Reworking incentive policies aimed at recruiting foreign and domestic investment to Georgia will be a major focus of the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism‘s upcoming quarterly board of director’s meeting, according to GDITT’s communications director, Kevin Langston.
The conference is to be held Thursday, Aug. 14, at the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce‘s new facility in Athens.
Gov. Sonny Perdue and Glenn Cornell, GDITT’s commissioner, were instrumental in instigating a review of the state’s incentive strategies, Mr. Langston told GlobalFax in a telephone interview.
He said that research on the topic had begun earlier this year with an analysis of Georgia’s current incentive offerings and a review of its primary competitors, including several southeastern states. Final policy recommendations are to be presented at GDITT’s final board meeting for 2003, which will be held in Warner Robins, Thursday, Nov. 13.
The Athens meeting will also include updates on a number of economic initiatives, including increased tourism funding and the establishment of megasites in Georgia, tracts of land bought by the government to attract investment and development to the state. Both programs have, under the leadership of GDITT board chairman James Blanchard, CEO of Synovus Financial Corp., received increased attention over the past year, said Mr. Langston.
Further, an update on the Atlanta’s marketing efforts in its bid for the Free Trade Area of the Americas secretariat will be provided.
Other issues to be addressed include the introduction of six new GDITT board members and the election of officers and committee chairs to a one-year term of office.
During the meeting, the board is also to honor the late Maynard Jackson, former three-term mayor of Atlanta and board member of GDITT.
For more information, contact Mr. Langston at (404) 651-8578.