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. You can view a complete list of Gainesville’s recent accolades here. CEO is the designated economic development entity for all of Alachua County. CEO’s charge is to assist new and expanding businesses by expanding, growing our own, and attracting new opportunities. 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 a 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's progress in becoming one of the nation's best communities for new and expanding business and industry.