What a wonderful Annual Conference! Pat Merritt, Conference Chair, and her committee did a fantastic job in putting this event together. You all came out in great numbers to give us over 450 attendees. Thank you to all of our Sponsors and exhibitors for all of your support, which allowed everyone to have an even better time. Thank you to all of our speakers, as well. What a fantastic presentation that Aimee Copeland gave! She had everyone laughing, crying and thinking about how fortunate we all are. Also, she gave us examples of how important it is to never, ever give up. Don’t take no for an answer and be thankful for our faith, family and friends. Aimee, you are such an inspiration! Thank you for sharing your time with us. Would that we had made a video of your presentation.
There were many other fantastic presentations. See Anna Chafin’s Chair’s column for additional information.
It is officially fall and we are turning the page on our last quarter of 2017. However, in Savannah, it felt like summer for our Annual Conference. Don’t we have a great organization in GEDA! The 2017 Annual Conference, held two weeks ago in Savannah at the Hyatt Regency, is an example of this. We had some notable speakers and lots of time for networking, not to mention the beautiful renovations to the Hyatt lobby and some very nice weather, just a week after Hurricane Irma made her presence known.
GEDA has some of the greatest sponsors around. Special thanks go to our Presenting Sponsor, Savannah Economic Development Authority; Platinum Sponsors Athens-Clark County Department of Economic Development and GIS Web Tech. Our Winners Circle and Champions Circle Sponsors are supportive all throughout the year. See all those who supported us for our Annual Conference by clicking HERE.
Small Business Rock Star AWARDS Nominations are OPEN
Click HERE for details. These awards will be presented on March 19th at the GEDA meeting; location TBD. Deadline - Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Congratulations to the new GEDA officers and board members elected (take office in January 2018) at the GEDA Annual Business Meeting at the 2017 Annual Conference:
Chair: Missy Kendrick, EDFP, IOM, President, Development Authority of Polk County
First Vice Chair: Pat Merritt, CEcD, IOM, Vice President, Community and Economic Development, Georgia EMC
Second Vice Chair: Chris Pumphrey, Executive Director, Douglas County Economic Development Authority
Secretary-Treasurer: Andrea Schruijer, Executive Director, Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority
Immediate Past Chair: Anna Chafin, Executive Director, Bryan County Development Authority
New board members, serving a three-year term, include:
Tom Croteau, Deputy Commissioner, Global Commerce, Georgia Department of Economic Development Meghan Duke, Economic Development Director, West Point Development Authority Kyle Fletcher, Executive Director, Thomaston-Upson IDA Darrell Moore, President, Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority
Chair-Elect Missy Kendrick, EDFP, IOM, announced her new slate of Committee and Shared Interest Group Chairs for the upcoming year:
STANDING COMMITTEES
Business Expansion & Retention: Brian Sillitto, CEcD, Senior Vice President of Economic Development, Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce
Business Recruitment: Al Nash, Executive Director, Development Authority of Fulton County
Development Authority Executives: Melinda Lemmon, CEcD, Executive Director, Cartersville-Bartow County Department of Economic Development
Communications & Marketing: Kevin Johnson, Marketing Supervisor, Kajima Building & Design Group
Membership Services: Mitch Griggs, Executive Director, Union County Development Authority
Nominating: Greg Wright, IOM, Senior Director, Community & Economic Development, Coweta-Fayette EMC
Professional Development: Saralyn Stafford, CEcD, IOM, Division Director, Community Services, Georgia Department of Community Services
Public Policy: Dan McRae, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Sponsorship: Jessica Hood, EDFP, Executive Director, Development Authority of Burke County
Young Professionals: Ashley Morris Varnum, Senior Project Manager, Georgia Department of Economic Global Commerce
Shared Interest Groups
Education/Workforce Development: Jennifer Nelson, Public Service Assistant, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
Entrepreneur Development: Donna Lackey, Senior Vice President, Carroll Tomorrow
Natural Resources & Environment: Ralph Forbes, Vice President/Regional Director, Thomas & Hutton Engineering Company
Non-traditional Economic Development: Elyse Davis, Northwest Georgia Manager Community and Economic Development, Georgia Power
Research: Tracey Ussery, Research Analyst, Georgia Power Community & Economic Development
Rural Development: Grant Buckley, Executive Director, Cordele-Crisp County IDC
Transportation/Infrastructure: Stacy Watson, General Manager, Economic & Industrial Development, Georgia Ports Authority
Our Post Office Box 1776 is going away. We have shared this address with the Georgia Department of Economic Development for some time. They are going to stop using it, and it is too expensive for us to keep, so we will use our physical address (75 Fifth St., NW, Suite 1200, Atlanta, GA 30308) in the future. Please make a note of this for your checks and other important mailings.
