Oregon Economic Development Association

What Oregon Economic Development Association does

The Oregon Economic Development Association (OEDA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit statewide membership association incorporated in 1995 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon. It serves approximately 85 economic development professionals working in cities, counties, ports, tribes, and private-sector organizations across the state. Its core products are the Oregon Certified Economic Developer (OCED) credential, delivered through an eight-module training curriculum; an annual conference; legislative session reports; a member directory; and a job board.

OEDA operates without proprietary technology infrastructure: delivery is via a public website for content and member information, in-person events for the annual conference and collaboration summit, and Eventbrite for ticketing. There is no disclosed software platform, mobile app, or data product. Service offerings are predominantly human-delivered (training, networking, advocacy).

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: tiered individual and organizational membership dues ranging from $250 to $750; OCED training program fees priced at $200-$325 per module; and annual conference registration fees of $400-$450. Sponsorship from state-aligned institutions (Business Oregon and Pacific Power at Platinum tier, plus BNSF Railway) supplements event and program budgets. The organization is lean, with approximately five employees, and depends on a volunteer board for governance and program execution.

Name

Oregon Economic Development Association

Legal name

Oregon Economic Development Association

Website

https://oeda.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Oregon-based statewide 501(c)(6) non-profit membership association serving approximately 85 economic development professionals through OCED certification training, an annual conference, legislative advocacy, and member networking services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Open Educational Resources (OER) & Curriculum Repositories (EDAFACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Open Courseware & Course Modules (OCW) (EDAGAJAB)

Keywords

• Economic development association
• Professional certification program
• Legislative advocacy services
• Professional development training
• Statewide member networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Oregon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: OEDA generates revenue through tiered membership dues based on organization type (city/utilities, organizations, private business) with pricing scaled by population size, member count, or employee count. Membership provides access to statewide network, executive training, and legislative advocacy.
2. OCED Training Programs: Revenue from professional development training courses including Economic Development 101, Finance, Business Recruitment, BRE, Real Estate Development, Building in Oregon, Marketing & Branding, and Entrepreneurship programs. Pricing varies by membership status ($200 for members vs $250-$325 for non-members per course.
3. Annual Conference Revenue: The organization hosts an annual three-day conference generating revenue through attendee registration fees ($400-$450), sponsorship opportunities, and exhibitor participation. The 2025 conference 'Rising Tides, Rising Prosperity' was held at Salishan Coastal Lodge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

OEDA is a statewide non-profit membership association that delivers professional development, certification (OCED), training courses, annual conferences, and legislative advocacy for economic development professionals across Oregon. Its core deliverables are the OCED certification program, individual OCED training courses, an annual multi-day conference, and a statewide networking and advocacy platform connecting more than 85 practitioners. Revenue is generated through tiered membership dues, course fees, and conference/sponsorship revenue.

