Annual Eddy Awards

The Eddy Awards® is the most prestigious awards program to recognize leadership in economic development in business, education and government throughout Los Angeles County. The Eddy Awards, a cocktail reception, dinner, and awards gala, also supports fulfillment of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation’s mission to advance opportunity and prosperity for all.

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The 23rd Annual Eddy Awards took place November 8, 2018

View a recap of the 2018 Eddy Awards, including details on all awardees and the winners of 2018 Most Business Friendly City (City of Azusa and City of Whittier)

Scroll down for a complete listing of past honorees and winners of Most Business Friendly City

The Eddy Awards annual dinner gala and awards ceremony celebrates exceptional public and private leadership in LA County economic development, with the Most Business-Friendly City Award and recognition of honorees that demonstrate outstanding contributions to economic development in the region. LAEDC thanks our sponsors and attendees, who support our mission — raising the standards of living for the residents of L.A. County by increasing economic opportunity and regional prosperity.

2018 Eddy Award Honorees

CORPORATE HONOREE: American Airlines

American Airlines is the largest domestic and international carrier at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), among the world’s busiest airports. The hub serves as American’s west coast gateway to the Asia-Pacific and has recently added service to 24 new destinations including Sydney, Auckland, Hong Kong, Tokyo Haneda and Beijing. In 2017, the airline announced a more than $1.5 billion investment toward improvements at LAX Terminals 4 and 5 to create a world-class experience for its 16.5 million annual customers and nearly 7,300 team members who work there.

EDUCATIONAL HONOREE: Cal Poly Pomona

Cal Poly Pomona is among the best public universities in the West and is nationally ranked for helping students achieve economic success. As an inclusive polytechnic university, they cultivate success through experiential learning, discovery and innovation. Their graduates are ready to succeed in the professional world on Day 1.

Faculty in all disciplines put theory to practice, providing students with opportunities to apply their knowledge in hands-on projects, research collaborations, and valuable internship and service-learning programs. Their history and geography are unlike any other university in the region. Nowhere else can students ride an Arabian horse, practice on a Steinway piano, bring a new product to market, and build a liquid-fueled rocket.

INDIVIDUAL HONOREE: Beatriz Acevedo

Award winning media executive, entrepreneur and social impact advocate Beatriz Acevedo will be honored at the 2018 Eddy Awards as the 2018 Individual Honoree. Beatriz is a three-time Emmy Award winning producer and digital media pioneer with more than 20 years of experience creating content for major TV networks in the U.S and abroad in multiple languages. Beatriz has dedicated her life’s work to creating opportunities for diverse youth in an effort to empower their voices, and to influence culturally relevant depictions of Latinos in media.

As the former President and Co-Founder of mitú, Beatriz has had the privilege of leading the next generation of Latino storytellers and creators via her mentorship and accelerator program, which Beatriz described in Entrepreneur as a breeding ground for discovering “the next generation of [creatives] from animators to writers to directors.” She defined the mitú brand as one that “stands for a community that opens doors and provides opportunity.”

Beatriz has dedicated her life’s work to creating opportunities for diverse youth in an effort to empower their voices and influence culturally relevant depictions of Latinos in media. In Medium, Beatriz explained her goal of diversifying media “to help connect the broken bridge between content buyers and creators … to build a digital media brand for this generation of U.S.-born, English-dominant Latinos.”

View a recap of the 2018 Eddy Awards here including details on all awardees and the winners of 2018 Most Business Friendly City (City of Azusa and City of Whittier)

Thanks to our Generous Sponsors!

Platinum Sponsor

Diamond Sponsor

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Please contact Rick Moelis, Director, Event Programs for LAEDC 2018 Eddy Sponsorship Packet or to ask questions, via email at [email protected].

The LAEDC is procuring items for our Eddy Awards Silent Auction. Please consider contributing items for our auction, particularly wine, technology, entertainment/sports tickets, hotel stays, vacation packages and unique experiences. Contact Maneesha Horshin via email with contributions.

