March 2012 Newsletter

Featured Articles GEDA's 50th Anniversary Georgia Grown Program GDEcD International Trade Update Congrats, Scholarship Recipients! Membership Survey Results GEDA Ambassador Program Going for the Gold! IEDC Awards Congratulations, Scholarship Recipients! Second Round of Applications Due Next Month! GEDA's Professional Development Committee completed the first round of scholarship recommendations recently and the Board of Directors unanimously approved the names.  It was a very difficult selection process as GEDA received 12 applications for the three scholarships.  CONGRATULATIONS go to our three recipients of the Bob Cassell Scholarship for the Georgia Tech Basic Economic Development Course: Dawn Malin, Okefenokee Chamber of Commerce Laura Hale, Development Authority of Butts County Charles Lee, Development Authority of Washington County Also, the time is NOW to apply for our second round of scholarships.  All of the information and forms you will need can be found on the GEDA Professional Development Committee page. Scholarships available to be awarded in April include: IEDC Courses, CEcD Exam, GEDA Spring Workshop, Community Development Institute, Economic Development Institute and International Missions.  The Committee will be awarding as much as $8,000 in April.  APPLY TODAY!! Survey Results You Speak ... We Listen As you recall, GEDA's new Communications & Marketing Committee recently asked you to fill out a survey sharing your thoughts about GEDA - our programs, our communications - in order to best serve your wants and needs.  Here are the results of that survey.  We were very pleased with the number of responses (THANK YOU!) and with the data we received.   In summary, most people feel that GEDA programs (both luncheons and conferences) provide good value.   Networking and speaker quality were seen as equally important in terms of the quality of the program.  Location was a distant third. Most people are satisfied with the level of communication from GEDA. Email is still the clear favorite as a vehicle for us to send information.  Newsletter and website were the next two choices. You can see the full results here.   Thank you again for your responses!  We will working to address specific issues mentioned in the survey responses as best we can. GEDA Ambassadors Sign Up for this Exciting New Program GEDA recently sent an email enlisting your support of the newest program from our Membership Services Committee - the Ambassador Program.  However, the survey link in the email wasn't working properly.  We have received good response so far, but still need a few more volunteers.  If you are willing to serve GEDA by helping acclimate our newest members into the fold, please take a few seconds to complete this short (I mean, 5 questions short) survey.  Thanks! For any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Membership Services Committee Chair, Roger Harrison.

