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 GEDA will host its March monthly meeting as a virtual event on Monday, March 15, at 10:00 AM, featuring Gretchen Corbin, President of the Georgia Lottery, who will talk about the HOPE and Pre-kindergarten programs and their benefit to economic development. We will also offer a networking session for all registrants from 9:30-9:55 AM (separate sign-in required). Thank you to our sponsor for this event, Cal Wray, President, and the Augusta Economic Development Authority!
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 GEDA 2021 Spring Workshop – GEDA Family Reunion
Hold your breath and cross your fingers, we are planning to meet in-person at this year’s 2021 Spring Workshop (SW21). It is scheduled for May 19-21 at the beautiful Legacy Lodge at Lanier Islands. We are still discussing details as to how this will work and how many people will be allowed to attend, so please be patient with us. There will be a virtual option to accommodate those who can’t attend for one reason or another and for those who might not be able to fit in the space due to COVID restrictions. Trip Tollison, President & CEO of Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA), GEDA Secretary-Treasurer and Chair of SW21, and his committee have established the theme of GEDA- Family Reunion. They are hard at work preparing a value-packed agenda for you, so keep tuned to the GEDA website and watch for emails with additional information, including SW21 registration and room reservations! |
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February Monthly Meeting
  GEDA held its first monthly meeting as a virtual Zoom-call on Monday, February 8th, at 10:00 AM, which featured a legislative update from Camila Knowles, Senior Vice President & Counsel, and Jeff Hamling, Senior Vice President, with Cornerstone Government Affairs, who did a super job of informing our GEDA members of legislative developments, primarily at the State Capitol, but also at the federal level. The networking session at 9:30 AM worked well and will continue to be offered as long as we are doing virtual events. Thanks again to our February monthly meeting sponsor, Dan McRae of Seyfarth Shaw, for his tremendous support!
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Spring is Springing
Life last year was tremendously different due to COVID-19 and it is still turned upside down for all of us. We are having virtual events for the GEDA monthly meetings, at least for now. However, there is hope with the new vaccines that we might get back to a sense of normalcy, perhaps even by this summer. This hope coincides with the change in the seasons. With spring in the air, there are buds on the trees, daffodils and tulip trees are blooming, the temperature is warming-just a tad and it is lighter for more of the days. Even Daylight Savings Time is coming at 2:00 AM on Sunday, March 14th. Aristotle said that "It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light."
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The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Tourism Division has a new vision. It will now organize around two central areas of focus: Tourism Consumer Marketing and Tourism Partner Marketing, with strong support from Tourism Research, Tourism Planning & Budget and tourism division leadership.
The division’s Consumer Marketing team is focused on key travel segments important to Georgia’s tourism recovery and long-term success, and the Partner Marketing team is a reimagined and refocused version of the regional team, as existed in the past. The new regional team is organized around the 12 service regions used successfully by other GDEcD Divisions. Overall, the Tourism Division will lead tourism marketing efforts focused on the consumers of travel to and within Georgia, and continue to work closely with GDEcD Marketing & Communications on B2B marketing aimed at generating goodwill and support for the tourism industry and overall economic development efforts with key stakeholders that include elected officials, business and community leaders and news media.
A newly announced senior leadership team at Explore Georgia will help drive this vision:
 Deputy Commissioner - Mark Jaronski
 Division Director - Meggan Hood
 Director, Tourism Research - Ashley Barfield
 Director, Tourism Partner Marketing - Brittney Gray
 Director, Tourism Consumer Marketing - Regan Young
 Mellissa Takeuchi began as Project Manager in the Global Commerce Division on February 16th. She will report to Division Director Ashley Varnum, Division Director.
GDEcD’s 2020 Year in Review has a new look! This year’s version has a slightly different approach, highlighting the work that GDEcD does through the lens of individual stories, organized across the twelve regions. This provides audiences with stories and talking points about home regions, demonstrating the variety of approaches taken to ensure Georgia’s economic vitality. You can see the flipbook on GDEcD’s website here, or navigate there from the About Us page on Georgia.org. |
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 Megan Baker, CEcD, formerly Vice President, Fayette County Development Authority, has been promoted to President. Read more…
 Joan Young, current President & CEO, will transition to Chief Strategy Officer, Fayette County Development Authority, guiding its long-term economic development and business strategy.
