SCDA Chauffeur Academy, Class of June '09

Yesterday the SCDA held its second Chauffeur Academy, a rigorous day of training for six local leaders who will serve as the Chauffeurs for three autumn Developer Day events. The group took turns driving the Developer Day route around the county, stopping for lunch and a tour at the Business Spotlight at Heritage Health Care. Advanced driving skills were particularly required when the van went off-roading at the Wolf Pit Rd. site.

We are happy to announce that all members of the Class of June '09 graduated successfully! Thanks to all for volunteering to spend their day sharing and learning about Stephens County. These leaders will help make our upcoming Developer Days a success.

Last Spring "Developer Day" Event

The Stephens County Development Authority recently wrapped up our spring 2009 “Developer Day” series with the third event this year, in which we showcased Stephens County for five statewide economic development project managers from the Georgia Electric Membership Corporation, Georgia Power Company, the Georgia Mountains Regional Development Center, the Georgia Department of Labor, and Churchwell Consulting.

Several existing industries were highlighted during the day, including a tour of Global Partitions with V.P. of Operations Doug Hitchon. The group also viewed several available industrial buildings and sites in the Meadowbrook Industrial Park and Hayestone Brady Business Park. Read Press Release

What did the participants have to say?

Billy Morse, Toccoa City Commission: “It’s always exciting to be able to show all that we have to offer in our community to those at the state level who have the opportunity to aid us in economic development and job creation. It’s nice to be a part of the Toccoa-Stephens County team, and I appreciate the Development Authority organizing this event.”

Stanley London, Stephens County Commission: “I appreciate the invitation to this event as well as the attendance of the local and statewide representatives. I hope that we have something to gain from this effort in terms of bringing in industry to this area.”

Doug Hitchon, GEM Southeast: “This is a great process to gain visibility in Toccoa-Stephens County that will lay the foundation for future development. It is important that we continue to invest in these kind of activities to get ahead of the curve. Everyone should be aware of the tremendous job that our Stephens County development team is doing in their cooperation with the Chamber and heads of local businesses – partnership is what will drive their success.”

David Sargent, Georgia Mountains Regional Development Center: “Thank you for including my staff and me in your Developer Day tours. This event was very helpful to us as it tied together the big picture. We often see one project at a time, and this will help us visualize in the future how our projects tie together and perhaps even provide leverage for some of the potential funding.”