April 2012 Newsletter

Featured Articles Go For the Gold Nominations Roads and Bridges and Rail ... Georgia @ Work Time Capsule Deal of the Year Awards NBIA Conference Georgia @ Work Updates from GDEcD GEDA is very excited to announce a new way to get you the latest news from the Georgia Department of Economic Development.  GDEcD has begun producing a piece called "Georgia @ Work."  Through our partnership, we will post these newsletters on our website as soon as we receive them.  It's very easy to find.  Hover over the "News" tab on the GEDA home page.  The menu that pops open has 4 options: the third option is "GDEcD News." Click on that and you'll be taken to this page that has the latest updates. (The March version is already there for you to see.) Check back every month for the latest updates! Time Capsule! So Much Better than Al Capone's Vault ...  As you know, GEDA is gearing up for the monumental occasion that is our 50th Anniversary celebration in 2013.  Our new content project manager, Deb Murphy, has been hard at work making contacts and digging through archival materials, and now she already has a signature find!  At the 25th Anniversary celebration for GIDA, we created a time capsule to be opened at the 50th Anniversary celebration.  It's been found!  We have the time capsule and will begin making preparations for the big unveiling next year! Now - it's your turn.  What do you have in your own vaults and time capsules at home?  Do you have pictures, articles, stories, programs ... anything that you think will be of value?  Send it to us and we will take special precautions to return it to you exactly as we receive it.  You can mail items to GEDA offices (75 5th Street, NW, Suite 1200, Atlanta 30308) or, when applicable, email them to us.  2013 will be here before you know it!

Go For the Gold Pollen is in the nine thousands; Chipper Jones is injured; azaleas are in full bloom ... that means that GEDA Spring Workshop is almost here!  In this Olympic year, we will "Go For the Gold" at Brasstown Valley - May 16-18, 2012. This will be a tremendous program with exciting opportunities every day!  Wednesday has breakout sessions on the film industry, creative incentives, how to be a high quality organization and small business.  That night we'll have a great dinner outside followed by a screening of a Georgia-filmed movie (trust me - you'll like it).  Thursday brings Chris Clark's update on the Competitiveness Initiative, famed author and speaker Gus Whalen and a special opportunity to hear from past GEDA members, now in other states, on their opinions of Georgia as a competitor.  Optional activities include a twist this year: based on your feedback - we're offering an exciting educational opportunity Thursday afternoon called IGNITE!  Fast-paced, educational and fun!  Friday morning will have a star-studded update from the Gold Dome followed by a detailed analysis of the recent Caterpillar decision.  It will be an incredible three days!! Our host hotel, Brasstown Valley, is completely booked solid for our three days.  If you have not yet booked a room, you can still call The Ridges Resort (less than three miles away) at 888-834-4409. And don't forget - we have a super-cool new mobile app for the conference!  Sponsored by the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, this app is FREE to download and comes in all three formats - iPhone (iPad), Droid and Blackberry.  EVERYTHING you would ever want to know about the conference is there.  Check it out today!  Scan this code to the right for the free download.  Nominations! The 2012 GEDA Nominating Committee is charged with developing a slate of candidates to move into leadership roles in GEDA. The Committee is chaired by Pat Topping as our past-past Chair.  The Nominating Committee is looking for one person to serve as GEDA's newest officer, in the role of Secretary-Treasurer and four candidates to serve three-year terms on the Board of Directors.  To nominate an active member you can fill out this simple form online.  Please keep in mind that complete nominations give the committee the best information for making their decisions.  Click hear to see the full message from Pat Topping, as well as a list of our current board and the qualifications of the ideal candidate.  Thanks! Roads and Bridges and Rail ... Oh My! T SPLOST Vote is Coming Soon We all know the importance of transportation infrastructure to our state's economy.  Economic development is so often driven by connectivity ... to the ports, suppliers, other markets, other countries, etc.  We also know that funding for our state's Department of Transportation has been insufficient to cover the upkeep of our existing infrastructure and handle the growth created by our economic development successes.  Our chance to do something about that gap is coming on July 31.  The Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Transportation Alliance are teaming to run campaigns in 11 of Georgia's 12 regions - the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce is working on the Atlanta region.  GEDA's April luncheon will bring those three groups to us to tell us what is being done, what we can do and what to expect for the next four months leading up to the vote.  Chris Clark, Doug Callaway and Renay Blumenthal will be our guest speakers for the day.  This is an extremely important issue and I hope you will be able to join us at our April 16th luncheon at the Marriott Renaissance.  (Thank you to the Covington-Newton County Chamber of Commerce and Bridgestone Golf for sponsoring the luncheon.) And don't forget the super-special opportunity we will have during the luncheon.  GEDA's 50th Anniversary Committee is convening a meeting of the pillars that created and built GIDA/GEDA into what it is today.  We have already heard from many of these leaders that they will be able to join us for the luncheon!  This is a great opportunity for some of the newer GEDA members to meet and learn from these great individuals. And then after the luncheon, we have the iPad for Economic Development course led by our Young Professionals Committee.  REGISTER TODAY!

2012 Events Calendar 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.   Going for the Gold!  Register today! Welcome New Members Joanna Barnes, ADP Elisabeth Fletcher, Thomaston-Upson County IDA Dan McHugh, ECS Limited Jessica Melton, Student Christopher Pettis, Wells Fargo Deal of the Year Awards Do You Have the Winner? Do you have a big announcement?  Do you have that special project that took tons of hard work but was so worth it once they located? GEDA is continuing one of our newest but most popular traditions by awarding our Deal of the Year honors at this year's annual conference.  It's almost time to submit those applications so be on the lookout for information coming from us. As an added bonus, we are now sending our Deal of the Year winners on to the SEDC competition for their CEDA Awards - no extra work for you! NBIA Conference 26th Annual Conference in Atlanta Go beyond best practices and explore the cutting edge of entrepreneur support at NBIA’s 26th International Conference on Business Incubation, scheduled for May 6-9, 2012, in Atlanta. NBIA’s conference is the premier event in the incubation industry, so you won’t want to miss this opportunity to share ideas with colleagues and gather tools and techniques to improve your program. With more than 60 educational sessions as well as incubator tours, keynote addresses and networking opportunities, the conference offers something for everyone. The Preconference Institute features six full-day workshops. Two of these workshops – Serving Client Companies and Facilities Management – fulfill requirements for the NBIA Incubator Management Certificate Program. The other four provide intensive training on other topics of interest for industry professionals, from those who are just exploring the idea of starting an incubator to seasoned managers who want to learn new strategies and skills.