February 2021 Chair's Letter
Dear Members,
Greetings! January has turned out to be a busy month for GEDA. The 2021 Georgia Legislative session kicked off and while things look a little different at the capitol, business is still being conducted and GEDA has been active in monitoring legislation.
GEDA leaders hosted its 5th annual Legislative Leaders Dinner on Wednesday, January 27th in Atlanta. It was an opportunity for an informal gathering to get to know each other and discuss issues of shared interest. Legislators attending included:
HOUSE
- Heath Clark, Chairman, Defense & Veterans Affairs Committee, District 147, Warner Robins
- Houston Gaines, Secretary, Health & Human Services Committee, District 117, Athens
- Matthew Gambill, Vice-Chairman - Economic Development & Tourism Committee, District 15, Cartersville
- Penny Houston, Chairman - Appropriations: Economic Development, District 170, Nashville
- Trey Kelley, Majority Whip, District 16, Cedartown
- Mark Newton, Chairman, Special Committee on Access to Quality Health Care, District 123, Augusta
- Calvin Smyre, Appropriations - Vice-Chairman of Subcommittee, District 135, Columbus
- Ron Stephens, Chairman - Economic Development & Tourism Committee, District 164, Savannah
- Bruce Williamson, Majority Caucus Secretary-Treasurer, District 115, Monroe
SENATE
- Brandon Beach, Vice-Chairman, Science & Technology Committee, District 21, Alpharetta
- Frank Ginn, Chairman, Transportation Committee, District 47, Danielsville
- Steve Gooch, Majority Whip, District 51, Dahlonega
- Chuck Hufstetler, Chairman, Finance Committee Senate, District 52, Rome
- Elena Parent, Democratic Caucus Chair, District 42, Atlanta
- Bruce Thompson, Chairman, Economic Development & Tourism Committee, District 14, White
- Becky Thompson, Senator Thompson's wife
- Jenna Does, Economic Development & Tourism Committee Administrative Assistant.
Other agency heads were there, including Bert Brantley, Deputy Chief of Staff for External Affairs, Governor Kemp's Office; Trey Kilpatrick, Chief of Staff, Governor Kemp's Office; and Brittany Young, Chief Operating Officer, GDEcD. GEDA’s Executive Committee Members attended, including: Andrea Schruijer, Chair; Benjy Thompson, First Vice-Chair; Trip Tollison, Secretary-Treasurer; and Chris Pumphrey, Immediate Past Chair. Also, GEDA’s Public Policy Committee Chair, Joshua Stephens, Director, Policy & Government Affairs, GDEcD, was in attendance. Then, Camila Knowles and Jeff Hamling of Cornerstone Government Affairs also attended, along with Kevin Shea, President of GEDA.
Thank you to our sponsors for the dinner, for we truly couldn’t host this event without their generous support: Lee Chapman, Vice President of Marketing, Member Services, and Governmental Affairs, Jackson EMC; Missy Kendrick, President & CEO, Rome-Floyd County Development Authority; Al Nash, former President & current Consultant, Development Authority of Fulton County; Jon Pannell, Partner in the law firm of Gray Pannell & Woodward LLP; and Trip Tollison, President & CEO, Savannah Economic Development Authority.
As we continue to work during this pandemic, GEDA will be providing an opportunity for us to network with each other at our next monthly luncheon on February 8, 2021. Please make sure to register and I hope to see many of you at our next virtual GEDA program.
Thank you,
Andrea Schruijer