Culpeper County Economic Development Wins Six International Awards

CULPEPER, VA – August 21 — Culpeper County Economic Development has earned six prestigious Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the highest award count of any organization in 2025.

“These awards are a powerful acknowledgment of our commitment to meaningful, community-rooted economic development,” said Winona Pritts, Business Development Manager. “We work hard to make sure our programs don’t just look good on paper but actually serve the businesses and farms that drive our local economy. It’s incredibly rewarding to see that work recognized by our peers in the field.”

This year, Culpeper was recognized in the following categories:

• Be A Culpeper Local Week – Special Event, Silver
• Be A Culpeper Local Spotlight – Digital Media, Bronze
• Be A Culpeper Local Newsletter – Magazine & Newsletter, Bronze
• Choose Culpeper Farms – Innovative Economic Development, Silver
• Culpeper Harvest Days Farm Tour Brochure – Print Brochure, Silver
• Sips of Culpeper – Advertising Campaign, Gold

“Each of these programs started as an idea shaped by the specific needs of our business community,” said Bryan Rothamel, Economic Development Director. “This kind of recognition proves that our department’s work is not only effective, but nationally and globally relevant.”

The IEDC Excellence Awards honor the most effective and innovative projects worldwide in areas such as entrepreneurship, small business support, agriculture development and marketing. Each category is judged by panels of economic development professionals and not every category yields a winner—making each award an elite distinction. With hundreds of submissions from across the globe, recognition is reserved only for those initiatives that are exceptional in strategy, creativity, community engagement and measurable results. Awardees include economic developers from local, state, provincial and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities and a variety of other institutions. 

These awards highlight the department’s commitment to supporting small businesses and local farms through creative, accessible development tools and marketing. From strengthening visibility of agricultural operations to offering workshops, events, and resources for entrepreneurs, each initiative reflects a hands-on approach to building a thriving local economy. 

Rothamel and Pritts will accept the awards on behalf of Culpeper County Economic Development during the 2025 IEDC Annual Conference in Detroit, Michigan, this September. 

Award-Winning Programs Overview

• Be A Culpeper Local Week is a week-long celebration of small businesses that combines punch-card rewards, a community-designed t-shirt contest and event swag to drive local spending and pride. The 2024 event (for which the department received the award), generated over $40,000 in economic impact, with over one-hundred shoppers completing the challenge to earn exclusive giveaways. Since receiving this award, the department’s 2025 event garnered even more community support, with over 6,000 transactions during the week-long event and more than $340,000 in economic impact.
• Choose Culpeper Farms, launched in 2023, supports Culpeper’s largest industry, agriculture, through marketing and farm-to-community engagement. Its website earned a Gold Award and Best in Show finalist designation in 2024 (the highest accolade within the awards), and its expansion now includes:
    o The Sips of Culpeper beverage trail featuring all 8 wineries, breweries, and distilleries in Culpeper;
    o Farm Spotlights that share the stories of local farms;
    o And the Culpeper Farm Exchange, a matchmaking tool connecting farmland buyers, sellers and leaseholders.
The Choose Culpeper Farms Innovative Economic Development Award recognizes a never-before-seen approach to economic development.
• Sips of Culpeper is a year-round beverage exploration trail encouraging residents to explore Culpeper’s craft beverage scene while earning prizes. Launched in April 2024, the program saw immediate community interaction with more than 600 people earning prizes in the first 9 months.
• The Farm Tour Brochure, produced for the annual Culpeper Harvest Days Farm Tour, features the event’s 10 participating farms, detailed event activities, and information on local agriculture programs including Sips of Culpeper, serving as a comprehensive guide to this signature event. The 2024 Farm Tour event saw an economic impact of more than $350,000!
• The Be A Culpeper Local Spotlight, a monthly editorial and social media campaign, gives small businesses free, high-visibility promotion across digital platforms, local media and the county’s economic development newsletter.
• The Be A Culpeper Local Newsletter, launched in 2024, keeps hundreds of businesses informed about the department’s free workshops, events and resources, helping to foster long-term relationships between the department and small business owners.

“It’s an incredible honor to have six of our projects recognized on an international stage. Our 2-person team is proving that with the right relationships and a clear mission, small departments can lead in big ways,” said Pritts. “To be recognized alongside major agencies and statewide organizations is a huge win, and a proud moment for Culpeper.”

About Culpeper County Department of Economic Development
Culpeper County Department of Economic Development works to grow and expand the Culpeper County economy through business retention and attraction, small business assistance, agriculture development and workforce development. The department’s award-winning programs include Be A Culpeper Local, Choose Culpeper Farms and Work in Culpeper. Learn more about the department on ChooseCulpeper.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 more than 4,300 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind.