Fairfax County Economic Development Authority

This group existed until 1964 when the Virginia General Assembly acted to create the Fairfax County Industrial Development Authority.

[5] Acting on concerns about population increases and funding of county services, the Board of Supervisors in the late 1970s tasked the FCEDA with its mission to create a business retention and attraction campaign that formed the basis of the EDA's current programs and purpose.

The panel, named for its chairman, Noman Cole, produced a report entitled the "Committee to Study the Means of Encouraging Industrial Development in Fairfax County".

Earle Williams, one of the contributors to the report, joined FCEDA around this time and argued for a large increase in the authority's marketing budget.

Balancing this employment base with companies not reliant on government procurement became an even more imperative goal in light of federal spending cuts following the Great Recession of 2007 and 2008.