The Board of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development announces the graduates of their 2012 Region 10 Multi-Day Training Program.  Class participants represented a number of professional and non-professional economic development fields, including elected officials, public servants, business leaders, educators, and social service providers from 14 counties in Southwest Georgia.  The Academy provided each of the graduates an opportunity to gain a unique understanding of the complexities of economic and community development on the local, regional, and state levels.

Created in 1993 by then-Governor Zell Miller’s Development Council, the Academy assembles a cross section of economic development professionals and resources to provide this training in all twelve service delivery regions in Georgia.  The Board of Directors of the Academy consists of 22 members representing public and private economic development organizations and agencies from across Georgia.  Since its organization, the Academy has provided training for thousands of professional and non-professional economic developers around the state, and since 1998 the Academy has been offered annually.

“One of the goals for the multi-day regional Academies is to encourage multi-county cooperation,” says Corinne Thornton, Executive Director of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development.  “Many times the participants discover the issues facing their community are the same as those facing other communities in their region, and can then combine limited resources to address the issue.”

Albany are graduates are:  Rashelle Beasley, Albany Convention & Visitor Bureau Manager; Deborah Bowie, Sr., Director of Public Policy and Communications for the Albany Area Chamber; Jason Dunn,VP and Sales Associate Webb Properties; Chris Hardy, President & CEO Albany Area Chamber of Commerce; Mary Ligon, Director of Leadership Albany; Demetrius Love, Executive Director of Marketing Albany State University; Daaiyah Salaam, Business Development  Specialist SW Ga Project for Community  Education; JaTaryia Thomas Ca$h Prosperity Campaign  and Jacquelyn Teemer, Program Manager, Economic Development City of Albany.     

Susan Peacock with Georgia EMC and Scott Purvis with Georgia Power are the facilitators for the Region 10 Academy and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs provides staff support to this important program.  The 2012 Region 10 Academy was held at Darton College in Albany. 

The Academy’s multi-day program, taught one day a month over a four-month period, includes training in the basics of economic and community development, plus specialized segments on business recruitment and retention, tourism product development, downtown development,  quality planning, redevelopment and other essentials for community success.  In addition, the curriculum features specific leadership skills such as consensus building, ethics in public service, collaborative leadership and other segments needed for effective community leadership in economic development.  Local elected officials receive certification training credits through the Association County Commissioners of Georgia and the Georgia Municipal Association for completion of this program, and the program is certified for CEUs through the UGA Georgia Center for Continuing Education.

The next Region 10 Georgia Academy for Economic Development will begin in August 2013. For more information about applications or nominations, please contact Jo Childers at (229) 924-3707 or by email at [email protected].