FORT WAYNE, Ind., July 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Northeast Indiana is having a moment — and the rest of the country is catching on.

A new feature published this week — "Northeast Indiana Is Raising Pioneers" — examines how the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership has quietly rewritten the playbook for regional economic development, drawing national recognition in the process.

NEI recently became the first regional economic development organization in Indiana to earn accreditation from the International Economic Development Council, one of only 89 such organizations worldwide. The IEDC called NEI's marketing approach "a new model for marketing in economic development."

"Over the past four years, we've expanded our reach, deepened our impact, and embraced a more collaborative, data-driven approach," said NEI President and CEO Stéphane Frijia.

The receipts back it up:

• No. 6 national ranking from Chief Executive magazine for doing business
• Fort Wayne's No. 1 housing market ranking from The Wall Street Journal
• And $92 million in state investment that has turned into more than $1.1 billion in total capital deployment.

"We're surprising people with the truth," said NEI Chief MarCom and Brand Officer Jonathan Sackett. "When you've got a great product, it sells itself."

Read the full feature here.

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SOURCE Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership (NEI)