Check out the June 2022 GEDA newsletter to keep up to date with the latest news, stories, and announcements.
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REGIONAL EVENTS
- Southeast Georgia / Georgia Power Good News Gathering
- Thursday, August 4, 10:30am-1:30pm
- 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, 9:30am-1pm
- Berry College Oak Hill Pavillion 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
- Lanier Technical College, 2535 Lanier Tech Dr, 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 on Monday, August 8th for the GEDA 2022 August monthly luncheon in beautiful and historic Macon, Georgia. This meeting will focus on the Business of Music. The luncheon is tentatively being planned for the Fall Line Brewing Company. Thank you to Stephen Adams and the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority for their generous sponsorship of our luncheon. |
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Thank you to all who attended the GEDA 2022 Spring Workshop at beautiful Jekyll Island. This year’s workshop was held at the Westin Jekyll Island and the Jekyll Island Convention Center on May 18th-20th. Cal Wray, Workshop Chair, and his committee, put together a super program with the theme of “We Are the Champions!” Stephanie Stuckey, CEO of Stuckey’s, provided us with great insights into running a family-owned business and her company’s effort to be resilient, even in times of COVID-19. We had a fantastic keynote speaker in, Matt Stinchcomb of Sterling Seacrest Partners, a former UGA Bulldog and NFL star who kept everyone in stitches and left us with a memorable message of preparation, planning and teamwork. Ford Graham of McGuire Woods and Chris Schastok of CBRE provided insightful comments about incentives and economic development in their fireside chat with Cal. We also had practical workshops on a number of topics to assist us in our everyday work.
Jekyll did not disappoint. We had a relaxing venue and plenty of networking time for connecting with each other. We had education, entertainment and fun during our optional activities of golf (click here for golf winners), tennis, the GPA port tour and the UGA Educational Trawler ride. The receptions allowed many to let their hair down and enjoy a drink (or two) and the hospitality suite was a winner, thanks to our committee and sponsor Ryan Moore of the Golden Isles Development Authority! It was definitely an unforgettable week at the coast. If you missed it, plan now on coming next year, when we will be in exciting Athens! Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, Margaret Lacy and Georgia Realtors, our Platinum Sponsor, Liz O’Connor and Christian Herschacher of Evans General Contractors and all of our GEDA 2022 Spring Workshop sponsors, to whom we are extremely grateful! |
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| New Faces in the Global Commerce Division: |
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Kimberlyn Daniel
A new Project Manager at GDEcD. She joined on Monday, May 16th and attended the GEDA Spring Workshop. |
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Christy Bozeman
Formerly Economic Development Coordinator with the Cordele-Crisp County IDC, has joined GDEcD as the Region 8 Project Manager, covering from I-75/Crisp County to the Columbus-Muscogee County area. |
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| Congratulations to Al Hodge, President of Hodge Consulting Services, 2005 GEDA Chair and 2012 Rip Wiley Award recipient, who was honored at a Commendation Ceremony by the Consul General of Japan, Kazuyuki Takeuchi, at the Residence of the Consul General! The honor recognizes Al Hodge’s contributions to promoting exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and Georgia. |
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| Vanessa Wagner, formerly Director of Business Development & Strategic Programs at the Golden Isles Development Authority, is now at Georgia Power and has been Marketing Program Manager since December 2021. |
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Welcome GEDA New Members, approved by the board at its May 2022 meeting:
| Christopher Blocker |
Clayton County Board of Commissioners |
| Scott Carver |
Irwin County Board of Commissioners |
| Stevie Chavez |
GIS Planning |
| Matt Dollar |
Technical College System of Georgia |
| Cody Ellis |
City of Forsyth |
| Mike Fisher |
WGI Engineering |
| Christopher Hardin |
City of Suwanee |
| Kevin Herrit |
Dawson County Chamber of Commerce |
| Shani Johnson |
Georgia Power Company |
| Gary Lee |
City of Fort Valley |
| Gary O'Donnell |
Georgia Quick Start |
| Jerry Starnes |
GIS Planning |
| Jacob Wasson |
Parrish Construction Group |
| Jamie Wilson |
City of Hawkinsville and Pulaski County |
| Anne Lerner |
Georgia Transmission Corporation |
| Ben Oberman |
Silicon Ranch |
| Brian Ulbricht |
University of Georgia |
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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 new businesses in the state of Georgia that 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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Jekyll.
Jekyll Island… aaaahhhh! What a great Spring Workshop! Congratulations to Cal Wray and his Committee, as well as the Augusta Economic Development Authority staff. Also, thanks to our Spring Workshop Sponsors for supporting the event (and to Jessica Hood, our Sponsorship Chair who coordinated/ coerced our sponsors for support!) I hope everyone who attended enjoyed the sessions and the speakers, as well as the chance to see each other in a beautiful location. I’ll have to admit to a little envy of Cal and his team – our old friend COVID caused us to cancel the Spring Workshop in 2020 on Jekyll, the event that I would’ve planned. Oh well – maybe I’ll have a chance to do it again.
I bet I’m not the only one... |
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 Solar Energy Giant Qcells to Power 470 New Jobs in New Whitfield County Facility
May 26, 2022 | Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Qcells, one of the largest and most-recognized renewable energy solutions providers, will invest $171 million in a new solar module manufacturing facility in Dalton, creating 470 new jobs in Whitfield County. The new facility is expected to increase the number of Qcells employees in Georgia to more than 1,000.
