Features
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Explore Georgia Announces Most Anticipated Hotel Openings for 2024
December 22, 2023
The Peach State is preparing to ring in the new year with a host of new hotel options that offer more than just a good night’s sleep. From a mountaintop golf resort to a lovingly restored historic mansion, here is a sampling of the new accommodations travelers can look forward to in Georgia come 2024.
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Georgia’s Unemployment Holds Steady for the Holidays
December 21, 2023
Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson announced today that Georgia's November unemployment rate was 3.4 percent, unchanged from a revised 3.4 percent for the third consecutive month. The unemployment rate was three-tenths lower than the national unemployment rate.
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Georgia Named Among the States Where Small Businesses are Set to Boom in 2024
December 21, 2023
Business ideas and information site The Small Business Blog analyzed search data from Google Keyword Planner for more than 100 terms related to the term ‘side hustle’ and ‘small business’ - the peach state placed #7.
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GDEcD: 50 Years of International Presence
December 20, 2023
Fifty years ago, state leadership under then-Governor Jimmy Carter began to establish Georgia’s physical presence abroad, kickstarting the state’s trajectory to becoming a global hub for business and innovation.
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Christmas Begins After All The Christmas Stuff is Done
December 20, 2023
We’re almost there. The end of the year is in sight. We’re locked in on Christmas, when most of the country slows down or stops altogether for a much needed break. Productivity will be at its annual low.
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Gov. Kemp Announces State Employee Retention Pay Supplement, New School Safety Funding
December 19, 2023
Governor Brian Kemp – joined by First Lady Marty Kemp, Speaker Jon Burns, Chairman Matt Hatchett of the House Appropriations Committee, announced a state employee retention pay supplement of $1,000 for each of the roughly 112,000 state employees and 196,000 educators and school support staff across the state.
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Georgia’s Energy System – A Model for America
December 18, 2023
We start our cars and barely think about the complex systems under the hood. The same with flipping on a light switch. We just take for granted that the electricity will work. We enjoy reliable and affordable electric service here in Georgia thanks to careful planning and market-based management of a diversified energy system.
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goBeyondProfit CEO Interviews: Heath Fountain, CEO of Colony Bank (Part 2)
December 15, 2023
In part 2 of our interview with Colony Bank and its CEO Heath Fountain we explore intentional leadership practices that effectively communicate strategic priorities to a dispersed workforce. With 40+ offices across the state, Colony Bank implements these practices daily.
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GDOT Outlines Need for Major Hike in Highway Funding
December 14, 2023
Georgia will need to spend at least $81 billion on transportation improvements by 2050 to keep people and freight moving on highways that otherwise will becoming increasingly congested, state Commissioner of Transportation Russell McMurry warned Wednesday.
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Governors Kemp, Ivey Announce Agreement in Long-running Chattahoochee River Water Lawsuit
December 13, 2023
Governor Brian P. Kemp of Georgia and Governor Kay Ivey of Alabama announced that they have reached an agreement with the United States Army Corps of Engineers expected to end a lawsuit brought by Alabama while assuring both states’ citizens who live and work in the Mid- and Lower Chattahoochee River Basin of sufficient minimum water flows during times of drought.
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Georgia Chamber CEO Chris Clark: It’s Time for Washington to Reverse Course on Interest Rates
December 13, 2023
It’s no surprise to anyone who has filled up their tank, been to the grocery store, or applied for a loan that sky-high inflation and increasing interest rates are placing an undue financial burden on citizens across the country and constraints on business investments.
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Over Forty High School Students Complete Colony Bank's Leadership Academy
December 12, 2023
Over 40 high school students in Georgia recently graduated from the Colony Leadership Academy, the graduation ceremony took place on November 18th in Savannah and upon completion of the program, each student received up to a $1,000 scholarship to the college or university of their choice.
