June 2020 Features

• Piedmont College to Relocate to New Athens Location

  June 30, 2020

  Piedmont College is pleased to announce that they will be moving to a new location in downtown Athens. The college has plans to enter into a lease-purchase agreement for the college’s campus on Prince Avenue. At the same time, Piedmont College will be leasing space in a location that will soon be announced.

• Hawks to Transform State Farm Arena into 'Georgia’s Largest-ever Voting Precinct'

  June 30, 2020

  Fulton County is partnering with the Atlanta Hawks to create Georgia’s largest-ever voting precinct at State Farm Arena, starting with early voting on July 20 for the Georgia General Primary Runoff Election on August 11th

• Entrepreneurs Encouraged to Apply for the PPP Program Before the June 30th Deadline- “Recovery Now in Cities Across Georgia"

  June 29, 2020

  During these past few months since the outbreak of the Covid-19 Pandemic, I've gained an astounding confirmation at roundtables, virtual townhalls, radio interviews, hundreds of phone calls, and emails, that the key component to the success of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is due to the significant level of local participation, local and federal collaboration, and support at the community level.

• USDA Sending $12.5 Million to Georgia for Rural Broadband

  June 29, 2020

  Broadband deployment efforts by SyncGlobal and Carroll Electric Membership Cooperative are coming together with the announcement of USDA/RUS grant money awarded for the region.

• Corsica Technologies: Remote Work is the New Normal. Here’s How to Embrace It.

  June 29, 2020

  Although many industries have been forced to quickly pivot to a remote workforce due to COVID-19, the shift is not a new one. Over the last five years remote work has seen a 44% growth, over the last decade that number is 91%. Whether recent circumstances forced your business to transition to a remote workforce or it was already in the works, it’s vital that you fully embrace the change if you want to be successful. Here’s how.

• SK innovation to Invest Another $940 Million in Jackson County Expansion, Create 600 Jobs

  June 26, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that SK innovation, a developer and manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), will invest another $940 million to expand their manufacturing plant in Commerce, Georgia, creating 600 jobs.

• Georgia Processes More Claims in 14 Weeks Than in the Past Seven Years

  June 26, 2020

  The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today they have processed over 2.7 million regular UI initial claims in the past 14 weeks, more than the last seven years combined.

• Kemp, Duncan, Ralston Encourage Passage of COVID-19 Economic Relief Package

  June 26, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Duncan, and Speaker David Ralston expressed their support of the passage of an economic relief package for businesses in the wake of COVID-19.

• Response Fund Distributes Next Round, Seeks Future Support

  June 25, 2020

  Since March 2020, the Athens Area Community Foundation and United Way of Northeast Georgia’s COVID-19 Community Response Fund has raised more than $350,000.

• Delta Donates 1 Million Pounds of Food (and Counting) to Communities Around World

  June 25, 2020

  The COVID-19 crisis has created a number of opportunities for Delta people to make a difference in the communities where we live and work. Since Delta has temporarily adjusted services on board and in Delta Sky Clubs, they have donated food and other provisions from warehouses around the globe to hospitals, schools, food banks and other organizations.

• GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson: State’s Tourism is Down Due to Pandemic, but Not Out

  June 24, 2020

  As the unofficial capital of the Southeast, Georgia has the biggest cities, the most diverse population and a vast geographical range from the mountains to the beach. Our tourism industry constantly redefines what it means to be Southern by sharing the places, culture, stories and people that make Georgia so unique, and this has earned our state a strong reputation as a top travel destination.

• June Poll Shows Georgia Employee Trust and Loyalty Increased by Businesses’ Pandemic Response; Employees Report Heightened Productivity but Specific Concerns, Wishes for Recovery

  June 23, 2020

  A goBeyondProfit survey conducted earlier this month among working Georgians shows businesses’ pandemic response has increased their employees’ trust and loyalty. Respondents reported work productivity higher than before the pandemic and indicated better-than-neutral mental wellbeing, though they worry about job security and coronavirus exposure at work and among their family and friends.

