Features

• CSU’s Leadership Institute Moves Forum 2020 to Virtual Format

  July 10, 2020

  Plans for The Forum, originally scheduled as an in-person event Aug. 24-25, 2020, have been updated. The event, hosted by the Leadership Institute at Columbus State University, will now be hosted online from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day the week of Aug. 24-28. The week-long virtual event will feature a blend of new addresses and recorded presentations, including some of its “greatest hits” from the past 14 years.

• Georgia Small Business Leaders Call for Community Support of Local Businesses

  July 10, 2020

  As Georgia small business owners and members of The National Small Business Association (NSBA) Leadership Council, we are urging all citizens of Georgia to be vigilant in supporting our community small businesses which are reeling from the impacts of COVID-19 and now widespread riots.

• Frito-Lay Announces $200 Million Expansion, 120 New Jobs in Houston County

  July 09, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo and a leading snack manufacturer, will expand its operations in the City of Perry, town of Kathleen, creating 120 new jobs and investing $200 million in the Houston County project.

• GDOT Seeks Public Input for Draft Statewide Transit Plan, with Emphasis on Rural Communities

  July 09, 2020

  The Georgia Department of Transportation is seeking public input on the results and recommendations of the draft Statewide Transit Plan until July 30th. The SWTRP is a result of a comprehensive review of Georgia's public transit needs that charts the future direction of transit programs, aiming to improve access and mobility for all Georgians.

• Georgia Council for the Arts Awards 148 Grants to Arts Organizations

  July 09, 2020

  The Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA), a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, today announced the recipients of its Partner, Project and Arts Education grants as part of its initial disbursement of grants for fiscal year 2021.

• Eric Tanenblatt: To Heal America, Look to National Service

  July 08, 2020

  Massive demonstrations and unrest stretching from America’s biggest cities to its smallest towns, a pandemic that’s already claimed the lives of more than 130,000 and a sputtering economy that’s displaced upwards of 21 million workers: By any measure, America is in a crisis.

• Announcing Top 100 Most Generous Workplaces in Middle Georgia

  July 07, 2020

  United Way of Central Georgia unveiled the 2019-2020 100 Most Generous Workplaces in Central Georgia. This Top 100 listing includes philanthropic contributions from organizations and their employees to the United Way workforce campaign.

• State Project Funding to Help MGA Graduate More Nurses for Dublin Area, Support Aviation Program, and Complete Cochran Campus Renovations

  July 07, 2020

  Middle Georgia State University will soon admit significantly more students into the Dublin Campus nursing program, purchase nine primary trainer aircraft for its aviation programs, and finish facility renovations on the Cochran Campus, thanks to $11 million included in project-based funding the Georgia General Assembly and Gov. Brian Kemp is allocating to University System of Georgia institutions.

• Governor Launches "Safety Promise" Campaign to Urge Georgians to Heed Public Health Guidance

  July 07, 2020

  Governor Brian Kemp introduced the Georgia Safety Promise, a safety campaign to remind Georgia businesses and the public of the importance of following COVID-19 safety guidelines by agreeing to simple - yet critical - measures that help protect Georgians from COVID-19, minimize spread of the virus, and keep Georgia open for business.

• Chris Clark: What You Can Do As COVID-19 Continues

  July 06, 2020

  Political pundits and healthcare researchers can argue second wave or simply a continuation of the original COVID-19 pandemic. However, the fact remains that the virus which hit us so hard in the spring continues to be a potent force as we head into the summer months.

• Georgia Lenders Funnel $14.3B to Small Businesses

  July 06, 2020

  Lenders across Georgia helped over 152,000 small businesses receive loans totaling more than $14.3 billion through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

• CEO Confidence Improved in Q2 2020

  July 06, 2020

  The Conference Board Measure of CEO Confidence™, which declined to 34 in the first quarter of 2020, increased to a reading of 44 in the second quarter.

• COVID-19 and Georgia: Fiscal Research Center Report Estimates the Pandemic’s Economic Impact

  July 01, 2020

  In the space of a month, from mid-March to mid-April, the COVID-19 pandemic had already taken a tragic human toll and created unprecedented economic decline. The United States saw businesses close their doors as shelter-in-place orders continued across the country.

