More than 300 Veterans, Veteran employers and resource providers braved the cold yesterday morning to come out to the Prince George's County Economic Development Corporation's (EDC) third installment of 'Operation 500' - its Veteran jobs and resource event geared towards securing good, high wage jobs for Prince George's County Veterans. EDC President and CEO Jim Coleman welcomed over 60 private sector employers and resource partners to Dave & Buster's to connect local Veterans to hot job opportunities, healthcare, housing and education resources. Many of the employers attended previous 'Operation 500' events, and were anxious to sign up for this event because of the caliber of Veterans they met in Prince George's County.

Last night, the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation Team (EDC) rang in the holidays by hosting its Annual Holiday Extravaganza at the Country Club at Woodmore to express its appreciation to the business community for their continued support, commitment and dedication to making Prince George’s County the best place in the world to do business. EDC President and CEO Jim Coleman welcomed over 300 business leaders, State and County officials, and EDC Board members to the festive gathering. Among those joining in the festivities were Maryland Senate Majority Leader Douglas J.J. Peters, County Councilmember Todd Turner, and the County’s Assistant Deputy Chief Administrative Officer David Iannucci.

Yesterday, Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Jim Coleman and his International Business Development Team hosted an impromptu delegation of eleven business leaders from the China SanDing Holding Group in Yiwu Zhejiang China. Led by Lisa Liu, the EDC Asian Business Committee Chair, the delegation heard from Mr. Coleman as he talked about the incredible development projects that are taking place in the County and those that are on the horizon. The delegation was extremely impressed with the projects and plans that make Prince George's County the best place to live, work, play and invest, and committed to working with the EDC to find lucrative opportunities to invest at least $500 million in Prince George's County real estate projects and companies.

On Sunday, EDC President and CEO Jim Coleman was the guest speaker for the South County Economic Development Association’s 20th Anniversary and Awards Gala. More than 350 South County residents, business leaders and elected officials turned out to support the community based organization that has been an advocate in Prince George’s County for promoting economic development, particularly for small and minority businesses since 1996. Notable residents in attendance included NBC 4 News Anchor Pat Lawson Muse, who served as the emcee for the gala, State Senator C. Anthony Muse, who provided the invocation, SCEDA President Zeno St. Cyr, II, and Board Members Floyd Wilson, Jr., Guy Black and Lenward Hood. Mr. Coleman spoke to the capacity crowd about the power of one: making a difference in your future.

On Friday, Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Workforce Services Division team kicked off their workshop tour of Prince George’s County spreading the news about the resources and help that are available for returning citizens. The workshop facilitated by Development Coordinator Pete Goodson and Career Consultant Skylar Wyche took place at the Bladensburg Town Hall and introduced County residents who have served their time and are ready to move on to tools that help them embark on a successful job search.

Yesterday, Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) President and CEO Jim Coleman announced that the EDC will be joining forces with top local developers in the region to bring more well-known retailers to Prince George’s County. Through a public private partnership, the EDC and local developers are planning to roll out the red carpet to key retail executives by bringing them to Prince George’s County and exposing them first-hand to the feel, smell, touch and opportunities available in the County. Michael Amann with Forestville Plaza, Howard Biel, Sr., Vice President of Echo Realty, Trey Proctor with G.S. Proctor and Associates, Kent Digby, Vice President Peterson Companies/National Harbor and Jeffrey Berman, Vice President of Berman Enterprises were among the 17 local developers invited to brainstorm on how to best showcase Prince George’s County to the world.

Today, EDC President and CEO Jim Coleman gave the keynote address to more than 30 high level Chinese business leaders during a seminar hosted by the Greater Washington China Investment Center in Washington, D.C. This invitation only event, requested by the China General Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the U.S. China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, centered on the risks and opportunities of investing in the United States. As Prince George's County is known throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area for its booming investment climate, Mr. Coleman highlighted the plethora of development projects that are sprouting up all over the County and how each member of the delegation can become a part of this exciting time in Maryland's history.

Yesterday, 31 local entrepreneurs were given the unique opportunity to graduate from the Washington DC Metro Area Small Business Administration (SBA) Emerging Leaders program. This enterprising seven month program consisted of two Emerging Leaders classes for 2016; one in Prince George's County, Maryland and one in Fairfax County, Virginia. The Prince George's County Economic Development Corporation and the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority served as co-sponsors and host sites for this year's classes. The Prince George's County class was comprised of sixteen companies; 12 were from Prince George's County, and the remaining four came from D.C. or Montgomery County. The remaining 15 companies were from the Fairfax area.

Last week, Prince George's County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) President and CEO Jim Coleman appeared before the Prince George's County Council Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee (PZED) to discuss trends in retail, particularly grocery stores, as well as the County's plans for continued investment in existing stores in the region. Mr. Coleman and Business Development Director, Larry Hentz highlighted the causes that are contributing to food deserts in the County and outlined the strategies the EDC is engaging to address this regional trend and ensure that quality grocers are thriving throughout the County.

Last night, the Prince George's County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and their 'posse' descended upon Dave & Buster's in Capitol Heights for the October edition of 'Thirsty (For Business) Thursday' to combine fun and games with networking. EDC Chief Operating Officer, Paul Rowe welcomed the local businesses to not only network and start the process of making deals but to also take advantage of the arcade as a relationship building tool. Over 100 business owners were excited to speak with each other about business opportunities in the entertaining environment.