Stephens Co. Residents Go Through Econ Dev Training

A number of Stephens County leaders graduate from economic development training.

The Board of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development recently held its yearly 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.

Graduating at the November 20 ceremony from Stephens County were Chuck Wright, Debbie Whitlock, Tug Carter, Brittany Ivey, Gail Fry, and Brian Akin.

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 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.

Georgia Academy for Economic Development Director Corinne Thornton said one of the goals for the multi-day regional Academies is to encourage multi-county cooperation, adding that 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.