Legislative Update: House & Senate Study Committees
The SenateTax Exemption Study Committee and the Senate IT Corridors Study Committee met in Savannah on Friday, September 29th. Click HERE for the IT Corridors Study Committee agenda and click HERE for the Special Tax Exemption Meeting agenda .
The next meetings for the Tax Exemption Study committee are Friday, October 27th, possibly at the Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. facility in West Point, Georgia; and Tuesday, November 14th at the Georgia Capitol.
The next meetings for the IT Corridors Study Committee are Monday, October 16th in Augusta; and Monday, October 30th in Lawrenceville.
The House Rural Development Council
Click HERE for past and future meeting information. The next meetings for the House Rural Development Council are October 24th in Waycross to discuss Transportation Infrastructure; and October 25th in Waycross to discuss the Forestry Industry.
GEDA Member News
Andy Camp has moved from Vice President, Economic Development with Carroll Tomorrow, to Vice President of Business Development with NextSite.
Congratulations to our newest EDFPs (Economic Development Finance Professionals) Meghan Duke and Jessica Hood! Way to go, ladies.
Camila Knowles, former Commissioner, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, has joined Cornerstone Government Affairs as Senior Vice President & Counsel. Thank you Camila for your service and good luck in your new endeavors! Welcome back, Christopher Nunn! Formerly the Commissioner, Georgia Department of Administrative Services, has rejoined the Georgia Department of Community Affairs as Commissioner.
Retiring GEDA members at the end of this year were recognized at the GEDA 2017 Annual Conference, including Dale Atkins, Executive Director, Development Authority of Appling County; Bill Mitchell, President, Toombs County Development Authority; and Walter Sprouse, Executive Director, Augusta Economic Development Authority (Richmond County). Thank you for your membership and leadership!
Yvonne Williams, previously the President & CEO of the Perimeter CIDs (Community Improvement Districts), is now with the City of Griffin Economic Development Division and serves as the DDA (Downtown Development Authority) Director. Congratulations to the 2017 Annual Conference Golf Winners
First Place: Grant Cagle, Electric Cities of Georgia; Chris Moder, City of Norcross; & Scott Poag, Williams & Associates; with a net score of 51.7
Second Place: Dale Atkins, Development Authority of Appling County; Stan Crance, Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority; Hank Hobbs, Georgia Tech; and Brian Marlowe, Tift County Development Authority; with a net score of 54
Third Place: Carl Campbell, Dalton-Whitfield County Joint Development Authority; Jeff Doubrava, S&ME, Inc.;and David Luckie, Griffin-Spalding Development Authority; with a net score of 55.4
HOLE CONTESTS
Closest to the Pin #8: Rusty Haygood, Georgia Department of Community Affairs
Closest to the Pin #15: Stan Crance, Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority
LONGEST DRIVE #2: Jeff Doubrava, S&ME, Inc.
