Register today for the April 2022 Luncheon, titled “The Perfect Match: Aligning your Product Development with the Needs of the Marketplace.” Hear from experts in various fields on product development, including Richard K. Blackwell, Vice President of Development, Southeast Region, Agracel, Inc.; Ricardo Palacios, PE, Senior Economic Development Engineer, Georgia Power Community & Economic Development; Chuck Sexton, CEO, Next Move Group; and Stacy Watson, Director, Economic &  Industrial Development, Georgia Ports Authority. This event will take place on Monday, April 18th beginning at 11:00 am at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center.
Thank you to our sponsor, Next Move Group, for their generous support! |
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| Registration is now open for the 2022 Spring Workshop! Join us in Jekyll Island May 18-20. A detailed agenda, speaker information, and bios are coming soon. Early bird rates expire on April 18th, so register today! |
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We hosted a sold-out event on Monday, March 21st at THE ROOF at Ponce City Market for a discussion on Adaptive Reuse of Existing Facilities. Thanks again to Catherine Bisson and Rainey Shane from JLL for their informative presentation. Photos from the event can be found on the GEDA Website or on our Facebook page! Thanks again to our two sponsors, the Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. and the Metro Atlanta Chamber for their generous support!
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GDEcD NEWSLaunched in Macon in November 2021, the State of Small Business outreach program is a direct result of Governor Kemp’s Georgians First Commission initiative to identify and deploy ways to make Georgia more competitive for small businesses. As the backbone of our state’s economy, small business support is 80% of the work GDEcD does. Please reach out to Director of Small Business Outreach, Allen Fox, to discover how your community can be part of this important program Development.
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GEDA MEMBER NEWS
If you have received a promotion, taken a new job, started a new business or even moved on to another state, let us know We would like to let your fellow GEDA members know about you.
 Keith Barclift, CEcD, formerly Executive Director, Catoosa County Development Authority, is now a Real Estate Specialist with EquipmentShare in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area.
 Taylor Edwards, Project Manager, Development Authority of Columbia County, has accepted a position with Quest Site Solutions in Greenville, SC beginning May 23rd.
 Jonathan Lupo, formerly the President & CEO of the Waycross-Ware County Development Authority, started as the Executive Director of the Development Authority of Burke County on March 14th.
 Misti Martin, CEcD, President & CEO, Cherokee Office of Economic Development, has been selected by GEDA 2022 Chair Benjy Thompson to be the GEDA designated representative to the Georgia Foreign-Trade Zone Board.
 William Tate, formerly Industrial Development Manager with Norfolk Southern Railroad, has retired. Congratulations, William!
Welcome new GEDA members, approved by the board in March 2022:
| Gary Barnes |
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz |
| Heather Bruno |
Diversified Resource Group, Inc. |
| Thomas Choi |
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties |
| Lisa Kunkle |
Terracon Consultants, Inc. |
| Geoffrey Loften |
Decide DeKalb Development Authority |
| Steve Massell |
Massell Commercial Real Estate |
| Brandon Ona |
Technical College System of Georgia |
| Tyler Reinagel |
Kennesaw State University |
| Emily Smith |
Georgia Institute of Technology |
Congratulations to the following GEDA members who have achieved the Georgia Certified Economic Developer (CED) designation from the University of Georgia. The CED framed certificates were awarded by Rob Gordon, Director, and Jennifer Nelson, Public Service Assistant, of the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG) at the March GEDA luncheon at THE ROOF at Ponce City Market.
- James Coughlin, Executive Director, Camden County Joint Development Authority
- Kelly Daniell, Director of Economic Development, Southern Regional Technical College
- Mitch Griggs, Executive Director, Union County Development Authority
- Candee Harris, Economic Development Coordinator, Wayne County Industrial Development Authority
- Kimberly Hobbs, Director, Community & Economic Development, Southern Georgia Regional Commission
- Rebecca Mincey, Executive Director, Development Authority of Lumpkin County
- Keri Orvin, President & CEO, Baxley-Appling Chamber of Commerce & Development Authority of Appling County
- Maggie Reenstra, Community & Economic Development Coordinator, Coweta-Fayette EMC
- Travis Stegall, Economic and Community Development Director, City of Brunswick
- Gina Webb, OneGeorgia Director, Georgia Department of Community Affairs
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Time.
Like many of you, I’ve been a huge sports fan my entire life. I have an irrational love of the Miami Dolphins, for example. (The explanation lies in how the Dolphins games were shown on TV back in the 1970’s, but I won’t go into detail here.) As a sports fan, I believe that the first week of April is just about my favorite time of the sports year. There is the end of the NCAA Basketball Tournament; Baseball’s Opening Day, a magical time for Braves and non-Braves fans alike; and there’s the Masters – a Tradition Unlike Any Other.
