Welcome to Gainesville, Florida and the Council for Economic Outreach (CEO). Gainesville bears the distinction of being the best place to live and work in 2007 according to Frommer’s “Cities Ranked and Rated.” It’s also the home of the National Champion Florida Gators. Gainesville has been recognized by Forbes, National Geographic and a host of others as a unique and exciting place to live. View a complete list of Gainesville’s recent accolades. CEO is the designated economic development entity for all of Alachua County. CEO’s charge is to assist existing businesses through expansion, to help grow new companies in our community and to attract new opportunities to Alachua County. CEO was the first economic development organization in the state of Florida to earn recognition as an Accredited Economic Development Organization by the American Economic Development Council. We invite you to discover this strong community atmosphere with the skilled labor force, excellent educational system and affordable living which most American communities strive to attain. The area facts and data found throughout this site indicate Gainesville and Alachua County's progress in becoming one of the nation's best communities for new and expanding business and industry.