GEDA's 50th Anniversary GEDA is gearing up to celebrate our 50th year!  Formed in 1963, the Georgia Industrial Developers Association began as a small gathering of professionals interested in moving Georgia out of the nation’s economic cellar.  That team of rivals worked on important infrastructure investments and began getting good jobs for Georgians. Although our name evolved with the times, the Georgia Economic Developers Association is still today the big tent organization focused on helping professionals and civic leaders make Georgia a competitive contender for global economic development. GIDA/GEDA has had a significant impact on important policies, programs and initiatives throughout those 50 years; it’s time to take stock of why, what, how, when and where GIDA/GEDA and its members made a difference and helped Georgia grow great communities, good jobs and tax digest improving our quality of life.  We want to celebrate our successes, assess where we are today and focus on forging ahead for the next 50 years. Thanks to bold leadership, the February 2012 GEDA Board of Directors unanimously authorized the 50th Anniversary Committee to move full steam ahead on a tight timeline to find important content … documents, photos, audio visual archival treasures.  We are gearing up to capture living history perspectives from key leaders.  To that end, GEDA contracted with Deb Murphy, a content management professional, to help us gather, organize and capture historic nuggets.  With Deb’s professional help and a growing body of public and private sector support we are increasingly jazzed about the high potential possibilities and opportunities manifesting through our 50th Anniversary!!! Here are 3 ways you can help: Please provide your own archival treasures and memories directly to Deb Murphy.  Her email address is deb@geda.org.  Content may be delivered directly to GEDA’s offices 75 5th Street, NW Suite 1200 Atlanta, GA 30308 You can also bring content to GEDA Monthly Luncheons (Attn: Deb Murphy or Mike Pennington.)   GEDA’s 50th Anniversary Committee Co-Chairs, Annie Hunt Burriss and Jim Lenahan want your ideas and support.  Contacts: ahburriss@gmail.com (404-422-1442) and jim@lenahan.biz (404-803-2134). Stay tuned to the GEDA website as we’ll post regular updates on progress, needs and save the date events important to you going forward.  Georgia Grown Program The Georgia Department of Agriculture, under the leadership of new Commissioner Gary Black, recently launched a new economic development initiative for Georgia agribusinesses and the companies looking for local business resources. The Georgia Grown program will bring together an array of members from small artisans and niche farmers interested in growing their business to multinational corporations looking to increase trade opportunities and add jobs. It is open to anyone in the state interested in supporting the state’s No. 1 industry, which has a $68.9 billion output impact on Georgia’s economy each year. “The benefits of a successful program that reaches across the state and beyond will be wide-reaching,” said Commissioner Black of the program, which launched in Jan. 2012. “From economic and job growth to the environmental benefits from reduced crop applications, sourcing locally benefits everyone in the supply chain.” He added the program also will offer a better understanding of agriculture, its impact on everyday life and the opportunities it affords in terms of future employment and investment to businesses and the public. Businesses interested in having a listing on the program’s easy-to-search database can post business contact information for free. However, Georgia Grown subscription memberships, available at $100, $500 or $2,500 annual membership levels, offer specific additional benefits to help businesses grow and reach the next level of success. Those benefits range from professionally designed Georgia Grown marketing tools and templates to economic development help for businesses looking to become regional and even international suppliers. Additionally customized sponsorship packages also are available on request.  Go to www.georgiagrown.com for more information about the Georgia Grown program or to join. Businesses interested in learning more about Sponsor-level packages should call program director Branden Lisi at 678-447-2228.  International Trade in Georgia in 2011 Press Release from GDEcD Georgia’s international trade in 2011 continued its upward trajectory of the past several years, with both exports and imports growing in numbers and value, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics released last week. The state recorded its highest-ever total for the value of goods exported during a single year: $34.7 billion, up 20 percent from $28.9 billion in 2010. Imports jumped 11 percent, totaling $67 billion. “More and more companies in Georgia are discovering how trade can help them grow, and learning what the state can do to help them,” said Chris Cummiskey, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “Job growth created through global trade is helping economic recovery not only in Georgia, but around the country.” For the first time in Georgia’s history, Asia outpaced traditional leader the Americas and other world regions as the top destination for the state’s exporters, reflecting the region’s growing dominance in global commerce. The percentage of exports headed to Asia jumped to 39 percent in 2011 from 33 percent last year. The Americas once again captured 36 percent of Georgia’s exports, while 18 percent went to the European Union. Georgia continues to rank as the nation’s 12th leading U.S. state in dollar value of exports. Canada, China, and Mexico remained Georgia’s top three export destinations, while Singapore nudged aside Japan to claim the fourth spot. Canada alone accounted for 18 percent of Georgia’s exports. Rounding out the top 10 destinations were Germany, Brazil, the U.K., Hong Kong, and South Korea. Among Georgia’s top 10 export destinations, the largest increases were in exports to Singapore (87%), South Korea (43%) and China (33%).  Click here to read the full report.

2012 Events Calendar March 19  Luncheon at Kia Training Center in West Point.  5 Years Later - a Look Back at the Kia Deal.  (Optional tour of the plant available after the luncheon.  You must register if you'd like to participate!) April 16  Luncheon at Marriott Renaissance Midtown on the T-SPLOST - vote is coming up very soon!! May 16-18  Spring Workshop at Brasstown Valley (Call today to reserve your rooms!)  Going for the Gold!  Registration will open soon. Welcome New Members Ginger Carrington, Department of Labor Meghan Duke, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority Drew Fredrick, Panattoni Construction Greg Getry, ADP Jim Ivey, Rosser Charles Lee, Washington County Walter Mattox, Development Authority of Randolph County Pete Muthoga, Student Scott Ricks, Panattoni Construction Travis Stegall, Student Nadine Walley, Department of Labor Jamon Williams, Department of Labor Going for the Gold! Spring Workshop 2012 Brasstown Valley Many of you have been asking about 2012 Spring Workshop.  We have just a few final details on the registration page - we are trying to make sure everything is in order before we open it.  Rest assured ... you'll have plenty of time to register for this fantastic event!  With a Presidential election, the Olympics in London and on the heels of the Georgia Competitive Initiative, Tim Evans and his committee have created a theme of "Going for the Gold!"  It's all about being competitive in today's economic development market.  We have some super fun surprises in store, so keep watching your email for the big announcement! And, oh yeah, make sure to make your hotel reservations by calling Brasstown Valley.  We WILL sell out the property, so get your reservations in NOW before it's too late.  Call 1-800-201-3205. IEDC Awards 2012 Excellence in Economic Development Awards IEDC's Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year’s most influential leaders. These prestigious awards honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities.  This is your time to shine! Send in that innovative program, promotion, or project and get the recognition you and your organization deserve. The International Economic Development Council’s 2012 Excellence in Economic Development Awards kicked off its Call for Entries on February 13th and will end on May 18th. Enter before April 13th to receive an early bird discount. Please visit http://www.iedconline.org to learn more and to download the entry packet.