The award-winning Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) promotes Fairfax County as one of the world's best business locations. The FCEDA is an independent authority chartered by the Commonwealth of Virginia. A seven-member board of Fairfax County business leaders oversees the work of the authority. Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., is the president and CEO of the FCEDA.
The FCEDA mission statement, adopted by the FCEDA Board on November 9, 2016, is ''to promote the competitive advantages of Fairfax County and influence the growth of a diverse and innovative ecosystem that enhances the tax base, creates demand for commercial space, and supports an extraordinary and equitable quality of life across Fairfax County.''
The origins of the FCEDA go back to October 10, 1956, when the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors established an Economic and Industrial Development Committee. In 1964, the Virginia General Assembly enacted a law that allowed the Board of Supervisors to create an independent authority to drive an economic development effort.
Following a 1976 ''blue ribbon commission'' report, the Board of Supervisors charged the FCEDA with developing and executing a business attraction and retention program in order to stimulate job creation and build the commercial tax base. The Board of Supervisors uses the commercial tax base to fund public services for a growing and diversifying population.