Straightest Drive #18: Ray Gilley, Decide DeKalb Development Authority
Congratulations to the 2017 Annual Conference Sporting Clays Winners
Men's First Place: Wade Thompson, Jackson EMC
Men's Second Place: Charles Lee, Development Authority of Washington County
Women's First & Second: Jade Morey, Houston County Development Authority If you are moving, changing jobs or getting a promotion, please let us know by emailing us at Info@GEDA.org, and we’ll publicize this in the GEDA newsletter.
GEDA September New Members
Kelly Daniell, Southern Regional Technical College Wayne S. Glover, GreyStone Power Corporation Jennifer Howard, City of Peachtree Corners Taylor Kielty, Catoosa County Development Authority Martha Kifle, Georgia Department of Economic Development Dessa Morris, Development Authority of Walton County Sanjani Patel, Georgia Department of Economic Development Alan Schuetze, Carroll Daniel Construction Co. Marc Litt, The Contineo Group Kenneth Hise, GVRA C.W. "Bill" Bulloch Jr., Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Kristi Hollinger, Evans General Contractors
Project Announcements
Deal: Nestlé Purina to invest $320 million in Hart County – Pet care company to create as many as 240 jobs in Hartwell
September 27, 2017 - Governor Nathan Deal announced that Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. will create as many as 240 new jobs and invest $320 million in a manufacturing facility and distribution center in Hartwell.
Congratulations to Dwayne Dye, Executive Director, Hart County Industrial Development Authority; Joshua Stephens, Senior Project Manager, Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Global Commerce Division; Charles Stallworth, Senior Project Manager, Georgia Power; and Rodger Brown, Georgia Quick Start. Read more…
OneTrust to create 500 jobs in Atlanta - Global privacy management company to invest $5 million in Fulton County
September 21, 2017 - Governor Nathan Deal announced that OneTrust, a global privacy management software company, will create 500 jobs and invest $5 million in a Fulton County facility expansion. New jobs at the facility will include positions in sales, consulting, marketing and software engineering.
Kudos to E. Jane Caraway, Director of Life Sciences and Corporate Solutions, Georgia Department of Economic Development Global Commerce Division; and partners Randi Mason, Director of Economic Development, Invest Atlanta; Gregg Simon, Vice President, Economic Development, Metro Atlanta Chamber; and Brenda Robbins, Senior Project Manager, Georgia Power; for their work on this announcement. Read more…
DANISH COMPANY KAMSTRUP TO CREATE 52 JOBS IN FULTON COUNTY
September 21, 2017 –The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) today announced that Danish manufacturer, Kamstrup, a world leading supplier of intelligent energy and water metering solutions, will create 52 jobs in the company’s new North American headquarters in Roswell.
A shout out to Nico Wijnberg, Director of International Investment, GDEcD Global Commerce Division; and his partners, the Danish Trade Commission in Atlanta, Roswell Inc., Metro Atlanta Chamber and Georgia Power. Read more…
GLOBAL COMMERCE GENERATES $6.33B IN INVESTMENTS - Georgia Department of Economic Development helped create 30,309 jobs in FY 17
September 19, 2017 — Governor Nathan Deal visited the new Honeywell North American Software Center and announced that the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Global Commerce Division helped create a total of 30,309 new jobs during FY 17, generating a record-breaking $6.33 billion in investments. This growth is a result of the expansion or relocation of 377 companies covering every region of the state.
Congratulations on a phenomenal year, Tom Croteau, and the entire Global Commerce staff! Read more…
GEORGIA NAMED TOP STATE FOR BUSINESS FOR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR Deal also announced the creation of 1,300 new highly skilled jobs
September 22, 2017 — Governor Nathan Deal joined state and local economic development partners to highlight Georgia’s ranking as the top state for business and celebrate the expansion of Atlanta’s technology infrastructure. Read more…
GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARDS FUNDING TO 14 TOURISM PROJECTS
September 21, 2017 — The Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Tourism division announced today that it has awarded more than $111,624 in product development resource team grants to 14 new and expanding tourism projects across the state. Read more…
GEORGIA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS ANNOUNCES NEW “INSPIRED GEORGIA” PHOTO EXHIBIT- Tour showcases the works of Georgia-based photographers that were included in the book “Inspired Georgia”
September 14, 2017 — The Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) announced the host cities for their Inspired Georgia photo exhibit tour. Georgia communities hosting the exhibit include Zebulon, Milledgeville, Rome, Vidalia, Statesboro, and Albany. Read more…
GREAT GEORGIA JOBS TELEVISION SERIES, PREMIERED SEPT. 11 - Four-episode series will air statewide, focuses on state resources and training programs for Georgia job seekers.
