November 9, 2023 – Los Angeles – Last night, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) turned the field of SoFi Stadium into a vibrant epicenter of recognition and celebration, hosting its much-anticipated annual Eddy Awards®. Brimming with energy and enthusiasm, the gala event saw an impressive gathering of over 700 distinguished guests. 

“Standing on the field of Sofi Stadium, I am reminded of the importance of strategy and collaboration in achieving greatness. Our region thrives on the tireless efforts of individuals and organizations committed to improving our economy. Tonight, we are not just celebrating achievements; we are honoring the relentless drive, the strategic plays, and the collaborative spirit that these economic champions bring to the field every day,” said Stephen Cheung, President and CEO of LAEDC. “Our Most Business-Friendly City award recognizes the cities for their exemplary efforts in creating environments that nurture the birth and growth of enterprises. This year, we recognize the City of Long Beach as this year’s Most Business-Friendly City for their work to create good jobs and improve ease of operations, which play a pivotal role in ensuring a thriving future for communities across the region.” 

Since its inception in 1996, the Eddy Awards® have recognized excellence, spotlighting the extraordinary efforts of individuals, organizations, and educational institutions. These trailblazers have excelled and made substantial contributions to fostering inclusive economic development across the region. 

This year, LAEDC recognized the following individuals and organizations for their work to improve the regional economy through collaboration, partnership and touchdowns that help drive our regional economy forward. 

• Arnold Schwarzenegger, 38th Governor of California, is an Austrian-born bodybuilder, actor, businessman, philanthropist, bestselling author, and politician. He served as the thirty-eighth governor of California, founded After-School All-Stars, and is the Chair of the Schwarzenegger Institute at the University of Southern California. Building on his prior policy initiatives as Governor, Schwarzenegger is dedicated to enhancing early childhood development, after-school programs, career technical education, and environmental leadership, working to address climate change and a green economy. Gov. Schwarzenegger received the Individual Honoree Award. 

• Ambassador Jane Duke, Consul-General of Australia in Los Angeles has served as Australian Consul-General Los Angeles in August 2020. The Consulate General has responsibility for Southern California, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and parts of Nevada. These states collectively account for over $7 billion in two-way trade and host over 100,000 Australian residents. More than 400 Australian companies operate in California across 83 industries and support some 15,000 jobs. Australia is the 4th largest source of visitors to California, with some 600,000 Australians visiting each year. In 2023, the governments of Australia and California signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to accelerate our shared efforts to deliver climate action and support clean energy transition. California’s ability to set new and emerging technology standards makes it a critical partner as Australia becomes a renewable energy superpower. Ambassador Duke received the inaugural International Honoree Award. 
• Community Coalition works to help transform the social and economic conditions in South LA that foster addiction, crime, violence, and poverty by building a community institution that involves thousands in creating, influencing and changing public policy. For the past 30 years, Community Coalition has continued with this groundbreaking approach. They elevate their members’ voices, shift power to the community, and tackle the root causes of poverty, crime, and violence. Through community empowerment and activism, they are also working to improve the economic opportunities within South LA that will provide good wages and a high standard of living.  Together, they are creating a more prosperous, safer, healthier South L.A. Community Coalition received the Community Partner Honoree Award. 
• Delta Air Lines has more than 90,000 Delta people who deliver world-class customer experience on over 4,000 daily flights to more than 280 destinations on six continents, connecting people to places and each other. Spending more than $12 billion worldwide, Delta invested $2.3 billion at LAX, which will involve 6.1 million labor hours being put into the program, with 29.7% of total labor hours being from local hires and 30.4% of spending with diverse suppliers. LAX serves as one of Delta’s most important coastal hubs and currently operates over 150 peak-day flights to 52 destinations across the globe, serving 19 of the top 20 markets for Los Angeles customers. Delta and its 4,000 Los Angeles-based employees are deeply ingrained in the community, supporting over a dozen nonprofit organizations throughout California. The airline is proud to serve as the inaugural founding partner of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the official airline of Team USA. Additionally, Delta is the official airline of The Hollywood Bowl, Pantages Theatre, Crypto.com Arena, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Los Angeles Kings. Delta Air Lines received the Corporate Honoree Award. 

 For more information, please visit: https://laedc.org/eddyawards2023/. 

About the LAEDC