Commendations to Carl Campbell, Executive Director, Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority; Yoonie Kim, Director of Korean Investment, Global Commerce Division, Georgia Department of Economic Development; Bradley Harris, Manager, Economic Development, and Georgia Quick Start on their efforts to locate this new manufacturing facility with Qcells! Read more… |
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 Hyundai Motor Group to Invest $5.54 Billion in Georgia at First Fully Dedicated Electric Vehicle and Battery Manufacturing Facility
May 20, 2022 | At a signing ceremony, Governor Brian P. Kemp and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung announced that Hyundai Motor Group will open its first fully dedicated electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing facility in the State of Georgia. Hyundai Motor Group (HMG, or "the Group") will invest $5.54 billion in opening a state-of-the-art U.S. smart factory at the Bryan County Megasite. Non-affiliated Hyundai Motor Group suppliers will invest approximately another $1 billion in the project, delivering approximately 8,100 new jobs to Georgia’s coastal region.
Congratulations to the following team members of the Savannah Harbor-Interstate 16 Corridor JDA, which includes Anna Chafin, Chief Executive Officer, and Justin Farquhar, Vice President Development Authority of Bryan County; Benjy Thompson, CEO, and Rachel Barnwell, Manager of Economic Development Programs, Development Authority of Bulloch County; Trip Tollison, President & CEO, Savannah Economic Development Authority and Jesse Dillon, Vice President of Business Development; and Brandt Herndon, Chief Executive Officer, and Jessica Hood, Vice President, Effingham County Industrial Development Authority; and other partners, including: Taylor Walden, Project Manager, Industrial Team, and Yoonie Kim, Director of Korean Investment, Global Commerce Division, Georgia Department of Economic Development; the Georgia Department of Transportation Stacy Watson, Director of Economic & Industrial Development, Georgia Ports Authority; Georgia Quick Start; and Georgia Power; all of whom were involved in the effort to locate the Hyundai Motor Group! Read more… |
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 Procter & Gamble to Create 350 New Jobs with $205 Million New Facility in Butts County
May 13, 2022 | Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Procter & Gamble Distributing, LLC, an American multinational consumer goods corporation, is planning to invest $205 million in a new distribution facility in Jackson, Georgia. This new location for the company will create 350 new jobs in Butts County. Kudos to Bob White, Executive Director, Development Authority of Butts County; Bob Kosek, Director, Industrial Team, Global Commerce Division, Georgia Department of Economic Development; Gregg Simon, Senior Vice President, Project and Partner Development, Metro Atlanta Chamber; Stacy Watson, Director of Economic & Industrial Development, Georgia Ports Authority; and Doug Coffey, Business Recruitment Director, Georgia Power; the team who worked together to get P&G’s distribution facility in Butts County! Read more… |
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 Construction Materials Manufacturer Saint-Gobain ADFORS North America to Create 400 New Jobs in Laurens County
May 11, 2022 | Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Saint-Gobain ADFORS North America, a division of international light and sustainable construction company Saint-Gobain, will invest $28 million to expand its operations at its Dublin, Georgia, manufacturing facility, creating 400 new jobs over the next two years in Laurens County.
Way to go Ryan Waldrep, President, Dublin-Laurens County Development Authority; Andrea Taylor, Region 9 Project Manager, Existing Industry And Regional Recruitment Team, Global Commerce Division, Georgia Department of Economic Development; Mickey Daniell, Community Development Manager, Georgia Power; Oconee Fall Line Technical College; and Georgia Quick Start! Read more… |
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 Twenty-Five Georgia Companies Recognized for Expanding into 70 International Markets in 2021
May 23, 2022 | The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) announced the recipients of the 2022 GLOBE Award. Managed by the Department’s International Trade team, this state-led awards program highlights Georgia companies that expanded sales to new international markets in the previous year. During calendar year 2021, the 25 GLOBE winners collectively exported to 70 countries. Read more… |
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 Georgia to Host Southeast U.S.-Canadian Provinces (SEUS-CP) Trade, Investment Conference in Savannah in June
May 16, 2022 | The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) announced that the State of Georgia will host the 2022 Southeast U.S.-Canadian Provinces (SEUS-CP) Alliance Conference in Savannah from June 19-21, 2022. This will mark the second time Georgia hosts the event, after founding and hosting the inaugural conference in 2008. SEUS-CP reinforces the importance of the long-standing U.S.-Canadian relationship, and expands commercial opportunities in underdeveloped sectors and markets through new partnerships. 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! |
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New Addition to the Website!
We are happy to announce that we will have a Resource Page added to the website. The Resource Page will comprise of Public Resources, Subscriptions, and Site selection tool information. Big thank you to Marion Phillip for her contribution and hard work to getting this done. |
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Research SIG
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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Congratulations to Paula Elaine Anderson, President of the Telfair County Chamber of Commerce, who received a $600 scholarship to attend the GEDA 2022 Spring Workshop on Jekyll Island! Consider applying for a GEDA Professional Development Scholarship Grant today, perhaps to attend the GEDA 2022 Annual Conference in Savannah in September.
Take a few minutes to apply for scholarship grants from GEDA. These grants can deepen your job understanding and enhance your career! They can be used to attend the Spring Workshop and the Annual Conference. Also, you can apply for many Professional Development enhancements, including: the University of Georgia’s Certified Economic Developer (CED) 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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Economic Development Director - City Of West Point
JUN 3rd I West Point, GA I Full-Time
PIN Strategic Engagement Manager - Partnership for Inclusive Innovation
JUN 3rd I Atlanta, GA I Full-Time
Program & Operations Manager
JUN 3rd I Atlanta, GA I Full-Time |
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