November 2019 Chair's Column

November is the beginning of the holiday season, a time when we can look back on the year and count our blessings.  Many of our members celebrated happy moments in 2019… some got married, welcomed new babies, or found a new job.  Others may have found heartache in 2019… the passing of a cherished loved one, separation from family, or a health concern.  No matter the circumstance, though, we know that we are not alone.  For many of our members, GEDA is like family… they celebrate the good times together, and they mourn together in the bad times.  So, on this first week of the holiday season, I am thankful for the friends that I also call “family.”

With that spirit of Thanksgiving in mind, let me count my thanks…

I am truly thankful for our GEDA staff, Kevin and Kelly. They work so hard to keep our organization running smoothly.  Many of us only see them at the monthly meetings, but they put in a lot of hours working on state-level issues, traveling to every corner of our state to support members, and working with the Georgia Department of Economic Development and utility partners to keep Georgia on the center stage.  Without them, our organization would not have the prestige it has earned across the country.

We couldn’t function as a group without the financial resources of our sponsors, so I am extremely grateful to all of our sponsors.  Our Champions Circle includes Gulfstream, Georgia Power, the Development Authority of Fulton County, Georgia EMC and the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce.  Our Winners Circle sponsors are Baker Tilly, the Dalton-Whitfield County JDA, Electric Cities of Georgia, MEAG Power, and W&A Engineering.  And I can’t leave out our monthly program sponsors and Annual/Spring Conference sponsors.  Their contributions are what make GEDA a top-notch educational organization.

Finally, I am thankful for all of the wonderful members of GEDA. We are a volunteer organization, and without your tireless efforts, we wouldn’t have our fantastic track record.  To all of the leaders who established GEDA, I thank you for building a legacy that will stand the test of time.  To all of the members of our Board, thank you for leading our organization in 2019 and into 2020.  Thank you also to our Committee and Shared Interest Group Chairs and members for their time and effort expended on GEDA’s behalf.  Lastly, but certainly not least, thank you to all of our members… thank you for bringing new jobs, attracting new investment, and working every day to make your communities great places to live.

I challenge everyone to count their blessings as we move toward Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We have a lot to be thankful for, and I truly believe that if we stop to appreciate all that we have, we will find that our blessings outweigh our sorrows…. and for that, I truly am thankful.