The Board of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development announces Stephens County graduates from the 2015 Region 2 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 13 counties in Region 2 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.
 Stephens County graduates at the November 19 ceremony included:Deborah Gibby, Rick Phillips, Clay Fisher, Julie Paysen, and Tammy Riddle pictured with Pat Merritt (Georgia EMC), Rope Roberts (Georgia Power Co.) and Brian Dill (Georgia Department of Community Affairs)
Created
in 1993, the Academy assembles a cross section of economic development
professionals and resources to provide this training in all twelve
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“One of the goals for the
multi-day regional Academies is to encourage multi-county cooperation,” says 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.”
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. 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 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 2 Georgia Academy for Economic
Development will begin in August 2016. For more information on this, please contact
Kathy Papa at 770-362-7078 or by email at Kathy.papa@dca.ga.gov
 recognized the Stephens County Development Authority for an “outstanding achievement in...){kind=link}