• 36.8 Million Americans Still Expected to Hit the Road for Fourth of July

  July 01, 2020

  Using data from its widely-adopted Daily Travel Index, travel data company Arrivalist is predicting that Americans will take 36.8 million road trips over the Fourth of July weekend, making Independence Day the biggest road trip event so far this year.

• Hawks to Transform State Farm Arena into 'Georgia’s Largest-ever Voting Precinct'

  June 30, 2020

  Fulton County is partnering with the Atlanta Hawks to create Georgia’s largest-ever voting precinct at State Farm Arena, starting with early voting on July 20 for the Georgia General Primary Runoff Election on August 11th

• New Plans Unveiled for Alexander IV Senior Living Center

  June 29, 2020

  A historic Macon school closed for more than 10 years will be reborn as an upscale senior living center by next year. Representatives of Historic Macon, Macon-Bibb County, Dover Signature Properties, Piedmont Construction Group, Design Innovation Architects and the Ingleside neighborhood gathered at the former Alexander IV Elementary School on Ridge Avenue to hear plans for Alexander IV Senior Living.

• Entrepreneurs Encouraged to Apply for the PPP Program Before the June 30th Deadline- “Recovery Now in Cities Across Georgia"

  June 29, 2020

  During these past few months since the outbreak of the Covid-19 Pandemic, I've gained an astounding confirmation at roundtables, virtual townhalls, radio interviews, hundreds of phone calls, and emails, that the key component to the success of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is due to the significant level of local participation, local and federal collaboration, and support at the community level.

• USDA Sending $12.5 Million to Georgia for Rural Broadband

  June 29, 2020

  Broadband deployment efforts by SyncGlobal and Carroll Electric Membership Cooperative are coming together with the announcement of USDA/RUS grant money awarded for the region.

• Corsica Technologies: Remote Work is the New Normal. Here’s How to Embrace It.

  June 29, 2020

  Although many industries have been forced to quickly pivot to a remote workforce due to COVID-19, the shift is not a new one. Over the last five years remote work has seen a 44% growth, over the last decade that number is 91%. Whether recent circumstances forced your business to transition to a remote workforce or it was already in the works, it’s vital that you fully embrace the change if you want to be successful. Here’s how.

• Flint Energies Names Nelms as CEO

  June 26, 2020

  Flint Energies’ Board of Directors announced today that Jeremy Nelms has been hired to serve as the Cooperative’s new CEO beginning October 1st. Nelms will succeed Bob Ray who has been leading Flint since 2003.

• Georgia Processes More Claims in 14 Weeks Than in the Past Seven Years

  June 26, 2020

  The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today they have processed over 2.7 million regular UI initial claims in the past 14 weeks, more than the last seven years combined.

• Kemp, Duncan, Ralston Encourage Passage of COVID-19 Economic Relief Package

  June 26, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Duncan, and Speaker David Ralston expressed their support of the passage of an economic relief package for businesses in the wake of COVID-19.

• Delta Donates 1 Million Pounds of Food (and Counting) to Communities Around World

  June 25, 2020

  The COVID-19 crisis has created a number of opportunities for Delta people to make a difference in the communities where we live and work. Since Delta has temporarily adjusted services on board and in Delta Sky Clubs, they have donated food and other provisions from warehouses around the globe to hospitals, schools, food banks and other organizations.

• GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson: State’s Tourism is Down Due to Pandemic, but Not Out

  June 24, 2020

  As the unofficial capital of the Southeast, Georgia has the biggest cities, the most diverse population and a vast geographical range from the mountains to the beach. Our tourism industry constantly redefines what it means to be Southern by sharing the places, culture, stories and people that make Georgia so unique, and this has earned our state a strong reputation as a top travel destination.

• June Poll Shows Georgia Employee Trust and Loyalty Increased by Businesses’ Pandemic Response; Employees Report Heightened Productivity but Specific Concerns, Wishes for Recovery

  June 23, 2020

  A goBeyondProfit survey conducted earlier this month among working Georgians shows businesses’ pandemic response has increased their employees’ trust and loyalty. Respondents reported work productivity higher than before the pandemic and indicated better-than-neutral mental wellbeing, though they worry about job security and coronavirus exposure at work and among their family and friends.

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