May 2010 Newsletter

Featured Articles Bylaws Revision Spring Workshop Registration Sad News Rooms at Spring Workshop June Luncheon  Sine Die June Luncheon Speakers GEDA is pleased to welcome three consultants. Each year for the past several years, GEDA has welcomed site selection consultants to a monthly luncheon, and that always seems to be one of our most popular programs.  This year will be no different, as we are bringing three leaders to address our membership: Amy Gerber, Senior Vice President at Jones Lang LaSalle Jay Garner, President of Garner Economics Kate McEnroe, President of Kate McEnroe Consulting In response to your feedback on our most recent survey, GEDA will take our show on the road for this program.  We will be meeting at the new Macon Marriott City Center.  The program will be held on June 21.  Watch next month's Gazette and your email for more details. Sine Die (Finally) 2009-2010 Legislative Session Draws to a Close   The 2009-2010 Georgia General Assembly finally dropped the final gavel on April 29, the latest adjournment date in modern history. Please see the attached legislative update.  There, you can read about those bills and resolutions that have passed both legislative bodies and now sit on Governor Perdue's desk, awaiting a signature or veto. Campaign season is cranking up now, so we will have plenty to digest and process over the next several months.

GEDA Bylaws Revision Are major changes in store for GEDA?  YOU help decide! Over the past few years, the GEDA Executive Committee and Board of Directors have been approached with some potential tweaks to our Bylaws - some of them major and some minor.  There were a few more requests that came forward last year.  President Pat Topping took that as an opportunity to go through the entire document and see what revisions were needed and what changes could be made to make us a better Association for you.  President Topping appointed a Task Force, co-chaired by Bob Simmons and Timothy Wang, to go through the entire document; compare against the Bylaws of like associations within Georgia AND outside the state; and to make recommendations on ways we could improve.  After months of review and study, the Bylaws Revision Task Force presented a document to the Board of Directors in January.  Since then, there has been a greatd eal of discussion regarding those proposed changes and what should be submitted to the membership for the vote.  Rest assured, GEDA members, the document you are seeing has been very well thought out and discussed at length.  There are no changes included here that were put in here just for the sake of change.  There is a meaning and story behind every change.  There are a few documents for your review that are available on this special website. What we need from YOU is for you to review this document.  Study it and, more importantly, let us know what you think!  We have a Discussion Forum available for people to share their ideas, thoughts, comments, concerns and questions.  You can go to the Discussion Forum and review all of the materials, read what others think and post your own thoughts and ideas. NOTE:  We WILL have a vote on these proposed Bylaws changes at the 2010 Spring Workshop!  We hope that everyone will come to the meeting informed and feeling as though they had input into the decisions.  We want what is best for GEDA!  So, make your voice heard! Spring Workshop Registration TODAY is the Spring Workshop Early Bird deadline!  Make sure to get your reservation in today!  Go to our registration page to learn more.  JEKYLL CONSTRUCTION UPDATE:  Also, please be aware that Jekyll Island's lone gas station is no longer in service.  They are busily working on building a new one in the same location.  However, it will not be open until after we have departed.  Please make sure to fill up your tanks BEFORE you get onto the island!  Sad News From GEDA  Long-time GEDA supporter and a tireless advocate for rural economic development in Georgia, Johnny Clifton passed away last week. Mr. John F. “Johnny” Clifton, age 60 of Ailey, died Friday, April 30, 2010 at his home. He was a lifelong resident of Montgomery County, and a 1967 Graduate of Montgomery County High School. He was a farmer for many years, and in 1981 was named “Man of the Year” in the Soil and Water Conservation Monthly. He was employed with Weyerhaeuser of Lyons for ten years, and was the Executive Director of the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce for ten years. He was a member of the Higgston Baptist Church, and was preceded in death by his father, T.R. Clifton on April 9th 2010.   Mr. Clifton is survived by his wife, Gloria Joseph Clifton of Ailey, three children, Candice Clifton and Derek Clifton of Savannah and Clay Clifton of Ailey, his mother, Mary C. Clifton of Ailey, his mother-in-law, Margaret Joseph, a sister-in-law, Darla Kicklighter of both of Glennville, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. He loved and was loved by his friends and family.   Those desiring may make memorial contributions to the American Heart Association, 1101 Northchase Parkway Suite 1 Marietta, GA 30067, or by visiting their website at www.americanheart.org.   Room Block for Spring Workshop Information about our rooms at the Hampton Inn Spring Workshop is going to be a hit!  At least, we can guess that based on the hotel room situation.  We have only a few rooms left at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, so we have blocked rooms at the brand new Hampton Inn & Suites.  Call 912-635-0668 and ask to speak with Claire Moody.  Tell her you are with the Georgia Economic Developers Association for our special rate of only $119 a night.

Upcoming Events May 19-21  GEDA Spring Workshop.  Register today.  (Early bird deadline is THIS FRIDAY, May 7!) June 21  Monthly Luncheon featuring three site selection consultants!  Macon Marriott City Center. JULY  NO PROGRAM IN JULY. New Members Please help us welcome our newest members! Molly Taylor, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Brandt Herndon, Fayette County Development Authority Luke Howe, City of Doraville Cerita Willie, Student Christopher Park, Batson Cook Construction Leslie Kane, Crye-Leike Relocation   Connect with GEDA Easiest Way to Receive Updates Real Simple Synidcation (RSS) feeds are now available for this new version of the GEDA Gazette.  At the very bottom of this screen, you will seen several words - one of them is "RSS."  Click on RSS and you will go to a sign up page for the RSS feeds.  Once there, you can name the feed, place it in a folder, etc.  Once you have finished this - whenever a new Gazette is published, it will automatically appear in your RSS Feed folder (which is in Microsoft Outlook for many people.)  This is the easiest and quisckest way to get the LATEST updates from GEDA!