Be sure to check out the NEW GEDA website, GEDA.org! We want you to update your profile. Click here for tips and directions. You can also contact Kelly McLendon, Manager, Member Services, at 404-962-4110 or 404-955-4840 with any questions.
Check out the NEW GEDA website, GEDA.org! Please note, the old GEDA website link will no longer be operational as of next week so please update your bookmark to go to http://www.geda.org.
Please take a moment to update your profile. Your login information will change for the new website, and the directions to set up your new password are as follows:
We are very sorry that we had to cancel the GEDA Annual Legislative Event / Luncheon on Tuesday, January 29th at the Georgia State Capitol. Due to the Georgia State government closure, we had no choice, since no one was going to be at the Capitol. Click HERE for a copy of GEDA’s 2019 Legislative Agenda. Thank you to Dan McRae, Esq. and Seyfarth Shaw LLP for being willing to sponsor this event!
GEDA News
Professional Development Scholarship-Grants
Apply today for a GEDA Professional Development grant in 2019! We awarded four scholarship available for the Georgia Tech Basic Economic Development Course (BEDC), which is from March 19-22, 2019. Congratulations to the grant recipients:
Robin Bloss, Business Development Coordinator, Economic Development Department, Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County
Bo Gregory, President, Development Authority of Monroe County
Candee Harris, Executive Assistant, Wayne County Industrial Development Authority
Madison Hopkins, Project Manager - Economic Development & Government Affairs, Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce
For additional information on the Professional Development scholarships, look on the GEDA website, or contact Kevin Shea, President, GEDA at 404-962-4109. Be thinking about your professional development for 2019 and plan to apply for a GEDA scholarship to assist you this year.
GEDA 2019 Action Plans
The Board of Directors in consultation with the Committee and Shared Interest Group Chairs have created their Action Plans related to the GEDA Strategic Plan. To view the 2019 Action Plans click HERE.
You are invited to the Georgia Production Partnership - South Georgia Regional Meeting in Valdosta, GA
February 28, 1:30-2:30 PM
Members of the public (including business owners, economic development representatives, and students), should attend this event to learn more about how Georgia communities (outside of Atlanta) are attracting film productions to their cities. We have some very special panelists who will be part of our discussion:
Stratton Leopold, Successful film producer
Craig Dominey, Manager of Georgia’s Camera Ready Communities Program
Jeffrey Stepakoff, Executive Director of The Georgia Film Academy (GFA)
It feels like spring and it’s only the first week of February! Unfortunately, we had to cancel our plans at the Capitol due to the possibility of snow. Given Punxsutawney Phil’s Groundhog Day prediction of an early spring, hopefully we won’t have to worry about future cancellations.
To make up for part of the cancelled events, the GEDA Executive Committee, Public Policy Committee and Cornerstone representatives will host key House and Senate leaders for dinner the evening of the February GEDA meeting on February 18. We are appreciative of our sponsors of this dinner: Development Authority of Fulton County, Gray Pannell and Woodward LLP, Jackson EMC and Savannah Economic Development Authority.
Lauren Lambiase, former Community Development Manager, Georgia Power, is now a Project Manager, Economic and Community Development, at Alabama Power.
Michelle Nguyen, former Entrepreneurship & Innovation Specialist at the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government Department of Economic Development, has been promoted to the position of Director of Economic Development.
Tom Croteau, after having served over 22 years at the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), most recently as Deputy Commissioner, Global Commerce since August 2013, has accepted a position with Development Advisors, or DAI, to assist in opening an Atlanta office.
Taylor Kielty, formerly Economic Development Coordinator for the Catoosa County Economic Development Authority, is now with the GDEcD Global Commerce Division as a Regional Project Manager in Region 1 on the Existing Industry & Regional Recruitment (EIRR) team.
Fernanda Kirchner joined the Global Commerce Division as a Project Manager on the International Investment team.
Emily Poole, formerly with Emily Poole Consulting, joined the Global Commerce team as the new Region 3 Project Manager on the EIRR team
Ken Breeden, former Commissioner of the Postsecondary Vocational Education (now the Technical College System of Georgia) and a longtime member of GEDA, passed away on December 14 at home in Dawsonville. A memorial service was held on January 26th at the Ramsey Conference Center at the Hall County Campus of Lanier Technical College in Gainesville, where Ken was a former President. Ken was a great friend to those of us in economic development. Read more…
Myles Smith, a former Georgia Power employee and GEDA member, passed away on November 23, 2018. A memorial service was held in on December 16, 2018. Read his obituary here.
