who we are Awards and Accolades

Awards and Accolades

We are proud of what we do – our awards and accolades are testimony to our efforts in making the Greater Dubuque area a great place to live, work, and play.

Dubuque Receives Score of 100 on Municipality Index

Dubuque Receives Score of 100 on Municipality Index

2023 - The Human Rights Campaign in partnership with the Equality Federation Institute, awarded Dubuque 100 points on the Municipal Equality Index for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and now again in 2023. The index is a national ranking based on the inclusiveness of laws, policies, and services for LGBTQ+ residents. The 2023 average city score was 71 points.

Learn more about the 2023 Municipal Equality Index on the Human Rights Campaign's website.

Dubuque Name Iowa Thriving Community

Dubuque Name Iowa Thriving Community

2022 - Dubuque was named to the inaugural group of eleven Iowa Thriving Communities, a new program from the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) and Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). The program recognizes cities around the state that utilize innovative solutions to enhance their housing offerings to residents of all income levels. 

The 11 communities selected for the program will benefit from additional scoring points in applications for both the Federal Housing Tax Credit and the Iowa Workforce Housing Tax Credit. The scoring points are a highly sought-after part of the competitive tax credit application process and will incentivize developers to choose cities that have been selected as Iowa Thriving Communities for proposed developments.

Dubuque Receives Top Honors from National America in Bloom Program

Dubuque Receives Top Honors from National America in Bloom Program

2022 - Dubuque received top honors from the America in Bloom Growing Vibrant Communities program including the “Over 35,000 Population Category Award” and an “All-America Selections Showcase Garden Award”. Dubuque’s participation in the 2022 National Awards was part of a $25,000 AIB/CN EcoConnexions From the Ground Up grant the City received for the Re-Imagine Comiskey
Park Redevelopment Project to be used for trees, native forbs, grass seed, shrubs, and flowers.

YOU can be great here campaign wins Maedc Award

YOU can be great here campaign wins Maedc Award

2022 - Greater Dubuque Development Corporation was awarded the top recognition for a Marketing Program (Large Division) for the YOU can be great here campaign. This award was given in recognition of an overall comprehensive marketing program to promote a community, county, state, or region to a prospect with the expected outcome of informing, promoting successes or eliciting a response for more information, and/or generating leads.

The Greater Dubuque Development campaign, YOU can be great here, was created as a tagline to rally the region behind our number one priority, workforce. The campaign crosses media platforms to connect with both local community members and those living across the U.S. who have a connection to the Greater Dubuque region. It continues to gain momentum as we add testimonials and targeted ads to ensure everyone embraces the message: YOU can be great here.

Dubuque makes top 100 best places to live list

Dubuque makes top 100 best places to live list

2022 - Dubuque was ranked in the top 100 best places to live in the U.S. in a report done by Livability, coming in at #96. The annual study calculated a ‘LivScore’ for over 2,300 cities using data points based on each city’s amenities, economy, demographics, housing, social and civic capital, education, health care, transportation and infrastructure, and remote readiness. The final 100 cities are considered welcoming, affordable and offer the space and opportunity to grow, both professionally and personally.

Greater Dubuque Team receives top award in national effort

Greater Dubuque Team receives top award in national effort

2021 - The Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) based in Arlington, Virginia announced that Greater Dubuque Development received the award for Top Team Effort for the 2021 Synchronist Business Retention & Expansion Challenge.

Greater Dubuque Development competed in a collaborative effort with more than 50 economic development groups and 100-plus professionals in the United States to provide new economic benchmarks. The challenge successfully updated benchmarks providing a point of comparison with participating communities in the U.S. For years, Greater Dubuque Development has conducted its award-winning InfoAction business outreach program—competing in the 2021 CREC Synchronist Business Retention & Expansion Challenge was a natural for the team.

Greater Dubuque was also recognized as runner-up for best data quality as part of the 2021 Business Retention & Expansion Challenge.

Greater Dubuque recognized as a top economic development organization

Greater Dubuque recognized as a top economic development organization

2021 - Greater Dubuque Development Corporation received a Bronze Award in the category of Economic Development Organization of the Year of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).

IEDC’s Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year’s most influential leaders. Twenty-five award categories honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Awards are judged by a diverse panel of economic and community developers, following a nomination process held earlier this year.

Greater Dubuque Development receives recognition from regional economic development council

Greater Dubuque Development receives recognition from regional economic development council

2021 - Greater Dubuque Development received two awards from the Mid-America Economic Development Council as part of their virtual Best Practices Conference. We were selected as winners in two categories: Workforce Development and Economic Impact Deal of the Year.

The Workforce Development award is in recognition of our College Recruitment Strategy, a year-long schedule of events to connect area employers with college students.

The Economic Impact Deal of the Year recognized the coordinated effort between local partners to bring two new employers to the Greater Dubuque area—Duluth Trading Company and Crown Cork & Seal. 