Product overview

OEDA operates as a statewide non-profit membership organization providing a unified platform of professional development and networking services for economic development practitioners in Oregon. The core offerings include the Oregon Certified Economic Developer (OCED) Program—a multi-course certification curriculum—and annual conferences and summits for community building. Supporting services include a job board, legislative advocacy resources, case studies, and a member directory. The organization does not offer a software product or technology platform but rather delivers in-person and virtual training events, networking opportunities, and advocacy services to economic development professionals across the state.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oregon Certified Economic Developer (OCED) Program A formal professional certification program for economic development professionals in Oregon, providing standardized training and credentialing through a structured curriculum of courses covering core economic development competencies.
• OCED Training Courses Individual training course modules comprising the OCED curriculum, including Economic Development 101, Economic Development Finance, Business Recruitment & Lead Generation, Business Retention & Expansion, Entrepreneurship & Innovation Ecosystems, Real Estate Development & Reuse, Building in Oregon, and Marketing & Branding. Offered in-person and virtually to OEDA members and non-members.
• OEDA Annual Conference The premier annual event for Oregon's economic development community featuring three days of sessions, networking opportunities, and an Awards of Excellence banquet celebrating excellence in economic development. Open to members and non-members at $400-$450 registration.
• Oregon Collaboration Summit An annual summit uniting professionals across workforce, higher education, economic development, and industry sectors to build partnerships and highlight collaborative projects across Oregon.
• OEDA Membership Annual membership in OEDA provided through three tiers — City/Utilities (priced by population), Organization (priced by members/clients), and Private Business (priced by employee count) — with annual dues from $250 to $750. Membership provides access to the statewide network, OCED training discounts, legislative advocacy, and the annual conference.
• OEDA Legislative Advocacy Program Statewide legislative advocacy program representing Oregon's economic development professionals through the Government Affairs Call (GAC), legislative reports, and direct engagement with state policy on economic development priorities including tax increment financing and Opportunity Zones 2.0.
• OEDA Job Board A statewide online job board connecting economic development professionals with employment opportunities throughout Oregon, accessible to members and the public.
• Legislative Reports Policy updates, legislative advocacy resources, and reports on economic development priorities and initiatives at the state level, distributed to members.
• OEDA Case Studies Documented examples of successful economic development projects across Oregon, including business recruitment, public-private partnerships, infrastructure development, and entrepreneurship initiatives.
• OEDA Member Directory A searchable directory of OEDA member organizations and professionals across Oregon's economic development ecosystem, available to members and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 85 economic development professionals connected through OEDA network
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Business OregoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness Oregon is the state's economic development agency and a key strategic partner for OEDA. They co-host webinars on Opportunity Zones 2.0, collaborate on legislative advocacy, and Business Oregon staff serve in professional development roles (e.g., Marta Tarantsey as Professional Development Co-Chair). Business Oregon is also a Platinum Investor sponsor of OEDA.
• Pacific PowercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPacific Power is a Platinum Sponsor of OEDA and annual program sponsor. They provide support for OEDA events and professional development programming as part of their corporate community investment.
• Travel OregonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTravel Oregon is highlighted as a partner in promoting the Oregon brand which benefits economic development efforts. The tourism and hospitality industry is described as Oregon's largest traded sector employer, and Travel Oregon's brand work supports business recruitment efforts.
• Collaborative Economic Development OrganizationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as an Annual Program Sponsor for OEDA, providing support for the OCED Training Program and professional development initiatives.
• BNSF RailwayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBNSF Railway is an Annual Program Sponsor supporting OEDA's professional development and training initiatives.
• Greater Portland Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA member organization represented by former Executive Director Janet Labar who provides testimonials about OEDA's value. Greater Portland Inc. participates in OEDA's statewide network for economic development professionals.
• Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSU's Hatfield Marine Science Center is featured as an exclusive tour destination during OEDA's Annual Conference adventure day, showcasing Oregon's coastal economy and scientific research capabilities.
• Salishan Coastal LodgeminorOthersHost venue for the 2025 OEDA Annual Conference. OEDA secured exclusive room block rates ($155/night) for attendees at the Gleneden Beach, Oregon resort.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED): Direct state-level parallel to OEDA, providing certification, training, and advocacy for local economic development professionals in California. Same membership model, same core product set (certification + annual conference + advocacy).
• Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC): Texas statewide association of economic development professionals and organizations. Offers the Certified Economic Developer (CED) credential and annual conference in a structurally identical model to OEDA.
• Economic Development Association of Minnesota (EDAM): Minnesota's statewide economic development association with membership, training, and an annual conference serving the same practitioner base as OEDA. Closely comparable in scale and offerings.
• National Association of Development Organizations (NADO): National membership association for regional economic development organizations and planning districts. NADO serves the same organizational buyer segment (regional EDOs) that OEDA targets, and offers training, advocacy, and peer networking analogous to OEDA's offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Urban Land Institute (ULI): Global research and education organization focused on real estate and land use, with strong overlap on OEDA's Real Estate Development & Reuse and urban renewal/TIF content areas.
• National Association of State Development Agencies (NASDA): Membership association of state economic development agencies. Pairs with OEDA in the U.S. economic development ecosystem but represents the state-agency tier rather than local/regional practitioners.
• CoreNet Global: Global association for corporate real estate and economic development site selection professionals. Overlaps with OEDA's audience for business recruitment, site selection, and real estate development training.
• Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER): National membership organization focused on community and economic data, research, and workforce analytics. Comparable to OEDA in operating model (membership + training + advocacy) and overlaps on economic development research resources.
• International Economic Development Council (IEDC): The largest national association of economic development professionals, offering certification and training directly comparable to OEDA's OCED program. IEDC competes for the same Oregon practitioners at the national level and operates a much broader curriculum.

Emerging players

• American Planning Association (APA): National association for urban and regional planners. Adjacent to OEDA's audience and overlaps on economic development planning topics, though not a direct competitor in OCED-style credentialing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OregonEcoDev
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oregon-economic-development-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Oregon Economic Development Association