August 21, 2025, Brownsville, Texas. The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC) has earned three more honors in the International Economic Development Council’s 2025 Excellence Awards, recognizing continued strength in marketing, innovative financing, and impact storytelling. These wins bring BCIC’s total IEDC Excellence Awards since 2021 to a total of thirteen, solidifying BCIC as the Rio Grande Valley’s most awarded economic development organization.
This year, BCIC was recognized with Gold in Print Brochure for The Future of Texas Starts Here, Silver in Innovative Financing for the eBridge Fund, and Bronze in Multimedia Promotion for Success Story Videos, which spotlight quality of life projects and small businesses supported by BCIC. Collectively, these recognitions cover the full spectrum of development work: attraction tools, visibility of business and quality of life projects, and filling the gaps in access to capital.
“Economic development is about turning vision into measurable impact, and these awards are proof that Brownsville is doing just that,” said Cori Peña, BCIC CEO & President. “They reflect how our team and partners are expanding access to capital, elevating the stories of our businesses and community organizations, and positioning Brownsville to compete and win on a national stage.”
These wins build on a steady track record. In 2024, BCIC earned five awards, including two Golds for RGV Startup Week in the Special Event and Postsecondary Education Partnership categories. In 2023, its partnership with UTRGV ECC secured Gold in Partnerships with Educational Institutions. In 2022, BCIC received Silver for Neighborhood Development for the Business Improvement and Growth (BIG) Program and Bronze for Entrepreneurship for the eBridge Center for Business and Commercialization.
IEDC’s Excellence Awards are a competitive, peer‑reviewed recognition rooted in a long legacy and widespread industry credibility. Submissions are evaluated in two rounds using published criteria, with judging grouped by population size to ensure fair comparisons. Each category and bracket yields only one Gold, Silver, and Bronze winner, making each award a rigorous and meaningful distinction.
IEDC will recognize this year’s winners at its Annual Conference in Detroit, Michigan, from September 14 to 17, 2025.
About the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC)
The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC) is a Type B economic development organization funded by a 1/4 cent sales tax on every taxable dollar spent within Brownsville city limits. BCIC’s mission is to enhance quality of life through innovative and equitable economic development initiatives, ensuring that every investment contributes to a more vibrant, inclusive, and prosperous Brownsville. To bring that vision to life, BCIC invests in revitalizing public spaces by enhancing parks, supporting health and wellness programming, and creating welcoming environments for residents and visitors. It leads downtown redevelopment through restoration projects and business recruitment that breathe new life into Brownsville’s urban core. At the same time, BCIC supports entrepreneurship and small business growth through financial tools, mentorship, and targeted resources. These efforts are reinforced by cross-sector partnerships that drive workforce development, promote economic empowerment, and expand access to high-wage job opportunities. For more information, visit www.brownsvillecic.com.
For media inquiries, please contact Nelson Amaro, Director of Marketing & Communications, at namaro@brownsvillecic.com.
About the International Economic Development Council
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization serving economic developers. With thousands of members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities by creating, retaining, and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth, and provide a stable tax base. From public to private, rural to urban, and local to international, IEDC’s members engage in a full range of economic development practices. Given the breadth of economic development work, our members are employed in various settings, including local, state, provincial, and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities, and a variety of other institutions. When we succeed, our members create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and improve the quality of life in their regions. Learn more at https://www.iedconline.org.