The Board of the Directors of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) has elected Clyde Higgs, President and CEO of Atlantic Beltline, Inc., as the newest member of the organization’s board. The nomination took place during IEDC’s 2019 Annual Conference, which was held in Indianapolis, IN from October 13-16, 2019. Mr. Higgs’ term begins on January 1, 2020.
“We look forward to Mr. Higgs’ leadership as a member on the Board of Directors. Clyde has been active in economic development and a supporter of IEDC — particularly in his role hosting IEDC’s very successful 2018 Annual Conference in Atlanta — and we are so pleased to welcome him. His new role will ensure great accomplishments for IEDC in 2020 and beyond,” said Jeffrey Finkle, president and CEO of IEDC.
IEDC is a non-profit membership organization, headquartered in Washington D.C., serving economic developers. With more than 5,000 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities, by creating, retaining and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth and provide a stable tax base.
From public to private, rural to urban, and local to international, IEDC’s members are engaged in the full range of economic development experience.
Given the breadth of economic development work, members are employed in a wide variety of settings including local, state, provincial and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities and a variety of other institutions.
“I’m honored to be elected to serve on IEDC’s Board of Directors,” Higgs said. “Economic development has long been a passion of mine and is integral to our work every day at the Atlanta BeltLine. Job creation, housing, and transit all contribute to greater affordability and economic prosperity. I look forward to bringing my experiences in Atlanta to the IEDC board.”
Higgs brings 20 years of experience in economic development, real estate, intellectual property, technology, strategic planning, design, real estate development, grant and donor funding, and government relations, and urban innovation.
Prior to joining ABI in 2015, Mr. Higgs served as the Executive Vice President of a collaborative, multi-billion-dollar revitalization and economic development effort led by the state of North Carolina and real estate developer Castle & Cooke.
He was voted in by ABI’s board of directors earlier this year after already serving in an interim position.
Higgs is credited with ushered through several design and construction projects, such as the Southside Trail, Enota Park, and the Eastside Trail’s southern extension. He was also instrumental in the acquisition of an old railroad line from Antioch Baptist Church North, a stretch of the corridor connecting the “Kudzu Line” with Northside Drive, and the ongoing procurement of a developer for Murphy Crossing job creation.
Additionally, he has overseen the ninth and tenth seasons of Art on the Atlanta BeltLine, the production of 121 additional affordable housing units, community engagement for Subarea Master Plan updates, the launch of the IoT ATL Ag Tech pilot program, and the introduction of BeltLine University.
