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 | 10:00 am – 1:30 pm
- Lanier Technical College (2535 Lanier Tech Drive, Gainesville, GA 30507)
- Contact Rope Roberts of Georgia Power for details.
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. |
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Join us for the GEDA 2022 August monthly luncheon in beautiful and historic Macon, Georgia.
Program Title: The Business of Music
Date & Time: Monday, August 8th, 10:45 AM – 1:30 PM
Location: Fall Line Brewing Company (567 Plum Street, Macon, Georgia 31201)
Presenters:
- Mayor Lester Miller, Macon-Bibb County
- Karla Redding-Andrews, Vice-President & Executive Director, Otis Redding Foundation
- Gary Wheat, CEO, Visit Macon
- Alex Morrison, Executive Director, Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority
- Stephen Adams, Executive Director, Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority
- Jessica Walden, Business & Leadership Advisor, The University of Georgia
Bonus! We are also happy to offer a few optional add-ons to the August luncheon:
- Fall Line Brewery Tour
- $10 to attend, registration required
- 2pm – 3:30pm (Groups of 10-15 will go at a time)
- Tour of Fall Line Brewery, 4 beer samples included
- Limit: 30 ppl
- Rock Candy Tour
- Free to attend, registration required
- 2pm – 3:30pm
- 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
- 2:30pm 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, RSVP Here
- 4:30 pm – 6 pm
- Fall Line Brewery
- Invitees include GEDA members, Chamber guests, and community leaders
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Stay In Macon for August 9th Event!
The day after the GEDA luncheon, on August 9th, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Congressional Luncheon will also take place in Macon, at the Macon Marriott City Center. Here is the link for those wishing to register for the GCC luncheon! |
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| 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! |
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| Jacob Cone has joined GDEcD in the Global Commerce division as a Project Manager. |
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| Connor Hall is a new Associate Project Manager for GDEcD in the Global Commerce division. |
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Walt Farrell
After having served a stint as Assistant to the Executive Vice President of External Affairs and Nuclear Development at Georgia Power, he has returned to the fold as Vice President of Community and Economic Development! Welcome back, Walt!
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Kristy Rachal
Formerly the Community & Economic Development Director at Georgia Power, Kristy is now the Assistant to the Executive Vice President of External Affairs and Nuclear Development. Kristy will be stepping down from the GEDA Board. Good luck, Kristy! We’ll miss you!
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Bruce Drennan
Sad to report that Bruce Drennan, formerly Executive Director of the Cordele-Crisp County IDC, and a former GEDA member, recently passed away. May he rest in peace. Please keep Bruce’s family in your thoughts and prayers. Read Bruce’s obituary here. |
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Call for Nominations: GEDA Deal of the Year and Volunteer of the Year Awards
Deal of the Year
The Deal of the Year Awards recognize outstanding achievement in the location or expansion of businesses in Georgia. These achievements meet community economic development goals and involve significant community program support, such as financial or permitting assistance, workforce development, state financial support, etc. |
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Volunteer of the Year Award
The Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes an individual economic development volunteer for outstanding service to an economic development organization or community. Nominations are solicited from all GEDA members. One statewide recipient is selected by the Board of Directors annually. |
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 Busy.
It seems that everyone I know likes Summer the best. It’s their favorite season – the long warm days, trips to the beach or lake, no school (when we were that age) or vacation time (when we are our age). My favorite season is Fall, but I’ll give a little more background to the reasons in my October column...
The one thing that I have always enjoyed about summer is the feeling that things seem to slow down a bit. Maybe it’s the heat, or the rhythm I enjoyed when I was younger of being on “summer vacation.” I’ve watched my teenaged kids live with the easy pace of this summer with quite a bit of envy, but I hope that they can enjoy it while they can. The fact of the matter is that summer is not any less busy than any other time of the year, really. It all depends on the circumstances.
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 Boston Scientific Expands Research Capabilities in Georgia with $62.5 Million Investment in Johns Creek
June 28, 2022 – Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Boston Scientific, a leading manufacturer of medical devices used in interventional medical specialties, will construct a new manufacturing and supply chain facility in Johns Creek. The $62.5 million investment is expected to bring roughly 340 new jobs to Fulton County over the next seven years.
