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:
Please enter the email address that we have on file for you and submit the password reset.
Check your email for a password reset and follow the instructions. (Don't forget to check your spam folder!)
If you have any trouble with this process please call Kelly McLendon at 404-962-4110.
When you are able to login please update your profile information so that we have the most up to date information about you in the new system.
**In order to read many of the GEDA articles linked to in this newsletter you must be logged into the GEDA website using the instructions above.**
Register today for the GEDA Annual Legislative Event / Luncheon on Tuesday, January 29th at the Georgia State Capitol. The program will offer presentations from our government leaders in the Capitol Senate Rules Committee Meeting Room 450 in the Capitol from 9 to 10, a photograph just after 10 with our new Governor, Brian Kemp, and a luncheon (11:00 am -1:00 pm) in 230 CAP on the Capitol’s second floor, south-wing to allow for our legislators to stop by, say hello and have a quick bite to eat. Please plan to attend and invite your legislators to join us. Click HERE for a copy of GEDA’s 2019 Legislative Agenda. Thank you to Dan McRae, Esq. and Seyfarth Shaw LLP for sponsoring this event!
GEDA News
Professional Development Scholarship-Grants
Apply today for a GEDA Professional Development grant in 2019! We have four scholarships available for the Georgia Tech Basic Economic Development Course (BEDC), which is from March 19-22, 2019. Check out the University of Georgia’s Certified Economic Developer courses; as well as ones sponsored by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). 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 Share Interest Group Chairs have created their Action Plans related to the GEDA Strategic Plan. To view the 2019 Action Plans click HERE.
Chair's Column
Excited about 2019!
Hello friends, I am very appreciative for the opportunity to serve as the 2019 GEDA Chairman. Hopefully, you and your loved ones had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to a prosperous and healthy new year!
At our October planning retreat, the GEDA Board, Committee Chairs and Shared Interest Group (SIG) Chairs worked to prioritize the top goals for each committee and SIG. We also made a change to the GEDA calendar. We are going to eliminate the June monthly luncheon / Brokers event.
Congratulations to GEDA Members Named to Georgia Trend's 100 Most Influential Georgians of 2019:
Lee Thomas, Deputy Commissioner, Fillm, Music & Digital Entertainment, Georgia Department of Economic Development, was named the 2019 Georgian of the Year!
Brian Anderson, President & CEO of the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce
Julie Brown, President & CEO of the Georgia Foreign Trade Zone
Chris Clark, President & CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce
Tom Croteau, Deputy Commissioner, Global Commerce, Georgia Department of Economic Development
Steve Gooch, Majority Whip, State Senator (R-District 51)
Larry Hanson, Executive Director, the Georgia Municipal Association
Steve Justice, Executive Director, Georgia Centers of Innovation
Trip Tollison, President & CEO, Savannah Economic Development Authority
Pat Wilson, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Economic Development
Congratulations to Scott Poag who was elected Southeast Regional Director of the Southern Economic Development Council. To read more about his election click HERE.
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.**
Hapag-Lloyd America to create more than 360 jobs in Peachtree Corners - Multinational transportation company to invest $5.5 million in Gwinnett County expansion
December 18, 2018 - Governor Nathan Deal announced that Hapag-Lloyd America, LLC, a multinational transportation company, will create 363 jobs and invest $5.5 million in an expansion of the Hapag-Lloyd Quality Service Center in Gwinnett County. New jobs will include positions in administration, technical support and customer service.
Kudos to the following team players: Andrew Carnes, Senior Director of Economic Development, and Deven Cason, Project Manager, Partnership Gwinnett; Lindsay Martin, Director of Existing Industry and Regional Recruitment, Georgia Department of Economic Development Global Commerce Division; Lauren Lambiase, Business Recruitment Director, Georgia Power; and Stacy Watson, General Manager, Economic & Industrial Development, Georgia Ports Authority; who worked on this project! Read more…
Norfolk Southern to locate headquarters in Atlanta - Leading transportation company to create 850 jobs, invest $575 million in new Fulton County campus
December 12, 2018 - Governor Nathan Deal was joined by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to announce that Norfolk Southern Corporation, one of the nation’s premier transportation companies, will locate its headquarters in Fulton County, creating 850 jobs and investing $575 million. Norfolk Southern’s new campus will house the company’s headquarters, dispatch operations, operations and service support center, crew management center, corridor operations offices, national customer service center, administrative functions, marketing department and police communications center.
Congratulations to a huge cast and an awesome team, who worked this project, including: The Honorable Nathan Deal, Governor of Georgia; The Honorable Keisha Lance Bottoms, Mayor, City of Atlanta; Christopher Nunn, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Community Affairs; Lynne Riley, Commissioner, Frank O’Connell, Director of Legal Affairs & Tax Policy, Charles Nazerian, Manager, Public Utilities Section, and Ellen Mills, Director, Local Government Services, Georgia Department of Revenue; Alex Sponseller, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Tax Section Chief, Georgia Attorney General’s Office; Hala Moddelmog, President & CEO, Gregg Simon, Vice President, Economic Development, and Katie Kirkpatrick, Chief Policy Officer, Metro Atlanta Chamber; Dwight Robinson, Chief Appraiser, Fulton County & DeWayne Pinkney, Secretary, Fulton County Board of Assessors; Eloisa Klementich, CEcD, President & CEO, Randi Mason, Interim Vice President, Economic Development, and Cesar Vence, Senior Project Manager, Business Attraction, Invest Atlanta; Walt Farrell, Manager, Statewide Economic Development, Brenda Robbins, Business Recruitment Director, MaryBeth Flournoy, Business Recruitment Associate, Sarah Carnes, Research Analyst, and Carmen Frame, Web Manager & Designer, Georgia Power Community and Economic Development; Pat Wilson, Commissioner, Bert Brantley, COO, Andrew Capezzuto, General Counsel, Tom Croteau, Deputy Commissioner, Scott McMurray, Division Director, Brittany Holtzclaw, Director, Life Sciences, Corporate Solutions, Digital Entertainment and IT Team, Randall Toussaint, Senior Project Manager, Dana Brewer, Director of Research, Susan Contreras, Assistant Director of Research, Sajani Patel, Research Analyst, Global Commerce Division, and Stefanie Paupeck Harper, Director of Communications, and De’Osha Randolph, Communications Specialist, Marketing and Communications Division, Georgia Department of Economic Development! Read more…
Harrison Poultry to create more than 100 jobs in Taliaferro County - Poultry processing company to invest $70 million in Crawfordville
December 6, 2018 - Governor Nathan Deal announced that Harrison Poultry Inc., a family-owned, fully integrated poultry processing company, will create 102 jobs and invest $70 million in a new feed mill and hatchery in Taliaferro County.
Way to go, Jackie Butts, Chairman, Taliaferro County Development Authority; andAdela Kelley, Region 7 Senior Project Manager, Georgia Department of Economic Development Global Commerce Division; in landing this project! Read more…
