Although he already has had 14 years of experience in chambers of commerce and development authorities, Larry McKinney earlier this year earned a Master of Business Administration degree with dual majors in international business and marketing at Georgia State University.
As the new president and CEO of the Conyers-Rockdale Partners for Tomorrow, Mr. McKinney will be heading up a unique economic development organization that receives financial support from the city and the county as well as some 200 local firms.
But, he told GlobalFax during an interview in his office in Conyers, that he would not be drawing only on his experience with chambers of commerce in Augusta, and Bryan and Merriwether counties.
The exposure to international business he received in his course work at Georgia State will serve him well, he stressed, as he seeks to burnish Rockdale County’s image as a good location for high-tech firms.
Since assuming his new position a few weeks ago, Mr. McKinney has been meeting with the organization’s supporters and is preparing for his first board meeting on Tuesday.
He knows that he is not starting from scratch. The county already boasts facilities such as AT&T’s operations center, which monitors the company’s 7,000 facilities throughout the U.S. In addition, it already has an established group of international companies.
In view of Rockdale’s highly qualified working population, he is able to target the most attractive firms in the emerging high-tech sectors. Having already compiled a remarkable record as an economic developer elsewhere, he is poised to promote Rockdale both nationally and internationally.
Mr. McKinney may be reached at (770) 483-1961, fax, (770) 483-9755 or send an E-mail to mckinney@ mindspring.com