Cook County EDC | Georgia Dept. of Economic Development Commissioner meets community leaders

Georgia Dept. of Economic Development Commissioner meets community leaders

Article Source Link By: Charles Shiver

January 15, 2014

Chris Carr, new Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, brought his fact-finding mission to Cook County on Tuesday, Jan. 7.

He learned about this community’s progress and advantages from local and state officials during a luncheon held in the Cook County Economic Development Commission Conference Room at the Donald S. Bryan Airport Terminal Building.

During the presentations, Cook County Economic Development Director Lisa Collins spoke about plans to “rebrand” the community in positive ways, including a cutting-edge EDC website that is in the works.

She urged Carr to send Cook County “opportunities for business and industry prospects,” and to have the State offer more rural development grants to help rural communities close deals for new job-creating businesses and industries.

Carr joined the Georgia Department of Economic Development as Commissioner in November 2013. Governor Nathan Deal appointed Carr to the position. Carr leads the state agency responsible for creating jobs and investment in Georgia through business recruitment and expansion, international trade and tourism, as well as the arts, film and musci industries.

Last week, he visited several other areas in Georgia, including Waycross, Fitzgerald, and the northeastern part of the Peach State. He said successful communities are driven by the strength of partnerships among the various groups working for improvements.

Cook County industries, for example, participate in trade with such countries as South Africa, Israel, Ghana, and Mexico, according to Commissioner Carr’s staff. They also noted Georgia’s booming film and TV industry, which could eventually benefit Cook County. Adel native and Academy Award winner Ray McKinnon films his Sundance Channel series “Rectify” in Griffin, Ga. The second season

is coming in 2014.

Cook County EDC Chairman Buddy Duke welcomed Commissioner Carr, his staff, and the other officials including State Rep. Penny Houston to the luncheon.

After lunch, Cook County Schools Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jeff Shealey spoke about successes of local public education, such as the historically high 79.1 percent graduation rate in 2013 and having a parent coordinator in every school.

Lidell Greenway, Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Vice President of Economic Development, emphasized the need to get young people interested in hands-on training programs like diesel mechanics and machine tool operators. She said the dual enrollment program between Cook High

School and Wiregrass Georgia boosts the graduation rate for students who participate.

Holly Greene, associate vice president/operations, Cook County Workforce Development Center, discussed work in progress for an 8,000-square-foot addition to the center. It will house a general maintenance technician (“Jack of All Trades”) program for 11 counties, only offered by one other technical college in Georgia. The addition, featuring a new library, is expected to be open for classes by fall semester. The center offers a nationally recognized Quick Start program for workforce training.

Jerry Connell, Adel-Cook County Chamber of Commerce president/CEO, spoke about plans to expand Georgia Grown Trail tourism promotion program to stops of interest on Highway 41, as well as on Highway 37.

Reed Bingham State Park Manager Suzanne Passmore then discussed improvements at the state park, ranging from the renovated campground to the only paddle-in island for camping in the Georgia state park system. The changes have paid off: 157,000 people visited the park in the fiscal year which ended June 2013, an increase of 15,000 from the previous year; and revenues were up by 19 percent. Reed Bingham State Park’s economic impact increased from $5.4 million in FY 2010 to $11.2 million in FY 2013. Cabins could potentially be built as a tourist draw at Reed Bingham, Ms. Passmore said.

Next, County Commission Chairman Michael Dinnerman discussed the project underway to construct 26 hangars at the airport, as well as the plan to install two 12,000-gallon aviation fuel tanks there. The improvements are expected to quadruple the plane traffic at the airport on a daily basis, and income from the hangars will perpetuate the airport operations, he said. The airport enhancements result from a partnership at all levels of government, with the federal and state governments providing the vast majority of the funding.

After the luncheon, Commissioner Carr remarked, “You have a dynamic community, of which you should be very proud. … The partnerships are key.”