GIS WebTech Announces Winners of 2024 Technology Leadership Award

We’re excited to announce the winners of this year’s GIS WebTech Award for Technology Leadership! We created the GIS WebTech Award six years ago to recognize economic developers that are advancing the profession through innovative use of technology to drive economic development and create lasting impact. It has been a great honor to highlight the achievements of these leading economic developers for the past six years. They inspire us by shaping the future of economic development through technical innovation.

As in past years, this year’s winners have enhanced the profession by using technology as a catalyst for progress. We received so many high-quality nominations this year that we are recognizing individuals at three economic development organizations for their outstanding work.

The winners of the 2002 GIS WebTech Award are Lisa Denton and the team at Kilgore Economic Development Corporation (Texas), Ryan Hall of Shoals Economic Development Authority (Alabama), and Suvam Patel and Mike Razo of Riverside County, California

These winners each led efforts within their respective organizations that applied technology to differentiate their communities and produce real results. All were nominated by colleagues who stressed their vision, technology leadership, and personal commitment. They join an impressive list of economic development peers who have won the award in prior years.

Year	Winner(s)
2019	Tim Duerr, Richland County SC
2020	Lesli Crofford, Oklahoma Department of Commerce
2021	Tommy Kurtz, Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation
2022	Kathryn Baird, City of Maple Ridge BC Shane Chadwick, Florida’s Great Northwest Tim Giuliani, Orlando Economic Partnership
2023	Antony Burton, Charlotte Regional Business Alliance Melanie Moore, JAXUSA Dat Nguyen, Oklahoma Department of Commerce
2024	Lisa Denton and Team, Kilgore Economic Development Corporation (Texas) Ryan Hall, Shoals Economic Development Authority (Alabama) Suvam Patel and Mike Razo, Riverside County, California

Please join the GIS WebTech team in congratulating each of these winners. Their vision, commitment, and groundbreaking achievements demonstrate how technology can play a pivotal role in shaping the future of economic development.

Over the next several weeks we will post a series of blogs highlighting the great work done by each of our three winners, so please check back regularly to learn more.