Photo: Mayor Tom Armstrong and Maggie Holmberg
The Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED) honored Town of Chino Valley employee, Maggie Holmberg, with the prestigious Economic Developer of the Year (Small Community) award. The Economic Development Distinguished by Excellence (EDDE) Awards were established nearly 50 years ago to recognize the outstanding work of AAED members and were presented at the annual Spring Conference, held last week in Tucson, Arizona.
The Economic Developer of the Year award recognizes outstanding achievement by a professional including the overall economic impact on their community, the development of strong relationships, their innovation and creativity, and contributions to the profession. The Small Community category is defined as a service area with a population of less than 50,000.
Maggie serves as Economic Development Manager for the Town of Chino Valley. Through her work with the Greater Chino Valley Collaborative (GCVC), she played a key role in preserving the historic Del Rio Springs by helping to secure $7 million in funding to purchase 734 acres at the north end of Chino Valley in Del Rio Springs to establish a new State Park. Her partnership and collaboration with GCVC were also pivotal to the town’s acquisition of the land that holds the historic Fred Harvey buildings — a foundational move to boost heritage, tourism, local pride and to preserve the land, history and headwaters of the Verde River. A true collaboration, the town worked with partners from the Trust for Public Land, Arizona State Parks and Trails, Yavapai County, and the Nature Conservancy on this historic land acquisition achievement.
“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized with this award,” said Maggie Holmberg. “I’m grateful to this amazing collaboration, this award is truly for everyone involved, and I am overwhelmed to part of history in the making. I look forward to continuing my work in Economic Development and especially to see what the future of the Historic Fred Harvey Farm holds for the Town of Chino Valley.”
Mayor Tom Armstrong congratulated Maggie on this prestigious award stating, “Thank you Maggie for all you do in promoting our town and working hard to improve the quality of life of our residents.”
This is Maggie’s second EDDE Award, having won the Economic Developer of the Year (Small Community) award in 2021.
About the Town of Chino Valley
The site of the first territorial government, this former temporary settlement became the start of a prosperous community full of ranchers and farmers. These founding roots remain embedded in the culture and heritage of Chino Valley to this day. The Town was founded in 1864, later incorporated in 1970, and has grown to a population of just over 13,000.
Chino Valley is an unscathed and largely undiscovered destination in the Central Arizona Highlands, and it is much cooler than you’d think! We showcase vastly wide-open spaces, big blue skies with a culture defined by friendly people, unique eating establishments, and outdoor adventure. We invite you to come discover Chino Valley at www.discoverchinovalley.org
About the Arizona Association for Economic Development
AAED, founded in 1974, has a mission to serve as Arizona’s unified voice for responsible economic development through professional education, public policy, and collaboration. For more information on AAED, visit www.aaed.com or call (602) 240-2233.
