Check out the August 2022 GEDA newsletter to keep up to date with the latest news, stories, and announcements.
New feature: Use the navigational buttons below to jump to your favorite sections of our newsletter! |
|
|
|
|
|
Join us on Monday, August 8th, 2022 for our GEDA Monthly Luncheon in Macon, GA at Fall Line Brewing. We will have a great line up of speakers discussing how the music industry impacts economic development, as well as networking opportunities before and after the program.
Registration will begin at 10:45 am with speakers starting at 12:30 pm. Buffet Lunch will be provided. See more details below and on the event page. |
|
Thank you to our Sponsor!
|
|
Post-Event Optional Activities
Fall Line Brewery Tour
- $10 to attend, registration required
- 2 pm – 3:30 pm (Groups of 10-15 will go at a time)
- Tour of Fall Line Brewery, 4 beer samples included
- Limit: 30 ppl
Capricorn Tour
- Free to attend, registration required
- 2 pm – 3:30 pm
- Musical History of Macon, including the famous Capricorn records (Recording studio of Macon greats like the Allman Brothers)
- Transportation from Fall Line included
Robins Air Force Base Windshield Tour
- Free to attend, registration required
- 2:30 pm tour start time
- Transportation on your own to Museum of Aviation (1942 Heritage Blvd, Robins AFB, GA 31098)
Georgia Congressional & MBCIA Networking Social
- Free to attend, click here to RSVP
- 4:30 pm – 6 pm
- Fall Line Brewery
- Invitees include GEDA members, Chamber guests, and community leaders
|
|
(+) Stay in Macon for August 9th Event!
The Georgia Chamber of Commerce Congressional Luncheon will take place the day after GEDA’s luncheon, also in Macon, at the Macon Marriott City Center. Here is the link for those wishing to register for the GCC luncheon on Tuesday, August 9th. |
|
REGIONAL EVENTS
- Southeast Georgia / Georgia Power Good News Gathering
- Thursday, August 4 | 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
- Richmond Hill City Center (520 Cedar Street, Richmond Hill, GA)
- Contact Jason Coley of Georgia Power for details.
- Northwest Georgia / Georgia Power Good News Gathering
- Wednesday, August 10 | 9:30 am – 1:00 pm
- Berry College Oak Hill Pavilion (24 Veterans Memorial Hwy NE, Rome, GA)
- Contact Elyse Davis of Georgia Power for details.
- Northeast Georgia / Georgia Power Good News Gathering
- Monday, August 22 | 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Lanier Technical College (2535 Lanier Tech Drive, Gainesville, GA 30507)
- Contact Rope Roberts of Georgia Power for details.
- Region 9 Meeting
- Wednesday, August 10th from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
- Wayne County Development Authority (261 W Plum St, Jesup, GA 31545)
- Contact Andrea Taylor, GDEcD Region 9 Project Manager, for details.
- Regions 10 & 11 Meeting
- Wednesday, August 10th from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
- Georgia Chamber Tifton Office (1001 Love Avenue, Tifton, Georgia 31794)
- Contacts for the meeting are: Tiffany Holmes, Director of the Center for Rural Prosperity, and Darrell Moore, Executive Director, Center for Regional Impact at Valdosta State University.
If you or your peers want to host a Regional Meeting and promote it to others, please let us know and we will assist in that effort. |
|
 |
If you haven’t already done so, register today to attend the GEDA 2022 Annual Conference at the Hyatt Regency Savannah on September 14-16. Trip Tollison, GEDA 2nd Vice Chair and President & CEO of SEDA, is the Chair of this year’s event, titled Welcome to the Future. Trip and his committee have been working diligently to provide you with a top-notch program to challenge our thinking and provide ideas on how to keep Georgia in the forefront of economic prosperity.
Thank you to those sponsors who have already signed on! You can sponsor by going to the GEDA website.
