young talent in the economic development profession.

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.

“I was very pleased to see that a national organization has recognized what our board of directors has known for some time,” said Buda Economic Development Corporation board president Ron Fletcher. “Ann Miller spearheaded a paradigm shift in the way Buda does economic development that coordinates the activities of the city and the corporation in ways that will benefit our citizens for years to come.”

Ann Marie Miller has served as the Executive Director of the Buda Economic Development Corporation since January 2013 and will celebrate 10 years in the economic development profession this year. Prior to accepting the position in Buda, Miller worked as the Vice President of Economic Development for the Ada Jobs Foundation in Ada, Oklahoma. Miller is one of the youngest people to receive the Certified Economic

Developer (CEcD) designation.

Since accepting the position in Buda, Miller has spearheaded the adoption of Buda’s first Economic Development Strategic Plan and Incentive Policy. Miller has overseen four major economic development projects since 2013 that have or will bring at least $5.5 Million in capital investment and create or retain over 185 jobs; three of these projects were approved on the same night. Miller has also been involved in several upcoming retail projects, which will bring new development, opportunities, and amenities to Buda. Miller has also overseen the establishment of new programs to assist small businesses with permitting costs and the restoration and revitalization of downtown businesses.

Miller is a graduate of the William S. Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute. Miller is from Oklahoma and is a proud member of the Unconquered and Unconquerable Chickasaw Nation. Other accolades include a Governors Commendation, Oklahoma Young Careerist, and Buda Business Person of the Year.

DCIs 40 Under 40 award was designed to discover the economic development professions 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 Ann Marie Miller among the winners.

The 2015 award winners represent the best and brightest rising economic development professionals. I am humbled and honored to have been selected to receive the 40 Under 40 Award in Economic Development, said Miller. I would like to thank the Buda EDC board, the City of Buda leadership and staff, and the people who have mentored me throughout my career, their guidance, support, and assistance have been instrumental in my success.

DCI officially announced the winners last night at an awards reception during the International Economic Development Council Leadership Summit in Palm Beach and will feature an in-depth profile of each on its website during 2015. For more information on DCIs 40 Under 40 winners, visit www.aboutdci.com/40under40.

About Buda Economic Development Corporation Established in 2001, the Buda Economic Development Corporation is a Type B Economic Development Corporation created under sections 501, 504, and 505 of Texas Local Government Code. The Buda Economic Development Corporation is funded through at a half-cent sales tax. The Buda Economic Development Corporation is the only economic development entity in the City of Buda. Our mission is to provide leadership in creating and pursuing balanced economic growth, by recruiting and retaining desirable, diverse businesses and developing infrastructure, while protecting the quality of life and natural resources in the region.

About DCI Considered the leader in marketing places, Development Counsellors International (DCI) specializes in economic development and tourism marketing.  The agency has worked for more than 400 cities, regions, states, and countries since it was established in New York City in 1960. www.aboutdci.com