Woodstock Program Manager Completes Economic Development Training

Two Cherokee County residents recently graduated from the Georgia Academy For Economic Development.

Mitzi Saxon, Woodstock downtown program manager, and Canton Main Street Director Meghan Griffin have completed the 2014 Region 3 Multi-Day Training Program.

Class participants represent a number of professional and non-professional economic development fields, including elected officials, public servants, business leaders, educators and social service providers from 10 counties in metro Atlanta.

The Academy gave each graduate “an opportunity to gain a unique understanding of the complexities of economic and community development at the local, regional and state level.

“One of the goals for the multi-day regional academies is to encourage multi-county cooperation,” said Corinne Thornton, 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.”

Created in 1993, 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 Academy’s Board of Directors represent 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 each year.

Georgia EMC and Georgia Power provide facilitators for the program, and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs provides staff support for the initiative.

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, planning, and other essentials for community success.

Its curriculum also 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 may receive certification training credits through the Association County Commissioners of Georgia and the Georgia Municipal Association for completion of this program.

The next Region 3 Georgia Academy for Economic Development will begin in August 2015.

For more information, contact Corinne Thornton at 706-340-6461 or at corinne.thornton@dca.ga.gov.

Photo: from left to right: Carrie Barnes of Georgia EMC, Mitzi Saxon, Meghan Griffin, Johnna Robinson, Academy Board Member and Community Development Manager with Georgia Power and Steve Foster of Georgia Power. Credit: Georgia Department of Community Affairs