Register today for GEDA's February luncheon, which will focus on the EV industry, EV-erywhere. We will meet on Valentine's Day, Monday, February 14th at the Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center. Our panel discussion, which will be moderated by Matt Colvin, Director, Office of Economic Development at the University of Georgia, will include:
- Thomas Frey, APR, Director, Global Communications, Ascend Elements, Inc.
- Jeff Pratt, President, Green Power EMC
- Virginia Sengewald, Project Manager, Logistics, Energy, Agribusiness, and Food, Georgia Department of Economic Development
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| Thank you to Matt Colvin, the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government, and the UGA College of Engineering for their sponsorship of this event! |
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| GEDA hosted its Legislative Leaders Call via Zoom on Tuesday, January 25th. Our featured speakers were Governor Brian Kemp, Senate President Pro Tempore Butch Miller, and House Majority Leader Jon Burns. These leaders had great things to say about Georgia’s Business Climate and pledged their support for a climate of excellence. Perhaps next year, we’ll be able to gather back at the Capitol. Thanks, Benjy Thompson, GEDA 2022 Chair, who did a masterful job of emceeing the event. |
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| Cameron Barnhill, formerly Project Manager with the Henry County Development Authority, is now Project Manager on the Industrial Team in GDEcD’s Global Commerce Division. |
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| Kelsie Kruskol joined GDEcD on February 1st as a Research Analyst for the Global Commerce Division. |
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| Elijah Moore joined GDEcD on February 1st as a Research Analyst for the Global Commerce Division. |
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| 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. |
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Welcome New GEDA Members, approved by the board at its January 2022 meeting:
| Brandon Albert |
JM Williams Contractors |
| Leigh Allen |
Carroll EMC |
| Kimberly Allred |
Metro Atlanta Chamber |
| Natalie Bradley |
Georgia Department of Community Affairs |
| Ashley Butterfield |
Oasis Consulting Services |
| Cherise Cartwright |
Oglethorpe Construction Group |
| Merry Hunter Caudle |
Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Dan Childress |
Braun Intertec |
| Chris Green |
University System of Georgia - Board of Regents |
| Greg King |
Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Allyson Knapp |
The Next Move Group |
| Caroline Knowles |
Cobb Chamber of Commerce |
| Nikki Lawson |
Gwinnett Technical College |
| Lisa Love |
UGA Small Business Development Center |
| Malaika Rivers |
Lexicon Strategies |
| Twana Roots |
Cobb Chamber of Commerce |
| Eric Smith |
Georgia Power Company |
| Sydne Smith |
Oglethorpe Power Corporation |
| Stephen Swinson |
Gray Pannell & Woodward LLP |
| Joy Wilkins |
Serving Communities |
| Jamon Williams |
Georgia Department of Labor |
| Manav Patel |
Georgia Institute of Technology (Student) |
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| Martha Schoonmaker, a GEDA Honorary Life Member, and Past Chair/President, has retired from her job as Executive Director of Pinkney Innovation Complex for Science and Technology at Montgomery College and is living with her husband, Jim, in West Springfield, Virginia. While she still lives in Virginia, "Georgia is always on her mind!" |
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 Welcome Brittney Love, GEDA's new Manager of Member Services. Brittney started with GEDA on Wednesday, January 18th and comes to us with over eight years of association management experience, including statewide associations Georgia Association of Water Professionals and American Council of Engineering Companies of Georgia. Brittney has a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy from Shorter University. Brittney will be working with us to implement GEDA's strategic plan and to manage the organization's day-to-day operations. You can reach her at blove@georgia.org or (404) 962-4110. |
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When I read a monthly column, I often notice a familiar conceit, or theme. January columns are about the New Year, new beginnings. Fourth of July stuff gets brought up in, well, July. Thanksgiving themes abound in November. If you read my January column, you know I’ve already used this method, and I’m sure I’ll do it again.
With a February column, it’s an easy move to talk about Love (although Valentine’s Day is one of my least favorite holidays). And that’s what I’m going to do – talk about Love, but from a little different perspective.
About two weeks ago, a wonderful man in Bulloch County named Bruce Yawn passed away. For my fellow Georgia Southern Eagles out there, Bruce owned “Snooky’s Restaurant” in Statesboro. Students ate there. Politicians. Families. From his little office in the back, Bruce and a small group of citizens convinced his former coach Erk Russell to come here in the early ‘80’s, then Erk promptly made Snooky’s his headquarters. Everybody knew Bruce. His list of community activities is much too long to recite here. However, when he sold Snooky’s, one of the things he continued to do was serve on the Board of Directors for the Development Authority of Bulloch County. |
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 Cinelease Studios to Expand Georgia Operations
Atlanta, GA | January 31, 2022 | Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Cinelease Studios will expand its Georgia operations, Three Ring Studio in Covington. Cinelease currently serves the Peach State's film industry via three locations in Clayton, Gwinnett, and Newton Counties. The expansion at Three Ring will include eight new stages, enhancing the campus to a total of 14 purpose-built sound stages and providing a total of 276,000 square feet of stage space, 100,000 square feet of office space, and an additional 72,800 square feet of flexible space, upon its completion in 2023.
