Holly Springs Main Street Director Graduates From Economic Development Academy

Holly Springs, GA -- Three Cherokee County leaders have graduated from the Georgia Academy for Economic Development’s 2015 Region 3 Multi-Day Training Program.

Class participants represented a broad spectrum of profession and non-professional fields, including elected officials, public servants, business leaders, educators and social service providers within the 10-county metro Atlanta region.

The initiative provides graduates with an opportunity to gain a unique understanding of the complexities surrounding economic and community development at the local, regional and state levels.

Cherokee County graduates at the Nov. 5 ceremony include Holly Springs Main Street Director Erin Honea, Canton Main Street Director Micah Fowler and Cherokee Office of Economic Development Office Manager Sara Skeen.

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.

Since its launch, the Academy has provided training for thousands of professional and non-professional economic developers around the state and since 1998, the training has been offered annually.

“One of the goals for the multi-day regional academies is to encourage multi-county cooperation,” said 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 once 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.

The curriculum also 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 3 Georgia Academy for Economic Development will begin in August 2016. For more information on this, contact John VanBrunt at 706-825-1356 or john.vanbrunt@dca.ga.gov.

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Photo: from left are Corinne Thornton, director of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development, Holly Springs Main Street Director Erin Honea, Main Canton Main Street Director Micah Fowler, Cherokee Office of Economic Development Office Manager Sara Skeen and Steve Foster, senior urban advisor, community development for Georgia Power. Credit: city of Holly Springs/Georgia Academy for Economic Development