August 2021 Features

• Phoebe Employees Offer Helping Hands to Assist with COVID-19 Response

  August 30, 2021

  The phone calls seemed ceaseless. On a recent Sunday in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) at Phoebe’s main hospital, Meredith Holland answered call after call, so the nurses wouldn’t have to. She calmed family members of critically ill COVID-19 patients, inquiring about their loved ones’ conditions.

• Hartsfield-Jackson Named Most Efficient Airport for 18th Consecutive Year

  August 30, 2021

  Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), for the 18th consecutive year, has been recognized as the most efficient airport in the world as determined by the Air Transport Research Society (ATRS).

• Albany Sees a Drop in Unemployment Rate & Increase in Employed in July

  August 27, 2021

  Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Albany saw a significant decrease in the unemployment rate over the month as the number of employed rose over 600 in July.

• Leadership Georgia Announces 2020-21 Award Recipients

  August 27, 2021

  The Leadership Georgia Board of Trustees today announced the recipients of the organization’s most prestigious awards, presented to Georgians who exemplify the principles of Leadership Georgia and whose impact through leadership and stewardship has helped shaped communities and the state.

• Improving the Lives of Georgia’s Children and Youth: What’s Next

  August 27, 2021

  Over the past year, GMA has brought you stories of how cities, organizations and individuals are finding ways to support and engage young people in their communities. We’ve also spotlighted issues that affect children and youth – literacy, early childhood development, quality after school care and socio-economic and mental health issues – and how cities are tackling those challenges.

• Nominations Open for the Albany Area Chamber Business Awards

  August 26, 2021

  The Albany Area Chamber Business Awards celebrates businesses and organizations in the region, recognizing those that have demonstrated a unique vision, innovation and best business practices.

• Partnership for Inclusive Innovation Announces 2021 Cohort of the Georgia Smart Communities Challenge

  August 26, 2021

  The Partnership for Inclusive Innovation (PIN) announced the four communities selected for its 2021 Georgia Smart Communities Challenge (GA Smart), which allows localities across the state to apply for research assistance that empowers them to envision, explore, and plan for a “smart” future.

• Regional Leadership Program Pivots to Focus on High Priority Needs in South Georgia

  August 25, 2021

  Five years into fostering and developing the leadership capacity of South Georgia, South GeorgiaLEADS (SGL) is hitting pause on its traditional leadership development program to drill down on one of its original objectives—“to work collectively towards creating effective solutions to address significant challenges related to workforce development, education, and economic growth throughout the region.”

• Upcoming SBA Georgia Virtual Events

  August 25, 2021

  The Georgia Office of the Small Business Administration recently announced a number of different virtual events and resources to help you start, grow, expand or recover your business.

• goBeyondProfit Champion Awarded to Cox Enterprises

  August 23, 2021

  Not only in spite of pandemic upheaval, but partly for how it navigated the storm, goBeyondProfit announced that Cox Enterprises has been awarded as the most recent goBeyondProfit Champion. Cox Enterprise was nominated for how its values-oriented approach has endured for over a century.

• Georgia Chamber CEO Chris Clark: Economic Prosperity Requires Action on Crime

  August 23, 2021

  A decade ago, businesses shifted their expansion, location, and relocation decisions from a model founded on incentives and infrastructure to one based on access to talent. Vibrant communities, otherwise known as live, work, play, and pray communities, have become the true economic drivers. No longer do workers move to better jobs. Today, better jobs move to workers.

• State Unemployment Rate Drops to Pre-Pandemic Level in July

  August 20, 2021

  The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced that Georgia's unemployment rate dropped three-tenths of a percentage point to 3.7 percent in July, mirroring rates seen prior to the pandemic. In March 2020, Georgia’s unemployment rate was 3.6 percent

• Nominations Open for the Albany Area Chamber Business Awards

  August 19, 2021

  The Albany Area Chamber Business Awards celebrates businesses and organizations in the region, recognizing those that have demonstrated a unique vision, innovation and best business practices.

• Atlanta Fed President and CEO Raphael Bostic to Speak at 2021 American Rural Prosperity Summit

  August 19, 2021

  The Georgia Chamber has announced that Raphael Bostic, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, will be a featured speaker at this year’s American Rural Prosperity Summit being held in Athens, Georgia, October 4th-6th.

• Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: How Georgia’s Cities are Leveraging Partnerships to Achieve New Heights

  August 16, 2021

  There’s no shame in asking for help, especially when something as important as a city’s future is at stake. Several of Georgia’s cities are setting a new standard for how to utilize partnerships to truly thrive. Here are their stories.

• State Record-Breaking Jobs & Investment in FY2021

  August 13, 2021

  Governor Brian P. Kemp joined the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) to announce record-setting jobs and investments from economic development projects across the state during fiscal year 2021. Investments increased by 46%, while job creation increased 5% above prior state economic development records.

• University System of Georgia Reports Another Record in Degrees Awarded

  August 11, 2021

  The University System of Georgia awarded an all-time high of 72,929 degrees in fiscal year 2021, which ended June 30. The 3% annual increase over fiscal year 2020 represented 2,050 more degrees awarded than the previous year, and sets another record for the most degrees awarded in the system’s 90-year history.

• Draffin Tucker Contributes Over $830,000 To Rural Hospitals Over Last Five Years Through State’s Tax Credit Program

  August 10, 2021

  In response to Georgia’s Rural Hospital Tax Credit Program, Draffin & Tucker, LLP has announced that with its 2021 contribution of $215,000, the firm has contributed over $830,000 to eligible rural hospitals within the state over the last five years.

• GeorgiaForward Announces Dalton as Host of 2022 Young Gamechangers Program

  August 10, 2021

  GeorgiaForward is proud to announce the return of its Young Gamechangers program in 2022, with Dalton serving as the Host Community.

• Albany-Dougherty EDC Announces $18M Pratt Industries Expansion

  August 04, 2021

  The Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission today announced the expansion of Pratt Industries, resulting in more than $18 million in capital investment and the creation of 30 new jobs.

• Small & Midsize Business CEOs' Confidence Continues to Rise Despite Labor Challenges

  August 03, 2021

  Confidence among CEOs in the second quarter of 2021 has risen to its highest level in three years, according to the Vistage CEO Confidence Index, which measures sentiment on various economic and business topics among small and mid-sized business leaders.

• U.S. SBA Southeast Regional Administrator: The Summer to Recover with SBA

  August 02, 2021

  We all recognize a feeling of comfort and familiarity as the nation opens back up for business. Recovery from the pandemic is underway; but there are many small business owners that are still struggling. During these very hot Summer months, it is a great time to take advantage of recovery programs.