“Cinelease’s expansion is a testament to the success of Georgia’s film tax credit. While it is only film and television projects that are qualified to earn the tax incentive, thousands of taxpaying support service companies - like Cinelease - are able to grow as well, in response to the level of business,” said Georgia Film Office Director Lee Thomas. “Thank you to Cinelease for their continued commitment to the State of Georgia, and thank you to the state legislature for their continued support of this transformative legislation.” Read more… |
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 Gov. Kemp: Titan Steel Door to Invest $11 Million to Expand Georgia Operations, Create Over 90 Jobs in Hart County
Atlanta, GA | Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Titan Steel Door will invest more than $11 million in expanding their operations to Gateway Industrial Park in Hart County. This expansion will create 90 new jobs in northeast Georgia.
Congratulations to the following team members, who put forth tremendous effort to land this project: Dwayne Dye, Director of Economic Development, Hart County Industrial Building Authority; Kristen Miller, Senior Project Manager, Region 5, Michelle Shaw, Director, and Barbara Fiedor, former Senior Project Manager in Region 2, Existing Industry and Regional Recruitment Team, Global Commerce Division, Georgia Department of Economic Development; and Rodger Brown, Executive Director, Marketing and Strategic Media, Georgia Quick Start! Read more…
Dwayne Dye shared the following about the project: “This project began with a collaboration between the JDA of Franklin, Hart, and Stephens Counties, Hart IBA, and The Adams Companies (Jimmy Adams & Spence Price) from Gainesville to develop and construct a spec building (Pattillo Construction- John Drake, Geoff Davis, EC Bush) within the Gateway Industrial Park. Industrial Properties Group IPG (Floyd Baldwin and Drew Addison) helped market the building and coordinate prospect visits. COVID slowed down activity a bit, but the building still moved in less than 3 years and we are very happy to have Titan Steel Door (Dick Treadwell and Damon Santimauro) as our newest member of the region's industrial manufacturing business community!
Kristen Miller, Michelle Shaw, and Barbara Fiedor, from the Georgia Department of Economic Development... and several teams of GDEcD, GA Power, and GA EMC and other partners helped bring prospects to tour the building during the marketing phase of the project. If I tried to name them all individually, I'm sure to leave someone out... so, a huge ‘Thank You’ to all the Team that helped bring new job opportunities and investment to our JDA Region!” |
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 Bowery Farming to Open Indoor Vertical Farm in Locust Grove
January 12, 2022 | Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Bowery Farming, the largest vertical farming company in the U.S., will open a smart indoor vertical farm in Locust Grove, creating more than 100 green jobs in Henry County. The company’s expansion to Georgia comes in response to a sharp increase in demand across the Southeast for its freshly grown greens and lettuces.
Kudos to F. J. “Josh” Fenn, Executive Director, Henry County Development Authority, and the City of Locust Grove; Virginia Sengewald, Project Manager, Logistics, Energy, Agribusiness & Food Team, Global Commerce Division, Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD); in partnership with Rebecca Jordan, Director of Project Management, Economic Development, Metro Atlanta Chamber; Rodger Brown, Executive Director of Marketing and Strategic Media, Georgia Quick Start; and Lonnie Smallwood, Senior Project Manager, Georgia EMC; who worked collaboratively to locate Bowery Farming! A strategic arm of GDEcD, the Georgia Center of Innovation (COI) is cultivating an ecosystem of opportunities in Georgia to meet the demand for locally sourced fresh produce through its Agricultural Technology (AgTech) and Energy specialists. The COI helps Georgia’s businesses capitalize on opportunities and confront challenges in the state’s key industries. Read more… |
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| Register today for an upcoming webinar sponsored by GEDA's Professional Development Committee: Crypto-Currency from the ED Pro’s Perspective.
With Crypto-Currency projects becoming more prevalent across the state, the GEDA Professional Development Committee will be hosting a one-hour webinar on Thursday, February 24th at 10:00am in which these projects will be discussed from the economic development professional’s point of view. In our interactive discussion, topics such as community benefits and challenges, community perception, and site acquisition are sure to be addressed.
The webinar will be led by an experienced group of economic development professionals including:
- Dorie Bacon, CEcD – Executive Director, Screven County Development Authority
- Megan Baker, CEcD – President, Fayette County Development Authority
- Meghan Duke, EDFP – Economic Development Director, City of West Point
- Lisa Collins, CEcD – Executive Director, Cook County Economic Development Council (tentative)
And moderated by:
- Jason Dunn – Executive Director, Fitzgerald and Ben Hill County Development Authority
This webinar is free for GEDA members, but you must register to receive the Zoom login information. |
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Scholarship Grants for Professional Development
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| Apply for scholarship grants from GEDA this year. These grants can deepen your job understanding and enhance your career! They can be used for many Professional Development enhancements, including: the University of Georgia’s Certified Economic Developer (GCED) courses, as well as ones sponsored by 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. |
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Director of Economic Development - Dawson County Chamber of Commerce
POSTED ON: JAN 27
Dawsonville, Georgia | Category: Other - Chamber of Commerce & Development Authority | Position Type: Full-Time
Statewide Project Manager, Corporate Solutions & Cyber Security - Georgia Department of Economic Development
POSTED ON: JAN 24
Midtown Atlanta, Georgia | Category: Other - State Government | Position Type: Full-Time
Region 2, Project Manager, Existing Industry & Regional Recruitment - Georgia Department of Economic Development
POSTED ON: JAN 23
Gainesville Region of Georgia | Category: Other - State Government | Position Type: Full-Time
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