February 2020 Features

• VisitAthensGA.com Named AVA Digital Awards Winner

  February 28, 2020

  VisitAthensGA.com, the official tourism website of the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau, is an Honorable Mention winner in the AVA Digital Awards 2020 competition.

• Lawmakers Take No Action on Bill Regarding Daylight Savings

  February 28, 2020

  Health, safety and consistency were mentioned over and over Tuesday as Legislators listened to testimony on House Bill 709 which would direct the state to hold a non-binding referendum asking Georgia residents if they would like to do away with daylight saving time. A non-binding referendum is a ballot question used to inform the state government about potential future action.

• Landmark Properties Acquires 2,289-Bed Student Housing Property at University of California, Davis

  February 27, 2020

  Landmark Properties, a vertically-integrated student housing developer and owner-operator, acquired Sol at West Village, a 2,289-bed student housing property located at UC Davis in Davis, California.

• Gov. Kemp, Department of Agriculture Announce Georgia Farm Recovery Program

  February 27, 2020

• USG Foundation Raise More Than $908,000 for Need-based Scholarships

  February 27, 2020

  The 16th annual Regents’ Scholarship Gala, hosted by the University System of Georgia (USG) Foundation, raised more than $908,000 from generous sponsors and a live auction to support and provide need-based scholarships for students at USG institutions across the state.

• Local Awareness Campaign Launches To Educate Employers On Tax-Incentive Based Solutions Available To Strengthen & Optimize Our Workforce

  February 26, 2020

  The LEAD Athens Praxis Team, in partnership with GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students and Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, have joined forces to educate the community and employers of Athens-Clarke County about the importance of early childhood education, raise awareness about Quality Rated early childhood education programs within the local community, and increase accessibility to high-quality early learning opportunities for all families.

• Technology Association of Georgia Announces Will McIntosh of NBC Sports Group to Keynote at The Summit

  February 26, 2020

  The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) has announced that Will McIntosh, Executive Vice President, Digital and Sports Consumer Business, NBC Sports Group, will headline at TAG's premier annual showcase, The Summit March 3-4, 2020 at Cobb Galleria in Atlanta.

• USDA Invests $5M in Broadband for Rural Georgia Communities

  February 24, 2020

  Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced a $5 million investment in two, high-speed broadband infrastructure projects that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for 1,221 rural households, 32 pre-subscribed businesses and 20 pre-subscribed farms in McIntosh and Evans counties in Georgia.

• IVolunteer International, a Start-Up Tech-Nonprofit Emerges Winners at University of Georgia Kickstarter Fund Competition

  February 21, 2020

  Housed under the Terry College of Business Entrepreneurship Program, the University of Georgia Kickstarter Fund is a student-managed initiative that provides privately funded capital grants to UGA students and faculty to support the launch or growth of a venture.

• OPB Director Walks Lawmakers Through Proposal

  February 13, 2020

  State legislators took an unexpected recess this week to dig deep into the state’s budget — and Tuesday Gov. Brian Kemp’s budget director spent time walking lawmakers through the proposed plans for the Amended FY 20 and FY 21 budgets.

• UGA Receives $50,000 Grant from AT&T to Address Flooding in Athens-Clarke County

  February 12, 2020

  A grant from AT&T will help an interdisciplinary team of UGA faculty assess long-term flood frequency and severity for Athens-Clarke County in order to better plan for future development and infrastructure investments.

• Technology Association of Georgia Announces the Top 40 Innovative Technology Companies in Georgia

  February 12, 2020

  The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) has unveiled the Top 40 Innovative Technology Companies in Georgia winners. TAG’S Top 40 Awards, sponsored by Cherry Bekaert, recognize Georgia-based technology companies for their innovation, financial impact, and their efforts at spreading awareness of the state’s technology initiatives throughout the U.S. and globally.

• Creature Comforts Honored With the goBeyondProfit Champion Award

  February 11, 2020

  Today Creature Comforts Brewing Co. CEO Chris Herron and staff were presented with the goBeyondProfit Champion Award. They earned this rare honor for their strategic efforts to benefit their community and company by cultivating company culture, deploying company resources and focusing on community empowerment.

• Barberitos Celebrates 20 Years

  February 11, 2020

  In 2000, Downing Barber utilized both his master’s degree in international business and his skills as a trained chef to open the first Barberitos restaurant in downtown Athens, Ga. Barberitos has grown to become an award-winning, fast-casual Southwestern Grille and Cantina with 50 locations across seven Southeastern states.

• 2019 Another Record Year for Georgia Exports

  February 11, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Georgia has set another record, this time in exports and global trade, as the state’s diverse industry base and global connectivity continue to drive competitiveness. In 2019, the State of Georgia tallied $41.2 billion in exports and $143.3 billion in overall international trade.

• St. Mary's Partners with Collaborative to Maximize Maternal Safety

  February 07, 2020

  St. Mary's Family Birth Center is part of a statewide collaborative that is working to improve Georgia's maternal death rate, currently ranked as one of the worst in the United States.

• Senators Perdue, Loeffler Push Fort Benning As Home Of New Army Corps Headquarters

  February 07, 2020

  U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) are urging the U.S. Army to select Fort Benning as the Army’s fourth corps headquarters.

• Georgia Chamber Welcomes Business Prospects for 32nd Annual ‘Georgia Quail Hunt’ in Albany

  February 06, 2020

  This week, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce hosts its 32nd annual Georgia Quail Hunt in Albany as31 business leaders representing state recruitment and expansion prospects joined local, state and economic development officials to learn about the benefits of doing business in Georgia.

• Fanning Institute to Host Fifth Annual Leadership Conference at UGA This Week

  February 05, 2020

  A native of southeast Georgia, Lynda Brannen Williamson spent her life working to improve the Statesboro community as a civic leader, a legacy that continued after her passing with the creation of the Lynda Brannen Williamson Foundation in 2014, and later the LBW Leadership Academy.

• CSU’s Leadership Institute Announces Speakers and Format for The Forum 2020, August 24-25

  February 05, 2020

  For the 15th year, The Forum, hosted by the Leadership Institute at Columbus State University, will bring a lineup of the best and brightest minds in the world to Columbus. The two-day event, held at the Columbus Iron Works and Convention Center, begins at 1 p.m., Monday, Aug. 24 and runs through Tuesday, Aug. 25. This year’s event theme is “Leadership in Hindsight.”

• Delta Commits $5M to UGA's Innovation District Initiative

  February 04, 2020

  The University of Georgia will take a major step forward in its Innovation District initiative and enhance the College of Engineering, thanks to a $5 million gift from The Delta Air Lines Foundation.

• Corporate Generosity Research Open to Georgia Business Leaders

  February 04, 2020

  One year ago, the 2019 Corporate Generosity Research Report conducted by goBeyondProfit and Georgia CEO provided invaluable insights about business leader, employee and customer expectations. Georgia CEOs, Owners and Senior Business Executives are invited to participate in the 2020 survey.

• Gov. Kemp Kicks off Georgia Foreign Trade Conference

  February 04, 2020

  Gov. Brian Kemp kicked off the Georgia Foreign Trade Conference Monday, highlighting the state and nation's continued strength in global trade.

• AG Chris Carr Visits White House for National Human Trafficking Summit

  February 03, 2020

  Attorney General Chris Carr participated in the President’s Human Trafficking Summit at The White House. The summit focused on the 20th anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the landmark anti-human trafficking law. During the event, President Trump signed an executive order to further combat human trafficking and online child exploitation.