There are some exciting optional activities offered on Thursday afternoon of the Annual Conference. Make plans now to participate by signing up today! |
|
| ICYMI: Check out photos from the 2022 Spring Workshop on the GEDA website and Facebook! Thank you to all our generous sponsors who helped make this event happen! |
|
| Ambria Hardy is a new Project Manager on the Corporate Solutions and Cybersecurity Team at the Global Commerce Division of GDEcD. |
|
|
Dorie Bacon, former Executive Director of the Screven County Development Authority and current GEDA 1st Vice Chair, will be taking on the role of Region 12 Senior Project Manager with the Existing Industry and Regional Recruitment Team in the Global Commerce Division of GDEcD as of August 16th. Dorie has been a very valued member, Committee Member, Committee Chair and Officer of GEDA for many years. We thank Dorie for her service and commitment and wish her well in this new position!
|
|
|
Alyce Thornhill, formerly Assistant Director Existing Industry and Regional Recruitment and Region 12 Project Manager, is now Director of Project Implementation and Supplier Strategy, in the Global Commerce Division of GDEcD.
|
|
|
On a sad note, Elbert Rivers recently passed away. He was the first recipient of the GEDA Community Service Award in 2012.
|
|
|
BEDC/AC22 Professional Development Scholarships
Register today for the Georgia Tech Basic Economic Development Course (BEDC) on August 29-September 1 in Atlanta and the GEDA 2022 Annual Conference on September 14-16 in Savannah. While at it, you can apply for a Professional Development scholarship grant from GEDA.
 |
|
|
Brothers.
I’ve recently realized that I seem to enjoy travelling more than I used to. I don’t seek out travel – we all know that there’s plenty required in our jobs. But, I’ve found that the trips I’ve made over the past year or two have left me with warm feelings of time well spent, and appreciation for the sights and sounds of it all. Any trip with my family, especially my kids, is a wonderful thing. Also, joining my GEDA family at Jekyll – priceless! My SEDC friends in Dallas – fun! I’ve always been sentimental, but I’m sure that I’m getting worse.
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of another wonderful trip, made special because of the group of travelers. I grew up in a small town. My father died when I was very young, and my Mom, sister and I were very close. I didn’t have any brothers, and I was the only male in the house. When I went off to Georgia Southern College as a 17-and-a-half-year-old freshman... |
|
 Copper Foil Manufacturer Denkai America to Locate New Manufacturing Facility, North American Headquarters in Richmond County
July 20, 2022 – Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Denkai America, the only North American manufacturer of high-quality electrodeposited (ED) copper foil used in printed electronics, will locate its new manufacturing facility and North American Headquarters in Richmond County. The company’s initial investment will be $150 million to establish an ED copper foil production facility, with a focus on electric vehicle (EV) battery foil, on a 115-acre site, with a goal to invest a total of $430 million and create 250 new jobs over the next five years.
Congratulations to a large cast of people who worked as partners on this competitive project, including Cal Wray, President, Michael Norris, Project Manager, and Cheney Thomasson Eldridge, Manager of Existing Industry and Strategic Partnerships, Augusta Economic Development Authority; Barton Lowrey, Director of Corporate Solutions and Cyber Security, and Mellissa Takeuchi, Project Manager, Industrial Team, Global Commerce Division, and Joseph Huntemann, Managing Director, Tokyo Office, Georgia Department of Economic Development; MaryBeth Flournoy, Business Recruitment Manager, Georgia Power; and Rodger Brown, Executive Director, Marketing and Strategic Media, Georgia Quick Start! As the Technical College System of Georgia’s nationally ranked workforce training program, Georgia Quick Start has provided specialized training tailored specifically to business needs for more than 40 years. Read more… |
|
|
 Gov. Kemp: Anduril Industries to Invest $60 Million, Create 180 New Jobs in Fulton County
July 14, 2022 - Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Anduril Industries, a defense technology company that specializes in building advanced technology for US and allied militaries, will invest $60 million in a new manufacturing and research facility in Atlanta, creating more than 180 new jobs in Fulton County over the next three years.
