Ashley Cangelosi, economic development specialist for the St. Tammany Economic Development Foundation (STEDF), has been awarded a Young Professional Scholarship to attend the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Annual Conference.
Only 40 international applicants received young professional and student scholarships.
As stated on the IEDC website, “By making these scholarships available, IEDC is recognizing the value of nurturing and engaging with young professionals and students in order to ensure a bright future for the economic development profession.”
The IEDC is the world’s largest non-profit membership organization that provides services and opportunities to economic development professionals. Through active membership in the organization, STEDF capitalizes on training and resources to better serve the community of St. Tammany Parish.
Cangelosi’s scholarship covers the cost of admission to the conference from Oct. 19-22 in Fort Worth, Texas, where she will attend informational panels, open discussions and networking events.
“Entrepreneurship and workforce development are two strategic priorities for me this year in business retention,” Cangelosi said. “I am eager to hear suggestions for untapped opportunities and new initiatives that I can bring back to St. Tammany and implement in our community.”
Brenda Bertus, CEO of STEDF, said, “The IEDC saw the value in bringing Ashley to their conference, and we value the opportunity to bring innovative strategies home to St. Tammany from Fort Worth.”
“Receiving the IEDC Annual Conference scholarship is an honor,” Cangelosi said. “Attending this conference will allow me to learn best practices from economic developers around the world and become aware of new opportunities and challenges facing the international economic development community.”
