Paul Munoz, Planning and Development Director for the Town of Cicero, graduated from the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute on May 7, 2015 at the OU EDI spring session held in Nashville, Tennessee.
OU EDI is an intensive week long, three-tier program which provides a broad spectrum of advanced education for the economic development professional. OU EDI Dean Jay Moon said, “As the premier organization dedicated to training economic development professionals, I am very pleased with this year’s graduates. They represent some of the finest economic development practitioners in the U.S. working to support their local communities. My congratulations to them.”
OU EDI classes focus on three major core areas including: Business Retention and Expansion, Real Estate, and Finance, as well as areas of concentration in Marketing, Strategic Planning, Entrepreneurship, and Managing Economic Development Organizations. Students complete 117 hours of instruction with curriculum selected from more than fifty seminars, workshops and discussion groups. Paul acknowledged, “It is an intense curriculum where you have the opportunity to learn from some of the best practitioners of Economic Development in the nation.”
Beginning in 1962, OU EDI is celebrating its 52nd year of service to the economic development community. Fully accredited by the International Economic Development Council, the program has trained over 4,000 graduates and remains the world’s leading economic development teacher. “I feel this education has given me the tools necessary to help promote healthy growth for our community. We will be able to position Cicero in a way that will attract new businesses and most importantly help our existing businesses stay, expand and succeed in a thriving atmpshere,” stated Paul Munoz.