Golf was one of the most important parts of my life as a young teenager. My mom would drop me off at our local course in Millen just past daybreak, and I’d work or play out there until dark. My father had passed away when I was very young, so the golfers out there were kind of like my surrogate Uncles. On a beautiful April morning, I think it was 1982, one of them asked if I wanted to go with him to a Masters practice round. This was a wonderful offer, although it was a little easier to find practice rounds tickets then. I said yes, of course, and before I knew it, I was walking up Magnolia Lane with Mr. Frank, one of my surrogates. |
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 Georgia-based GovStrive Expanding Operations in Dublin-Laurens County
March 30, 2022 | Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Commissioner Pat Wilson announced that GovStrive, a human resources services and solutions provider for federal government clients, will expand its operations in Dublin, Georgia. The expansion will create 50 full-time jobs, increasing the company’s total workforce in Dublin-Laurens County to 150.
Way to go, Ryan Waldrep, President, Dublin-Laurens County Development Authority; the City of Dublin; Andrea Taylor, Region 9 Project Manager, Existing Industry And Regional Recruitment Team, Global Commerce, GDEcD; and Mickey Daniell, Community Development Manager, Georgia Power; for their good work on this project expansion! Read more… |
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 PepsiCo Beverages North America to Invest $260 Million in DeKalb County Manufacturing Expansion
March 10, 2022 | Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA), a division of PepsiCo, will invest $260 million in the expansion of its manufacturing facility in the City of Tucker. The expansion will create at least 136 full-time jobs, increasing the company’s total workforce in DeKalb County to over 600 full-time jobs. Congratulations to the following team members: Randi Mason, Vice President, Economic Development, and Sunny Anderson, Business Attraction Manager, Decide DeKalb Development Authority, DeKalb County; Jackie Moffo, Economic Development Manager, the City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority; Kristen Miller, Region 5 Senior Project Manager, Existing Industry And Regional Recruitment Team, Global Commerce Division, Georgia Department of Economic Development; Rebecca Jordan, Director of Project Management, Metro Atlanta Chamber; Dr. Irvin Clark, Vice President of Economic Development, Georgia Piedmont Technical College; Rodger Brown, Executive Director, Marketing and Strategic Media, Georgia Quick Start; and Brooke Perez, Community & Economic Development Manager, Georgia Power; who worked collaboratively to bring this competitive project to Georgia! Read more... |
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 Moderna to Establish Enterprise Solutions Hub in Metro Atlanta
March 2, 2022 | Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Moderna, Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, will establish a new Enterprise Solutions Hub in Atlanta. Moderna will create more than 150 new jobs over the next two years. Operations are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022.
Kudos to Barton Lowrey, Assistant Director of Corporate Solutions and Cybersecurity, Global Commerce Division, Georgia Department of Economic Development; Rebecca Jordan, Director of Project Management, Metro Atlanta Chamber; Sarah Carnes, Business Recruitment Associate, Georgia Power; and Chris Green, Director of Economic Development, University System of Georgia; the team partners who assisted with Moderna’s decision to locate in Metro Atlanta! Read more… |
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 Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) Opens First Atlanta Office
March 31, 2022 | Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Commissioner Pat Wilson, joined by Mr. Soo Deuk Sohn, the Senior Executive Vice President of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), announced the opening of the new KOTRA overseas office in Atlanta. KOTRA is the Government of Korea’s trade and investment organization. Both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) affirming their dedication to support each other’s services and networks and to promote cooperation in economic relations, trade, and investment between the State of Georgia and Korea. Read more… |
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 Georgia Center of Innovation Hosts 2022 Logistics Summit in Macon, Georgia
March 18, 2022 | The Georgia Center of Innovation, a strategic arm of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), hosted hundreds of attendees at the March 16 Georgia Logistics Summit, where experts offered insights on the digitalization of the logistics industry and on harnessing needed talent. Created in 2009 to bring together all aspects of the logistics industry, the Georgia Logistics Summit has grown to become one of the Southeast’s most important logistics and supply chain-centered events. Read more… |
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 DeKalb School of the Arts Student Wins 2022 Poetry Out Loud State Championship
March 15, 2022 | The Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) this week announced that Amaya McGee, a sophomore at DeKalb School of the Arts in Avondale Estates, Georgia, took home first prize in the 2022 Poetry Out Loud state championship. A student at Booker T. Washington High School, Justice Carswell, was runner-up in the competition. Read more… |
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COMMITTEE NEWSCheck out the GEDA 2022 Action Plans for the Committees and Shared Interest Groups (SIGs). Contact the Chairs of these groups to let them know if you would be interested in being on their Committees/SIGs.
Professional Development Webinar
Mark your calendars for the next GEDA Professional Development Committee webinar on Media Relations, featuring Chata Spikes, Director of Public Affairs, Atlanta Police Department, on Tuesday, May 3rd at 10:00 am. Additional details will be available soon.
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