• Caroline Lewallen Takes the Helm as President of the CAES Alumni Association

  June 22, 2020

  Caroline Lewallen, a 2011 agricultural education graduate, has been elected to serve as president of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) Alumni Association for the 2020-21 term beginning July 1st.

• Chris Clark: The Inequality of Opportunity

  June 22, 2020

  We are in an important national conversation on systemic racism and the underlying inequality of economic opportunity in America. The Georgia Chamber and the business community will directly engage in dialogue and actively advocate for policies that create long term job growth, mobility, and equality for all Georgians. Doing so is essential for our collective prosperity.

• New Report Examines Bioscience Industry’s Economic Impact in Georgia & Role in Global Pandemic

  June 22, 2020

  The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) released new data on the bioscience industry in the United States this week during the BIO Digital conference. The new report, The Bioscience Economy: Propelling Life-Saving Treatments, Supporting State & Local Communities, analyzes the bioscience industry’s economic footprint across the nation and in Georgia, the significant role of small- and mid-sized companies, and the industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• States Whose Unemployment Rates Are Bouncing Back Most

  June 22, 2020

  With states opening up and the national unemployment rate now at 13.3% compared to the nearly historic high of 14.7% at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, WalletHub released its report on the States Whose Unemployment Rates Are Bouncing Back Most.

• Athens Community Organizations Launch Ready, Set, Go Safely Campaign

  June 19, 2020

  As Georgia begins to reopen, Athens-Clarke County remains committed to the health and safety of residents, visitors, businesses, and employees as the community works together to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and safely reopen.

• Georgia Bankers Association Elects and Installs Officers and Directors to its Board

  June 19, 2020

  Members of the Georgia Bankers Association (GBA) have elected and installed officers for the 2020-2021 fiscal year and added 10 members to its board of directors.

• Lt. Gov. Duncan Unveils New Version of Hate-crimes Proposal in Georgia

  June 18, 2020

  Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan introduced hate crimes legislation that empowers communities by giving them the ability to seek a hate crimes charge from a grand jury if local prosecutors don’t. The bill would also create a separate offense for “bias-motivated intimidation” for alleged hate crimes, which satisfies the constitutional protections of due process by requiring an indictment.

• Advisory Group to Review Names Used On University System of Georgia Campuses

  June 18, 2020

  Board of Regents Chairman Sachin Shailendra and Chancellor Steve Wrigley of the University System of Georgia (USG) have asked an advisory group to review and study the names of buildings and colleges on all USG campuses and report to the Board on any recommended changes.

• Georgia Honors State’s 2020 ‘Small Business ROCK STARS’

  June 17, 2020

  Today, the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) and the Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA) teamed up to recognize Georgia’s 2020 Small Business ROCK STARS. Originally set to take place in April, the ceremony to celebrate the four winning businesses was transformed into a completely virtual production to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

• GPA Elects Officers for FY2021

  June 16, 2020

  At its meeting Tuesday, the Georgia Ports Authority board elected officers for the coming fiscal year, selecting Will McKnight to serve a second year as chairman.

• Raphael Bostic: A Moral and Economic Imperative to End Racism

  June 16, 2020

  As I have observed the protests against police brutality over the past few weeks, I have shared in the outrage of the truly horrific events that brought us to this point. I know many of you are feeling shocked and outraged. My first thoughts are for those who lost their lives and those suffering through these events in very real ways, and I stand with all those peacefully protesting for change.

• Georgia Again Recognized for Excellence in Attracting Jobs and Investment

  June 15, 2020

  Governor Kemp announced that Georgia has received its 12th Shovel Award – its 11th consecutive such award – recognizing the state’s excellence in attracting investment and creating jobs.

• Georgia Film, TV, Streaming Production Industry Is Open for Business

  June 15, 2020

  Governor Kemp announced that the major motion picture, television, and streaming companies plan to bring back and hire an estimated 40,000 production workers, who will be employed on an expected seventy-five production projects that will invest over $2 billion into the Georgia economy during the next eighteen months.