David Sapp, a longtime member of GEDA, and former Project Manager at the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade & Tourism (now GDEcD) passed away last Friday, February 1. There will be a memorial service at the Camilla Methodist Church (39 S. Harney St., Camilla, GA 31730; 229-336-0301) at 2:00 PM on February 23, David’s birthday.
Rest in peace, dear friends!
GEDA New Members
To view the new GEDA members clickHERE.If you are moving, changing jobs or getting a promotion, please let us know by emailing us at kshea@georgia.org, and we’ll publicize this in the GEDA newsletter.
Project Announcements
** Names highlighted in green below are GEDA members with hyperlinks to their email addresses.**
Smarp to create 60 jobs in Fulton County January 17, 2019 - The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) today announced that Smarp, a hub for content discovery and distribution, will create 60 jobs and invest $3 million in the relocation of its New York City office to Atlanta. Newly created jobs include positions in enterprise account executives, sales and marketing.
Way to go Sunny Anderson, Project Manager, and Nico Wijnberg, Director of International Investment, GDEcD Global Commerce Division; Joshua Stephens, Director, Project Management, Metro Atlanta Chamber; Randi Mason, Interim Vice President, Economic Development, Invest Atlanta; and MaryBeth Flournoy, Business Recruitment Associate, Georgia Power; who were all involved with this project. Read more…
OneLogin Opens Growth Center in Peachtree Corners - Leader in Unified Access Management to Create High-Paying Jobs across a Variety of Disciplines
January 17, 2019 - The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) today announced that OneLogin, a cloud-based identity and access management provider, will create approximately 50 new jobs in a new East Coast Growth Center in Gwinnett. Newly created jobs include positions in sales, sales development, sales engineering, customer success, business development, field marketing, tech support, and implementation consultants.
A shout out to the project team, including: Megan Wing, Project Manager Technology & Life Science, Partnership Gwinnett; Randall Toussaint, Senior Project Manager, GDEcD Global Commerce Division; Rebecca Jordan, Project Manager, Metro Atlanta Chamber; and Charlie Mosely, Business Recruitment Director, Georgia Power. Read more…
BioIQ to locate headquarters in Cobb County - Health IT company to create 500 jobs, invest more than $5 million
January 10, 2019 – Governor Nathan Deal announced that BioIQ, a health IT company, will create 500 jobs and invest more than $5 million in Cobb County through the location of its new headquarters. New jobs will include positions in technology, sales and operations.
Congratulations to Amanda Blanton, Economic Development Director, and Dana Johnson, (formerly of Cobb County and now) Executive Vice President, Cobb Chamber of Commerce; Nelson Geter, Executive Director, Development Authority of Cobb County; Mike Boyce, Chairman, Cobb County Government; Sunny Anderson, Project Manager, Georgia Department of Economic Development Global Commerce Division; Rebecca Jordan, Project Manager, Metro Atlanta Chamber; and Lauren Price, Project Manager, Georgia EMC; who worked to locate this headquarters project! Read more…
Forquímica to create 80 jobs in Colquitt County - Agribusiness company to invest $1 million in Moultrie
January 7, 2019 - Governor Nathan Deal announced that Forquímica, a developer of sustainable agricultural products, will create 80 jobs and invest $1 million in Moultrie. New jobs will include positions in general services, management, marketing and sales.
Kudos to the team who worked on this project, including: Greg Icard, Vice President, Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority; Tina Herring, Regional Project Manager, and Nikki Yu, former Project Manager (now with Chick-fil-A), Georgia Department of Economic Development Global Commerce Division. Read more…
Look for our weekly Legislative Report. The latest issue, week #3, came out on Monday, February 4th. You can see that issue, and past issues by clicking HERE, and logging on to the GEDA website. The Legislative update will be published on a weekly basis while the General Assembly is in session.
Get involved in GEDA's Committees and SIGs to learn about projects and meet fellow members - visit your profile on GEDA.org to join.
It feels like spring and it’s only the first week of February! Unfortunately, we had to cancel our plans at the Capitol due to the possibility of snow. Given Punxsutawney Phil’s Groundhog Day prediction of an early spring, hopefully we won’t have to worry about future cancellations.
