The Leadership in Economic Development Awards recognize individuals and organizations that are making exceptional contributions to economic growth and prosperity in the greater Albuquerque metropolitan area, resulting in improvements to the region’s overall economic strength. Recipients are honored at a luncheon held each fall. The 2019 award ceremony will take place on Tuesday, November 5, 2019. All awards are presented by the Albuquerque Forward Fund.

There are six award categories. Two are organizational awards and four are individual awards.
• The award categories and criteria are listed in section 2 of this form.
• Nominations will be accepted from any source, and self-nominations are allowed.
• Each nominee will be contacted by AED to provide a written profile that describes the nominee’s accomplishments. The nominee’s written profile must include personal or professional accomplishments that address each area that is specified in the category(s) criteria. Nominees can use their written profile to highlight accomplishments, draw attention to hard work, and tout success stories.
• For all award categories, the Albuquerque metropolitan area is defined as Bernalillo, Sandoval, Valencia and Torrance counties.
• Nominations will open on May 1 and close on June 28.
• The same nominee may be submitted for consideration in more than one category within the same form.
• A selection committee organized by the Albuquerque Forward Fund will review all nominations and make final award decisions.
• Award winners will be notified by September 1.
• Nominees who do not receive an award one year can be re-nominated in subsequent years.
• The selection committee does not guarantee that an award will be presented in every category each year.
• Members of the selection committee, employees of Albuquerque Economic Development Inc. or the Albuquerque Forward Fund, and the immediate family members of any person in any of these groups are not eligible to receive awards in an individual awards category.
• An organization in which a selection committee member or a member of his or her immediate member owns a controlling interest (over 50% of ownership) is not eligible to receive any type of organizational award.
• An organization that employs a member of the selection committee or their immediate family is eligible to be considered for an organizational award. However, the affected selection committee member must recuse himself or herself from the discussion and vote in the awards category for which the organization was nominated.