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Georgia’s Economy is Headed for a “Soft Landing” but Could Still Hit Some Speed Bumps
December 12, 2023
Georgia’s post-COVID economic expansion is expected to slow but continue, with GDP increasing by 1.1% in 2024, according to economic forecasters at the University of Georgia Selig Center for Economic Growth.
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Feds Providing More Funding for Passenger Rail in Georgia
December 11, 2023
The Biden administration is stepping up federal funding of three planned intercity passenger rail projects in Georgia. The Federal Rail Administration has awarded $1.5 million in grants to explore linking Atlanta with Savannah; Charlotte, N.C.; and Chattanooga, Tenn.
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goBeyondProfit CEO Interviews: Heath Fountain, CEO of Colony Bank
December 08, 2023
Colony Bank and its CEO Heath Fountain were recently awarded the goBeyondProfit Champion Award for their commitment to a larger purpose beyond the bottom line. In our latest CEO interview with Colony Bank CEO, Heath Fountain, he clearly articulates not only the role that community banks play in improving lives but also offers practical ways to tie daily tasks and customer interactions back to the company purpose.
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As Responsibilities Increase, US Corporate Boards are Taking a Fresh Look at Their Committees
December 08, 2023
Science and technology. Health and safety. ESG and sustainability. A few years ago, board committees on such topics were nearly non-existent. But as boards expand their role to address a broadening array of topics, they are not only assigning responsibilities to existing committees but also starting to form new types of committees.
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SBA Delivers Over $1.4B in Funding to Georgia Small Businesses
December 06, 2023
The U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced that the SBA delivered $50 billion in capital, disaster relief, and bonding to small businesses and disaster-impacted communities across America in Fiscal Year 2023.
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Colony Bank Honored with the goBeyondProfit 2023 Champion Award
December 05, 2023
goBeyondProfit, a first-of-its-kind business leader initiative that inspires business generosity, today announced it has honored Fitzgerald-based Colony Bank and its CEO, Heath Fountain, with the goBeyondProfit Champion Award.
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Governor Kemp Wants to Accelerate State Income Tax Cuts
December 05, 2023
Gov. Brian Kemp said Monday he will ask Georgia lawmakers to provide additional tax relief during the upcoming legislative session by accelerating a state income tax cut lawmakers adopted last year.
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Study: 33.3% of Georgia Taxpayers Report Charitable Contributions, Above U.S. Average
December 04, 2023
Giving Season—which kicks off with Giving Tuesday and runs through December 31st—is when 30% of all annual nonprofit giving takes place. In Georgia, 33.3% of taxpayers report charitable contributions, compared to 32.9% of taxpayers nationally.
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All Berths Open for Business at Port of Savannah
December 04, 2023
The Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal handled 129 container ship calls last month, an increase of 26 percent compared to October 2022.
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Drawdown Georgia Announces $1.2 Million in New Climate Solutions & Equity Grants
December 01, 2023
Six Georgia-based family foundations today announce the awarding of the 2024-2025 Drawdown Georgia Climate Solutions & Equity Grants in support of efforts that advance climate solutions and prioritize equity in Georgia.
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UGA SBDC to Bolster Georgia Business Community Thanks to a $6.2 Million Federal Grant
December 01, 2023
The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center has been named a sub-recipient in the State Small Business Credit Initiative Grant. A $6.2 million grant funded by the U.S. Department of Treasury and administered through the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
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goBeyondProfit - The Business Case for a Generosity Reboot
December 01, 2023
If you pay close attention, you will hear a growing disagreement between companies, employees, and the communities they serve. While they are bound together by a mutual interest in meaningful engagement, employees and community-serving nonprofits are begging for a relationship reboot.
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Georgia Ranks Second as the Most Entrepreneurial State in America
November 30, 2023
Research by project management experts at The Digital Project Manager analyzed eight indicators for how entrepreneurial a state is; these included the percentage of the population that started a new business, the percentage of start-ups still active after one year, number of small businesses per 100,000 of the population, growth rate of business applications as well as others.