Greater Dubuque Development receives award for business retention & expansion efforts

Greater Dubuque Development receives award for business retention & expansion efforts

2021 - The Professional Developers of Iowa (PDI) honored Greater Dubuque Development Corporation during the virtual Best of BRE in Iowa Awards on March 18, 2021.

The PDI Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) Awards Program recognizes the outstanding efforts of local and regional economic development initiatives in supporting growth and expansion of existing Iowa companies. Greater Dubuque Development Corporation was highlighted as a recipient of the 2020 Single Project and Overall BRE Program Award. This award recognizes a community or region that has implemented a successful BRE initiative for their area.

Greater Dubuque Development Corporation has a comprehensive BRE program, highlighting a 12-month College Outreach initiative with the purpose of connecting employers with a pipeline of skilled talent now and into the future. As a result of their efforts, this program has created thousands of student-employer interactions through job fairs, an intern engagement program, Employer Connection Guides and more.

Greater Dubuque Development Receives Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award

Greater Dubuque Development Receives Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award

2020 - The International Economic Development Council presented Greater Dubuque Development Corporation with the Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award for the Community Broadband Expansion initiative. The program was recognized in the category of Resiliency, Recovery, and Mitigation. Submissions represented a successful recovery from a natural or man-made disaster and/or represent replicable measures undertaken to promote long-term resiliency in the event of a future disaster.

Dubuque Ranked as One of the Best Cities to Move to After the Pandemic

Dubuque Ranked as One of the Best Cities to Move to After the Pandemic

2020 - Business Insider named the "Best US Cities to live in after the pandemic", ranking Dubuque as number 16. Ranking was based on nine economical, educational, and demographic metrics from government data sources and academic research.

Existing Business Team Receive BEST of Iowa Excellence Award

Existing Business Team Receive BEST of Iowa Excellence Award

2020 - Greater Dubuque Development Corporation was awarded one of four BEST of Iowa Excellence Awards for our work in supporting existing businesses in Iowa and the Greater Dubuque area through our InfoAction program. Awards were given by Business Expansion and Strategic Trends (BEST of Iowa).

BEST of Iowa is a unique collaboration of local economic development groups working with Iowa’s utilities and the Iowa Economic Development Authority. The mission is to strengthen relationships with Iowa companies to get a better understanding of issues impacting their ability to do business in the State. The data helps economic development professionals identify local economic trends, business needs and opportunities.

The 2019 BEST of Iowa key findings and conclusions identified trend information from more than 800 interviews completed with companies across 66 counties in 165 communities.

Workforce Solutions Team Receives Regional Recognition

Workforce Solutions Team Receives Regional Recognition

2019 - Greater Dubuque Development received recognition from two separate regional organizations for our Workforce Solutions team. The Mid-America Economic Development Council (MAEDC) selected our Career Services Visit initiative as the winner of the “Best in the Midwest” in the Workforce Development category at the 2019 Economic Development Awards. This prestigious award considered programs in 12 states in communities with populations over 50,000. The awards are part of the annual Mid-America Competitiveness Conference and Site Selector Forum held by MAEDC.

The Tri-State Human Resource Association (TRIHRA) recognized Anna Roling, Workforce Solutions Coordinator, as their 2019 Human Resources Professional of the Year on December 9th. The award recognizes a TRIHRA member who has consistently been a strategic leader in the workplace and has actively contributed to the TRIHRA organization and community. Anna's expertise extends to payroll, accounts payable, management, and recruiting—her knowledge of and enthusiasm for the field makes her an invaluable asset to the Greater Dubuque team.

We are proud of the award-winning programs and team we have in place to keep the Greater Dubuque area competitive in recruiting, retaining, and developing talent today and in the future.

Dubuque Receives Fifth All-America City Award

Dubuque Receives Fifth All-America City Award

2019 - Dubuque was named an All-America City by the National Civic League five times in twelve years (2007, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019). The All-America City award recognizes communities whose citizens work together to address community-wide challenges and achieve uncommon results. It is the nation's most prestigious and oldest civic recognition program. The projects for which Dubuque received this distinction each year are:

2019: Inclusive Dubuque and Imagine Dubuque Advance Health Equity

2017: Dubuque Campaign for Grade-Level Reading

2013: Veteran-oriented Programs, Workforce Development Efforts, and the Historic Millwork District Revitalization

2012: Plan to Improve Third-Grade Reading

2007: America's River Project, Downtown Master Plan, and Crescent Community Health Center

Greater Dubuque Area Receives National Recognition

Greater Dubuque Area Receives National Recognition

2019 - Dubuque has been recognized by the nation's leading publication for site-location and corporate real estate professionals, Site Selection Magazine, for business growth and expansion. The Big Muddy Cup is awarded to the leading metro area along the entire Mississippi River in per capita corporate facility investments. Greater Dubuque Development was involved with 12 projects that qualified for the award including the relocation of Flexsteel Industries' manufacturing facility to the Dubuque Industrial Center South, Medline Industries' relocation within the Dubuque Industrial Center West, and the Camso expansion in Peosta.

Greater Dubuque also won the award in 2013, the first year the award was presented.

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