Featured Articles
 You may have noticed a little something extra wrapped in your copy of Georgia Trend magazine this month. GEDA has spent the last year collecting stories, facts, photographs, articles, and more to create a publication celebrating economic development in Georgia, the role YOU have played in Georgia’s growth and the vital role our professionals play in the lives of our citizens.
We set out to accomplish many goals with this publication:
- Show the tremendous economic rise our state has taken in the last half century,
- Highlight the role our members have played in that growth,
- Demonstrate the vital importance of having professional, highly-trained economic developers at the state and local level,
- Celebrate the great partnerships that GEDA has been able to enjoy,
- Look ahead to what the future holds for the state and for the association.
We hope that you will be able to use this piece as a resource for years to come. A wise man once said, “You know you’re an economic developer if you’re 43 years old and your mother still doesn’t understand what you do for a living.” This book will go a long way toward describing the great work you do and how very important it is.
Thank you to Deb Murphy for coordinating and managing the project, Susan Contreras for writing the entire piece, Heidi Rizzi (and the entire Georgia Trend team) for the layout and printing work and of course Dr. Annie Hunt Burriss and Jim Lenahan – co-chairs of our 50th Anniversary Committee. This is their vision, and we are all better off for it.
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Happy New Year! GEDA hopes that everyone had a wonderful holiday season and is back ready to kick off a GREAT 2013!
We are ready to start things off with a bang at the GEDA Legislative Luncheon on Wednesday, January 30th. We had tremendous support from everyone last year and great attendance from the legislators. This is an unbeatable opportunity to rub elbows and break bread with the decision-makers at the Capitol. Impress your Board and staff with a great trip to Atlanta and chance to discuss those issues that matter to YOU and your community in an intimate setting.
Early bird deadline for registrations is next Friday, January 18. Send us your reservations today and make sure to include your Board and other key local leaders. All of your guests can come at the member rate!
Also, GEDA has invited all legislators to attend the luncheon, but it means SO MUCH MORE if you, the constituent, call your Senators and Representatives urging them to join you for lunch. Please take this opportunity to invite them to lunch - at GEDA's expense! That's right - Legislators do not have to pay thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Douglas-Coffee Co Chamber & Development Authority!
If your new year's resolutions include personal or professional improvement, look no further! There is no better way to make friends, meet clients, and learn more about economic development than to get involved with the Committee and Special Interest Groups (SIG) of GEDA. We have 10 committees and 7 SIGs to choose from so there's sure to be something for you. Click here to learn more and to sign up.
Committees:
Business Recruitment - Chair: Amanda Shailendra, GDEcD
Business Retention & Expansion
Development Authority Executives - Chair: Eric McDonald, Polk Co. Development Authority
Marketing & Communications - Chair: Kevin Johnson, Georgia Power & John Riddle, Wayne Co. Chamber & Economic Development Authority
Membership Services - Chair: Roger Harrison, Covington-Newton Co. Chamber
Professional Development - Chair: Joy Wilkins, UGA
Public Policy - Chair: Elmer Stancil, GDEcD
Special Service Awards - Chair: Morgan Law, Robins Regional Chamber of Commerce
Sponsorship - Chair: Brian Dill, Carroll Tomorrow
Young Professionals - Chair: Annie Baxter, GDEcD
SIGs:
Education & Workforce Development
Entrepreneur Development - Chair: Eric Van Otteren, City of Snellville
Infrastructure - Chair: Page Siplon, GDEcD Center of Innovation for Logistics
Natural Resources & Environment - Chair: Bill Bryant, Georgia Power
Non-Traditional Economic Development - Chair: Alison Starnes, City of Dunwoody
Research - Chair: Jennifer Zeller, Georgia Power
Rural Development - Chair: Dorie Bacon, Screven Co. Development Authority
 Each year, GEDA awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to support the professional development of our members. These scholarships cover a significant portion of the expenses associated with many of the programs you value.
In 2012, more than $15,000 were awarded through three rounds of applications and we are doing it again in 2013. Round 1 applications are due February 1st. Programs which may be eligible for scholarship support include:
- Community Development Institute
- Georgia Tech Basic Economic Development Course (Atlanta) – March 12-15th
- Upcoming IEDC exam dates:
- April 13-14 (Alexandria, VA)
- June 8-9 (Ann Arbor, MI)
- October 5-6 (Philadelphia, PA)
- Stay tuned. We may soon announce dates for ATLANTA in December 2013!
NOTE: In 2013, GEDA will award a total of ONE scholarship for the Community Development Institute (CDI), THREE scholarships for the Georgia Tech Basic Economic Development Course, and TWO scholarships for IEDC courses. If the total number of available scholarships for the CDI and IEDC are not awarded in Round 1, they will be offered in later rounds.
In these tight fiscal times, let GEDA help you continue your professional development journey. Apply for a scholarship today! To download an application, please go to the Professional Development Committee documents page. For further information on GEDA’s scholarship program, please contact Joy Wilkins, 2013 Professional Development Committee chair, at 404-895-6115 or jwilkins@georgiasbdc.org.
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2013 Events Calendar
January 30. Legislative Luncheon. James H. Sloppy Floyd Building. Invite your legislators today!
February 18. Luncheon at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center. Registration will open soon.
2013 Calendar
New Members in December
Doug Duncan, MAU
Lonnie Smallwood, Electric Cities of Georgia
Mohu Sultana, M2SYS Technology
Trip Tollison, Savannah Economic Development Authority
App of the Month
UX Write
 This month’s app is the most expensive one we have ever featured, but it also may be one of the most useful. One of the main knocks against the iPad has been lack of real office software tools, like word processors, etc. This $14.99 app has the most functionality of other apps we have seen. Watch the video demo to see some of the neat tricks and decide for yourself whether or not this is worth downloading.
Click here to recommend an app.
Let's Go Back in Time
As we are celebrating 50 years of GEDA, we will look back at some of the big stories from 1963. Where were you when … ?
Major Headlines From 1963:
- March 21st - Alcatraz federal penitentiary in SF Bay closed
- May 1st - 1st American (James Whittaker) conquers Mount Everest
- June 10th - JFK signs law for equal pay for equal work for men & women
- June 3 – Pope John XXIII dies. Succeeded by Pope Paul VI
- July 8th - US bans all monetary transactions with Cuba
- August 8th - Great Train Robbery in England, $7.3 million
- August 28th - Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech"
- August 30th - Hotline between U.S. and Soviet leaders goes into operation.
- September 7th - 1st US TV appearance of Beatles
- October 20th - South Africa begins trial of Nelson Mandela
- November 22nd - President John F. Kennedy assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald
- November 22nd - Lyndon B. Johnson sworn in as the 36th US president
- November 24th - 1st live murder on TV - Jack Ruby shoots Lee Harvey Oswald
- November 25th - JFK laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery
- December 30th - "Let's Make A Deal," debuts on NBC-TV
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