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| ** Names highlighted in orange below are GEDA members with hyperlinks to their email addresses.** |
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Cottrell to Invest $125 Million in Gainesville, Hall County Expansion
February 16, 2021 – Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Cottrell, an industry leader in manufacturing and assembling over-the-road car haulers and equipment, will establish a second manufacturing facility in Gainesville. This will serve as the company’s North Campus, adjacent to their existing South Campus in Hall County. Cottrell will invest $125 million in the new 500,000-square-foot facility, which will also create new jobs.
Congratulations to the following large cast of characters, who worked collaboratively to win this project: Tim Evans, CEcD, Vice President-Economic Development, Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce; Tim McDonald, Executive Vice President, Lanier Technical College; Bryan Lackey, the City of Gainesville; Philip Wilheit, Chairman and two-time GEDA Volunteer of the Year, and Tread Syfan, Attorney and Bond Counsel, Gainesville and Hall County Development Authority; Tate O’Rouke, Business Development Manager, and David Lee, Gainesville District Manager, Jackson EMC; Rope Roberts, Community Development Manager, Georgia Power; Rodger Brown, Director of Strategic Communications, Quick Start; Brian Rochester, Executive Vice-President, Rochester & Associates and Chairman of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; and Tammy Caudell, Business Development, and Brian Daniel, President & CEO, Carroll Daniel Construction; also Kristi Brigman of GDEcD who coordinated the project! Read more… |
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Integrated Fiber Solutions Announces $30 Million Expansion in Rome
February 16, 2021 – Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Integrated Fiber Solutions (IFS), a manufacturer of synthetic bulked continuous filament (BCF) yarns for the carpet, rug, and automotive industries, will invest $30 million in expanding their operations in Rome, Georgia, to meet growing demand. This expansion will bring approximately 40 additional jobs to Floyd County.
Kudos to Missy Kendrick, President & CEO, Rome-Floyd County Development Authority; Tamara Brock, Region 1 Project Manager, Existing Industry And Regional Recruitment Team, Global Commerce Division, GDEcD; and Elyse Davis, Community Development Manager, Georgia Power; who worked on this project as partners in this expansion. Read more… |
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Freshly Inc. to Open First Southeastern U.S. Facility in Austell, Creating 250 Jobs
February 10, 2021 – Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that fresh-prepared meal delivery service Freshly Inc. is investing $3.2 million in opening a distribution facility in Austell. The company will bring on 150 employees during the initial operating phase and plans to hire at least 250 at the Cobb facility by the end of 2021. The 134,000-square-foot facility will be Freshly’s largest dedicated order-assembly facility to date and will begin operating in mid-February.
A shout out to Amanda Blanton, Director, Economic Development, Cobb Chamber of Commerce; Hank Evans, Director, Logistics, Energy, Agribusiness & Food Team, Global Commerce Division, GDEcD; and Grant Cagle, Manager, Industrial Project Management, Electric Cities of Georgia; who worked collaboratively on this project! Read more… |
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KB Autosys to Open Company’s First U.S. Automotive Manufacturing Facility in Meriwether County, Create 180 Jobs
February 3, 2021 – Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that KB Autosys, a brake pad supplier, will invest $38 million in opening their first U.S. advanced manufacturing facility in Georgia. The company will create 180 jobs in Meriwether County to meet product demand from several automotive customers in the region, including GM, Hyundai, and Kia Motors.
Commendations to Jane Fryer, President, Meriwether County Development Authority; June Lee, Attorney with Nelson Mullins; Kevin Brown, Esq., Partner and Development Authority Attorney, Seyfarth Shaw; Yoonie Kim , Director of Korean Investment, Global Commerce Division, GDEcD; Charles Stallworth, Business Recruitment Director, Georgia Power; and Rodger Brown, Director of Strategic Communications, Georgia Quick Start; who worked together on this competitive project! Read more… |
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Gov. Kemp: Georgia Ranked Top 10 Exporting State in 2020 for First Time
February 15, 2021 - Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that the State of Georgia ranked among the United States’ Top Ten exporting states in 2020 for the first time. Georgia merchandise exports reached 215 unique countries and territories and experienced the lowest rate of export contraction among all top ten states, despite headwinds from a global pandemic. Read more… |
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| Georgia Ports now offers virtual, 360-degree tours of its facilities around the state. For additional information, please click here. |
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| Committee & Shared Interest Group (SIG) News |
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Action Plans for 2021
Click here to read the committee and shared interest group (SIG) action plans for 2021.
