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.