Congratulations to this large cast of teammates, including: Randall Toussaint, Director of Economic Development, Ben Song, Community Development Director, and Chris Haggard, Public Works Director, the City of Johns Creek; EJane Caraway, Director of Life Sciences, and Susan Contreras, Director of Research, Global Commerce Division, Georgia Department of Economic Development; Samir Abdullahi, Director of Economic Development, Select Fulton; Sarah-Elizabeth Langford, Interim Executive Director, and Former Mayor Mike Bodker, Development Authority of Fulton County; Gregg Simon, Vice President, Project and Partner Development, Kimberly Allred, Project Manager, Economic Development and Edward Lai, Senior Manager, Life Science & Digital Health Ecosystem Expansion, Metro Atlanta Chamber; Charles Stallworth, Business Recruitment Director, and Brooke Perez, Community Development Manager, Georgia Power; Scott McMurray, Assistant Commissioner / COO, and Rodger Brown, Executive Director, Marketing and Strategic Media, Georgia Quick Start; and Edie Stringfellow, Vice President of Ecosystem Development at the Center for Global Health Innovation; who collaborated to assist Boston Scientific in their Johns Creek expansion! Read more… |
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 Award-Winning Georgia-Based Shoe Company Okabashi Brands Creates over 340 Jobs in Gwinnett County Through Major Onshoring
June 23, 2022 | Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Okabashi Brands Inc., a Georgia-based shoe company, will create approximately 340 new jobs as they reinvest in their existing facility in Gwinnett County and grow.
Congratulations to the following team members: Andrew Carnes, Vice President of Economic Development, and Deven Cason, Director, Business Retention and Expansion, Partnership Gwinnett; Kristen Miller, Region 5 Senior Regional Project Manager, Existing Industry And Regional Recruitment Team, Global Commerce Division, Georgia Department of Economic Development; Kimberly S. Allred, Project Manager, Economic Development, Metro Atlanta Chamber; Brooke Perez, Community and Economic Development Manager, Georgia Power; and Rodger Brown, Executive Director, Marketing and Strategic Media, Georgia Quick Start; who worked in partnership to assist Okabashi Brands! Read more… |
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 Cassioli USA Corp to move U.S. operations to Coweta
June 21, 2022 I Cassioli Groups, the Italian producer of automated systems for material handling and intralogistics solutions, announced its expansion into the U.S. market with the new flagship manufacturing plant opening at Creekside Industrial Park in Newnan.
Congrats to Trae Westmoreland, former President & CEO of the Coweta County Development Authority and his local team on their efforts to woo Cassioli! Read more… |
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 Industry-leading Vertical Farming Company to Put Down Roots in Newton County
June 13, 2022 I Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that 80 Acres Farms, an industry-leading vertical farming company, will create 150 new jobs in Newton County. The $120 million investment in Covington, Georgia, will help the company meet growing consumer demand for local, fresh produce. Kudos to a large cast, who collaborated on this 80 Acres Farms project, including: William Smith, EDFP, Economic Development Manager, City of Covington and NOW Covington; NOW Covington (Covington Development Authority) Board of Directors and the executive team of Kim Carter, Frank Turner Jr., and Nita Thompson; Beth Eavenson, Georgia Department of Community Affairs; Joel Smith, Electric Director, Covington Electric Department; the Newton County Board of Assessors; Mayor Steve Horton and the Council of the City of Covington; and Kristen Miller, Region 5 Senior Regional Project Manager, Existing Industry And Regional Recruitment Team, Global Commerce Division, Georgia Department of Economic Development! Read more… |
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 Georgia Poet Laureate, Council for the Arts Announce 2022 Poet Laureate's Prize Winner, Finalists
June 22, 2022 | Georgia’s Poet Laureate, Chelsea Rathburn, in collaboration with Georgia Council for the Arts, announced the winner and finalists of the ninth annual Poet Laureate’s Prize. The prize is awarded for an original poem written by a Georgia high school student. This annual program is designed to encourage students in grades nine through 12 to write original poems and engage in the art form of poetry. Students submitted poems during the 2021-2022 school year, and the students’ grade levels noted below reflect that time period. Read more… |
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 Governor Kemp Announces Purchase of Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County
June 16, 2022 | Governor Brian P. Kemp announced the purchase of a more than 1,100-acre economic development site in partnership between the State of Georgia and the Development Authority of Peach County. Read more… |
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Annual Awards (Special Service Awards) – Call for Nominations
Keri Orvin, Chair of the Annual Awards Committee, and President & CEO of the Development Authority of Appling County, encourages those of you who have had projects announce or locate in the past year (July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022) to nominate them for the Deal of the Year. Also, please consider nominating your special volunteer for the Volunteer of the Year Award this year! The deadline for submissions is July 31st, so act now to enter your application! |
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| 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 would be interested in being on their committees/sigs. |
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SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
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| 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 this year’s Annual Conference (registration opening soon). 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. |
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JOB POSTINGS
PIN Student Engagement Manager - Partnership for Inclusive Innovation
JUN 29TH I Atlanta, GA I Full-Time
Business Relations Specialist - Decide DeKalb Development Authority
JUN 28TH I Decatur, GA I Full-Time
Cobb Economic Development Director - Cobb County Government
JUN 24TH I Marietta, GA I Full-Time
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