To sign up for a Committee or Shared Interest Group (SIG) click here.
Professional Development - Scholarship - Grants
Apply today for scholarship grants from GEDA in 2021. Scholarships can deepen your job understanding and enhance your career! They can be used for many things, including attending the GEDA Spring Workshop or Annual Conference, 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.
Public Policy Committee
Remember, Legislative Updates are emailed every Monday during the Legislative Session of the General Assembly. You can also find them on the website here.
Professional Development Committee
The first webinar in a series of five that will be held on March 25th at 10:00 AM. Tim Chason, President, The Chason Group, Inc., will be our first program. The subject will be “Investing in Your Career.”
Tim Chason serves as President of The Chason Group, which was formed in 2003. The company specializes in executive level searches for companies and non-profit organizations, strategic visioning plans, coordinating relationship building strategies, and building operating structures.
Tim has over thirty years of experience in the business and non-profit world. Learn more and register…
Education Pathways and Partnerships SIG
The Education Pathways & Partnerships SIG will be hosting a Zoom call on Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 2:00 PM. Registration will be free and for GEDA members only, but registration is required. This will be a presentation by Dr. Dana Rickman, President of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education.
Dana is the fourth president of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, having previously served in positions of vice president and research and policy director. Learn More and Register…
Special Services Awards Committee
2021 Deal of the Year Nominations are now open. Click here to Learn about the nomination criteria and deadlines as well as access to nomination forms. Deadline for nominations is July 31, 2021.
Existing Industry and Workforce Development Committee
Webinar Series in partnership with the UGA Carl Vinson Institute
Save the Dates: Fourth Tuesday of April, June, August & October
1) April 22, 2021, Successful K-12 Engagement Strategies
- Connect Newton, Educator Externship – Newton County School System & Newton County Industrial Development Authority
- BePro BeProud - Cherokee Office of Economic Development
- This Girl Can – Golden Isles College and Career Academy & Golden Isles Development Authority
2) June 24, 2021, Leveraging YouScience in your Talent Development Strategy
3) August 26, 2021, Data and Strategies for Reaching Unemployed and Underemployed Individuals
4) October 28, 2021, The Workforce of the Future
Registration information coming soon.
Announcement from the Existing Industry and Workforce Development Committee
The Georgia Department of Education is excited to announce that they are accepting applications for the next cohort of the Economic Development Partnership (EDP) designation. The application window will be from March 1-31, 2021. Developed in conjunction with GEDA, the original EDP pilot ran during the 2018-2019 school year. Five school districts earned the EDP during the pilot. To learn more and download the application click here.
Business Recruitment Committee
Lonnie Smallwood, Business Recruitment Committee Chair, has recruited Jassy Ji, Project Manager, Manufacturing and Supply Chain for Partnership Gwinnett, and Justin Strickland, Director, Industrial Development for OmniTRAX as Vice Chairs for the Committee. |
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR - CITY OF SMYRNA GEORGIA
Posted On: FEB 26
Position to be filled by March 22, 2021. Location: Smyrna, Georgia Category: Local Government Position Type: Full Time Education Requirement:...
PRESIDENT & CEO - CONYERS ROCKDALE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
Posted On: FEB 26
Position to be filled by May 3, 2021 Location: Conyers, Georgia Category: Development Authority Position Type: Full Time Education...
BUSINESS RETENTION AND EXPANSION MANAGER - DECIDE DEKALB
Posted On: FEB 24
Position to be filled by April 1, 2021 Location: Decatur, Georgia Category: Development Authority Position Type: Full Time Education...
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH PROJECT MANAGER - VALDOSTA LOWNDES COUNTY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Posted On: FEB 18
Date position is to be filled: March 13, 2021 Location: Valdosta, Georgia Categories: Development Authority, Education, Local Government, State... |
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