The City of Maricopa Economic Development Department has received the 2018 Golden Prospector Award from the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED).

The Golden Prospector Award, which was established to encourage and recognize excellence in economic development, was given to the City of Maricopa’s Economic Development Department for their innovative 2018 Economic Summit.

The purpose of the Economic Summit was to bring national and regional expertise to Maricopa to discuss proven strategies for fostering entrepreneurial activity. The summit identified key strategies for implementation and how community leaders can work closely to foster an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The summit was attended by more than 100 people, half of which were small business owners, and built upon the Economic Development Department’s goal of cultivating a positive atmosphere for building entrepreneurial initiatives and expanding services available to small business owners.

“We’re thrilled at the overwhelming response from the public and elected officials,” City of Maricopa Economic Development Director Denyse Airheart said. “It left the community wondering what is next for Maricopa, and we’re looking forward to continually fostering our City’s entrepreneurial spirit.”

The Award was presented to the City of Maricopa on Oct. 18 during the AAED Fall Forum in Flagstaff.