Kudos to Samir Abdullahi, Director of Economic Development, Fulton County and Select Fulton; Kasey Smith, Project Manager, Industrial Team, Global Commerce Division, Gorgia Department of Economic Development; Rebecca Jordan, Director of Project Management, Metro Atlanta Chamber; Chris Joiner, Senior Project Manager, and Maya Jackson, Economic Development Project Coordinator, Invest Atlanta; the Georgia Center of Innovation’s Aerospace industry team; and Ashley Varnum, Business Recruitment Director, Georgia Power; the team members who worked with Anduril in their location! Read more… |
|
|
 Governor Kemp, General Carden Announce SK Battery America to Become 'Work for Warriors' Partner
July 20, 2022 – Governor Brian Kemp joined Georgia National Guard Adjutant General Tom Carden, Georgia Commissioner of Veterans Service Colonel (Ret.) Patricia Ross, Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson, and SK Battery America CEO Timothy Jeong to announce the lithium-ion electric vehicle battery manufacturer will partner with the Guard’s Work for Warriors Georgia program as they continue hiring at the company’s Commerce, Georgia, facility. To kick off the effort, SK Battery America (SKBA) will hold a military and veteran-focused hiring fair on Saturday, July 23. Read more… |
|
|
Two Industrial Sites in Bibb County Earn Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development – Select Certification
August 1, 2022 – The Georgia Department of Economic Development, in cooperation with the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority (MBCIA), today announced that the Airport East Industrial Park and the Interstate 75 Business Park have earned a “Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development” (GRAD) certification with “Select” status. The sites’ new “GRAD Select” status provides an additional seal of approval that makes it especially attractive for future industrial development.
“Speed to market is a top priority for businesses when considering sites, and Georgia’s GRAD program gives our communities an edge in a highly competitive market for securing the jobs of tomorrow. We applaud Macon-Bibb County’s dedication to creating jobs and opportunities for their community by investing in site preparation,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “We trust each of our local partners to take the initiative to do what’s best for their community, and we work to support them to the best of our ability, whether that’s by providing certification programs to enhance their sites or by helping them connect with the right company for their community.”Read more… |
|
|
 Gov. Kemp: Georgia-Made Film & TV Productions Generate $4.4B for State in Yet Another Chart-Topping Year
August 1, 2022 – Governor Brian P. Kemp announced a chart-topping year for the film and television industry as productions spent $4.4 billion in Georgia during fiscal year 2022 – a new industry record. The Georgia Film Office, a strategic office within the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) charged with marketing and promoting the industry in the state, reported that the State of Georgia hosted 412 productions, represented by 32 feature films, 36 independent films, 269 television and episodic productions, 42 commercials, and 33 music videos between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. Read more… |
|
|
Kemp Provides Remarks at Georgia Governor's Tourism Conference in Athens
August 3, 2022 – Governor Brian P. Kemp today applauded Georgia’s tourism industry for attracting pre-pandemic levels of domestic visitors at the 2022 Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference in Athens. Presented by Explore Georgia, the tourism division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), the three-day conference is the premier annual event for the state’s travel and hospitality industry. This year’s conference drew more than 400 tourism industry professionals from across the state. Read more… |
|
|
Professional Development is sponsoring a webinar in August
The GEDA Professional Development Committee, chaired by Jason Dunn, is hosting a webinar on Financing Projects through OneGeorgia. Panelists will provide examples of funding successful projects including:
- Gina Webb, OneGeorgia Director, Georgia Department of Community Affairs
- Shelley Zorn, Economic Developer, Thomasville-Thomas County Payroll Development Authority
- Jason Dunn, Executive Director, Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Development Authority
- Tonya Powers, Executive Director of Economic Development, Franklin County Industrial Building Authority
Registration is FREE, but you must register to attend. |
|
| Check 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 are interested in being on their committees/sigs. |
|
SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
|
|
|
Professional Development
Did you know that most scholarships go unused every year? This is your money for the asking! Take a few minutes TODAY to apply for a scholarship grant from GEDA for the Basic Economic Development Course (BEDC) on August 29-September 1st, or this year’s GEDA 2022 Annual Conference in Savannah from September 14-16. These grants can deepen your job understanding and enhance your career! They can be used to attend many Professional Development events, including: the University of Georgia’s Certified Economic Developer (CED) courses, the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) or the OU Economic Development Institute. They can also be used for the Penn Worden Grant and the International Missions Grant. For additional information on the Professional Development scholarships, look on the GEDA website, or contact Kevin Shea, President, GEDA at 404-962-4109.
|
|
|
|
