The Central Florida Regional Planning Council, based in Bartow, Florida received two 2013 Innovation Awards from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation for the Florida Heartland Energy Baseline and Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Heartland Brownfields Revitalization Partnership – Mulberry Health Clinic projects.

NADO is a Washington, DC-based association that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies. The association’s Innovation Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and partnering organizations for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation’s regions and local communities.

“For nearly 30 years, NADO’s Innovation Award has provided regional development organizations the opportunity to be recognized for their hard work and dedication to promoting economic development in rural and small metropolitan communities across the country. Building on the unique strengths and challenges of each region and community, award recipients continue to promote economic growth not only now, but for many years to come. And I am pleased to announce that this year over 100 regional development organizations were selected to receive NADO’s 2013 Innovation Award,” said NADO President John Leonard, Executive Director of the Southern Georgia Regional Commission in Valdosta, GA.

For more information about the award-winning projects, contact Colleen Burton with the Central Florida Regional Planning Council at 863-534-7130.