Georgia and GEDA… Open for Business
As Governor Kemp has often said “Georgia is open for business.” The Governor’s most recent executive order lifted several restrictions, including the limit on the size of a gathering. Staff, board of directors and myself are looking forward to being together again for the remainder of 2021.
It is Spring Workshop time and boy I am ready to be in person again! Trip Tollison and the Spring Workshop committee have put together a great program at the Legacy Lodge at Lanier Islands this month, and what better theme than GEDA – A Family Reunion. If you haven’t done so already, please make sure to register today for the GEDA 2021 Spring Workshop. We will still have a virtual option for those that cannot attend in person, but we hope that you will be able to join us at Lanier Islands.
There are many great ways for our members to become involved in GEDA. I encourage you to take a look at our Shared Interest Groups and Committees to find an area that you would like to get involved in. Spring Workshop is right around the corner and many of our SIG Committee Chairs will be there, so please reach out to them to get involved.
As of the date of the writing of this column (Monday, May 3) the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), in conjunction with GEDA, has announced the winners of the 2021 Small Business Rock Star Awards. I would like to add my congratulations to the winners, and to all those who were nominated for this year’s competition. Small Businesses have been severely impacted this past year to due the effects of COVID-19, and they are the backbone of our # 1 Business Climate here in the state of Georgia. Be sure to support the small businesses in your community and help our state get back to its place of a 100% healthy business environment.
As we head into summer, I encourage you to visit many of the state’s tourism attractions. We are so fortunate to live in a state that has beaches, mountains and lakes for us to enjoy. I hope that when you start to plan your vacations, you’ll consider visiting some of our many wonderful areas around the state. Earlier today, Governor Kemp announced the launch of our new state tourism campaign Ready. Set. Georgia and the 2021 Explore Georgia Official State Travel Guide. Explore Georgia held a special virtual launch event LIVE from the Georgia Aquarium this morning. Congratulations to the entire Explore Georgia team on all their hard work not only on today’s events, but also successfully creating and executing new initiatives that are important elements of the tourism industry’s recovery.
I look forward to seeing you all again soon!
Andrea Schruijer