Past Honorees

2018
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Beatriz Acevedo
American Airlines
Cal Poly Pomona

2017

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Mark Suster, Venture Capitalist
Cedars-Sinai
Cal State LA

2016
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Brian Lee, Co-Founder of The Honest Company
AECOM
California State University – Long Beach

2015
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Evan Spiegel, CEO and Co-founder, Snapchat
CBRE
Cal State University – Northridge

2014
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Tony Pritzker, Managing Partner of Pritzker Group in Los Angeles and Chicago.
Tribute video >>
Honda Motor Company
Tribute video »
UCLA
Tribute video »

2013

Yang Ho Cho – Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Korean Air (read more)
Tribute video »
SpaceX (read more)
Tribute video »
University of Southern California (read more)
Tribute video »

2012

Earvin “Magic” Johnson
NBC Universal Tribute video »
Caltech Tribute video »

2011
Los Angeles World Airports – Accepted by Gina Marie Lindsey, Executive Director.Tribute video »
Dominic Ng, Chairman & CEO of East West Bank. Tribute video »

2010
Kaiser Permanente – Accepted by George A. Di Salvo, Senior Vice President and CFO, Southern California Region. Tribute video »
Do Won Chang, CEO of Forever 21. Tribute video »

2009
The Boeing Company – Accepted by Rick Stephens, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Administration. Tribute video »
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Executive Chairman of Abraxis BioScience and CEO of Abraxis Health. Tribute video »

2008
The Walt Disney Company – Accepted by Anne Sweeney, Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks and President, Disney•ABC Television Group.
Rick Caruso, Caruso Affiliated, President & CEO. Tribute video »

2007
Northrop Grumman – Accepted by Dr. Ron Sugar, CEO.
Jack Kyser, Founding Economist, The Kyser Center for Economic Research, LAEDC.Tribute video »

2006
City National Bank – Accepted by Russell Goldsmith, CEO.
Toyota Motor Sales – Accepted by Irv Miller, Group Vice President Corporate Communications.

2005
Janice Bryant Howroyd, CEO & Founder, ACT•1.
Alberto Alvardo, Los Angeles District Director, US Small Business Administration.
Richard Ziman, Chairman and CEO, Arden Realty.

2004
Liam McGee, President-Consumer Banking, Bank of America.
Monica Lozano, Publisher, La Opinion.

2003
George Deukmejian, 35th Governor of California.
William T. Huston, Watson Land Company.
George Nicholaw, KNX 1070 News Radio.

2002
Eli Broad, Founder, The Broad Foundation.
Timothy Leiweke, President & CEO, Anschutz Entertainment Group.
Cardinal Roger Mahoney, Archbishop, Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
James Thomas, CEO, Thomas Properties Group.
Andrea Van de Kamp, Chairman and CEO, Music Center of LA County.
Stephan Smith, Partner, Los Angeles Center Studios.
Tonian Hohberg, President and Founder, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM).

2001
Michael Antonovich, Los Angeles County Supervisor, 5th District.
Dr. David Baltimore, President, Caltech.

2000
Richard J. Riordan, Mayor, City of Los Angeles.
Dr. Steven B. Sample, President, University of Southern California.

1999
George L. Graziadio, Chairman & Co-Founder, Imperial Bank.
Beverly O’Neill, Mayor, City of Long Beach.

1998
Edward P. Roski, President & CEO, Majestic Realty Company.

1997
John Bryson, Chairman & CEO, Southern California Edison.

1996
Thomas Decker, Executive Vice President, Bank of America.

Past Winners of Most Business Friendly City in LA County Award

Please note that winners may not be renominated for the award for five years, and these cities continue to set extraordinarily high standards in years after the award without award recognition.

Alhambra – 2010 Winner LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City

Arcadia – 2017 Winner LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City

Cerritos – 2010 Winner LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City

Duarte – 2012 Winner LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City

Downey – 2017 Winner LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City

El Segundo – 2015, 2006 Winner LAEDC Most-Business Friendly City

Glendale – 2014 Winner, LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City

Glendora – 2014 Winner, LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City

La Mirada – 2013 Winner LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City

Lancaster – 2013, 2007 Winner LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City

Long Beach – 2009 Winner LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City

Monrovia – 2011 Winner LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City winner

Palmdale – 2015 Winner LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City winner

Pico Rivera – 2016 Winner LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City winner

Santa Clarita – 2016, 2008 Winner LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City Winner

Santa Fe Springs – 2009 Winner LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City

Vernon – 2008 Winner LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City

Whittier – 2012 Winner LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City