September 14, 2017 — The Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Workforce division announced today the premiere of Great Georgia Jobs, a four-episode television series, putting a spotlight on Georgians who took advantage of the state’s workforce resources and training programs that ultimately contributed to career success. Read more…
Scott Poag, CEcD, GEDA Chair, Professional Development; & Director of Business Development, Williams & Associates STILL has money to give away. Apply today! GEDA has other grant scholarships available, whether they be for UGA / IEDC educational courses, training, trade missions, etc. Contact Scott for information today.
Young Professionals Committee
Congratulations to our recent scholarship recipients:
Three members attended the GEDA Annual Conference: Kyle Hood, Education-Workforce Liaison, Career, Technical and Agricultural Education, Georgia Department of Education Elizabeth Jones, Administrative Assistant, Stephens County Development Authority Bethany Usry, Vice President of Economic Development, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce
Kathy Oxford, Executive Director, Barnesville-Lamar Industrial Development Authority, attended the Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC) Annual Conference in Charlotte on August 20-22.
Also, Misti Martin, President, Cherokee Office of Economic Development, received a grant to attend the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Annual Conference in Toronto, Ontario Canada on September 17-20.
The YP Committee is planning another “Meet the Team” event for November with the LEAF (Logistics, Energy, Agribusiness & Food) Team. Details to be revealed soon.
GEDA Young Professional Spotlight
Join GEDA in recognizing Young Professionals throughout 2017 by nominating a young emerging leader in the economic development profession for GEDA’s YP Spotlight. Nominations should provide a detailed application of significant career achievements to date and the impact of those achievements on their economic development organization and the community as a whole, and also explain how these achievements contribute to the advancement of economic development as a profession.
Nominations are still open for the November GEDA YP Spotlight. Contact Meghan Duke, Chair, Young Professionals, & Economic Development Director, Development Authority of West Point, for additional details.
Get involved in GEDA's Committees and SIGs to learn about projects and meet fellow members - visit your profile on GEDA.org to join. View the Committee and SIG 2017 Action Plans
Upcoming Events
It looks like you have a lot of content. To preview your campaign, send a test email.
Andy Camp has moved from Vice President, Economic Development with Carroll Tomorrow, to Vice President of Business Development with NextSite.
Congratulations to our newest EDFPs (Economic Development Finance Professionals) Meghan Duke and Jessica Hood! Way to go, ladies.
Camila Knowles, former Commissioner, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, has joined Cornerstone Government Affairs as Senior Vice President & Counsel. Thank you Camila for your service and good luck in your new endeavors!
Welcome back, Christopher Nunn! Formerly the Commissioner, Georgia Department of Administrative Services, has rejoined the Georgia Department of Community Affairs as Commissioner. 
Retiring GEDA members at the end of this year were recognized at the GEDA 2017 Annual Conference, including Dale Atkins, Executive Director, Development Authority of Appling County; Bill Mitchell, President, Toombs County Development Authority; and Walter Sprouse, Executive Director, Augusta Economic Development Authority (Richmond County). Thank you for your membership and leadership!
Yvonne Williams, previously the President & CEO of the Perimeter CIDs (Community Improvement Districts), is now with the City of Griffin Economic Development Division and serves as the DDA (Downtown Development Authority) Director.
Congratulations to the 2017 Annual Conference Golf Winners
Congratulations to the 2017 Annual Conference Sporting Clays Winners
