June 2018 Features

• Hands-Free Law Will Become Effective on July 1st

  June 29, 2018

  House Bill 673, also known as the “Hands-Free Georgia Act,” will become effective on July 1, 2018. The legislation was introduced during the 2018 Legislative Session, passed both the Senate and House and was signed by Governor Nathan Deal on May 2nd.

• Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee Teams with WonderRoot to Kickoff a Large-Scale Civil Rights and Social Justice Initiative

  June 29, 2018

  The Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee and the City of Atlanta have united with arts and advocacy organization WonderRoot to launch a large-scale community initiative titled “Off The Wall.” The project will produce up to 30 public murals to capture the past, present, and future of Atlanta’s historic civil rights legacy and current social justice movements. The complete collection of works will become part of the City of Atlanta’s permanent public art collection.

• Fitness Startup Peloton Acquires Atlanta Music Company

  June 29, 2018

  eloton, the technology company revolutionizing the fitness category, announced its first-ever acquisition with the purchase of Neurotic Media LLC, an innovative Atlanta-based digital music aggregator, streaming and download source.

• United Way of Greater Atlanta Focuses Resources to Help Struggling Communities Thrive

  June 28, 2018

  When it comes to child well-being, Atlanta is failing. United Way created the Child-Well Being Index, composed of child, family and community measures, to track the progress and effectiveness of the Child Well-Being Movement. These scores, reflected in interactive maps and organized by zip code, illustrate the significant disparity across the region.

• Auburn Mayor Linda Blechinger Elected President of GMA

  June 28, 2018

  Auburn Mayor Linda Blechinger was elected president of the Georgia Municipal Association during the association’s annual meeting in Savannah on Sunday, June 24th. The city of Auburn has maintained its old southern charm while evolving to attract businesses and provide valued amenities to its residents. Community members, local and state leaders credit much of this redevelopment success to Blechinger.

• How to Develop A Connected, State-Wide Innovation Ecosystem

  June 27, 2018

  Most entrepreneurs are jacks-of-all-trades who are equipped with the knowledge and abilities to solve business problems as they arise, but there are some obstacles that require a more specialized industry-centric approach. These are the challenges that keep business owners up at night because they don’t have the in-house expertise or resources necessary to develop a solution.

• Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Files Certificate of Need Application for North Druid Hills Hospital

  June 26, 2018

  Egleston Children’s Hospital, a subsidiary of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, filed a Certificate of Need application for additional beds for its planned hospital at North Druid Hills Road in Brookhaven.

• Charlie Harper: Transit Moves Beyond Atlanta

  June 26, 2018

  Last week Governor Nathan Deal assembled state leaders at Georgia’s Capitol for an announcement. The State would be contributing $100 Million toward building Bus Rapid Transit on Georgia 400 through North Fulton County. The money will leverage $184 Million in Federal Funds granted to build express lanes from I-285 to McFarland Road, bringing traffic relief to one of Georgia’s fastest growing and most congested corridors.

• Georgia Power Named Utility Communicator of the Year by UCI

  June 25, 2018

  Georgia Power has been recognized by Utility Communicators International as Communicator of the Year and took home the Best in Show award among 17 others in the annual Better Communications Competition held June 21st, in Louisville, Kentucky.

• Georgia Lottery Corp. Celebrates 25th Anniversary

  June 21, 2018

  The Georgia Lottery Corp. marked its 25th anniversary during a ceremony Wednesday at the Georgia State Capitol. Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin was joined by Gov. Nathan Deal to commemorate the occasion, which was a celebration of the Georgia Lottery, Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia’s Pre-K Program.

• Georgia Retains AAA Ratings for 21st Consecutive Year

  June 21, 2018

  Gov. Nathan Deal announced Georgia again earned a rating of AAA, with a stable outlook, from each of the three main credit rating agencies — Moody’s, Fitch and Standard & Poor’s. Of the states that issue general obligation bonds, only nine currently meet this standard. These ratings resulted in low interest rates during the sale of state general obligation bonds to fund $1.32 billion for new projects.

• Governor Deal Announces SR 400 Transit Project

  June 20, 2018

  Following approval by the State Road and Tollway Authority board, Gov. Nathan Deal announced $100 million in General Obligation bonds for Bus Rapid Transit infrastructure, part of the SR 400 Express Lanes project.

• Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Submitted by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Unanimously Approved by Atlanta City Council

  June 20, 2018

  The Atlanta City Council has approved the Fiscal Year 2019 budget for the City of Atlanta. The $661.4 million budget is the first to be proposed by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and focuses on the Administration’s priorities including public safety, economic development, equity, transparency and the quality of life of all city residents.

• Study Indicates Pet Friendly Companies Are More Likely to Attract, Engage and Retain Employees

  June 19, 2018

  A recent study conducted by Nationwide, in partnership with the Human Animal Bond Research Institute, reveals that 90 percent of employees in pet friendly workplaces feel highly connected to their company's mission; fully engaged with their work; and willing to recommend their employer to others. In contrast, less than 65 percent of employees in non-pet friendly workplaces made the same claims.

• International Visitation to Atlanta Increases by 5%

  June 15, 2018

  International visitation to Atlanta increased 5 percent in 2017, resulting in a total of 1.25 million visitors to the metro area. Between 2012 and 2017, arrivals rose to 1.2 million, a cumulative increase of 20 percent in five years.

• Georgia Economy Achieves Record Job Creation & Employment in May

  June 15, 2018

  Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Georgia once again set records for employed residents, labor force and jobs for May, continuing a trend from previous months. The state is approaching the 5-million mark for employed residents. At the same time, Georgia posted more than 4.5 million jobs and a labor force of more than 5.1 million.

• 5 Secrets to Building Great Company Culture You May Not Have Realized

  June 15, 2018

  One thing I’ve learned across all the companies I’ve created is just how vital company culture is. This is especially true when you’re starting a new company and can’t afford to hire experienced veterans who command high salaries. So, how can you put great people in place without spending the fortune you haven’t earned yet? You create such an amazing culture that people want to work for you.

• Atlanta Sports Council Celebrates Atlanta’s Outstanding Athletes, Coaches, Teams and Community Contributors at the 2018 Atlanta Sports Awards

  June 14, 2018

  The Atlanta Sports Council announced the winners of the 2018 Atlanta Sports Awards honoring the area’s best athletes, coaches, teams and community contributors during its 13th annual Atlanta Sports Awards ceremony at The Fairmont in West Midtown.

• Co-Chief Operating Officer of SunTrust Banks, Inc. Elected Chair of World Affairs Council of Atlanta

  June 14, 2018

  Hugh S. (Beau) Cummins III, co-chief operating officer of SunTrust Banks, Inc., has been elected chair of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta for a two-year term.

• Pamela Whitten Named President of Kennesaw State University

  June 13, 2018

  The Board of Regents named Dr. Pamela Whitten president of Kennesaw State University. Whitten will begin her new position July 16th . Whitten currently serves as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at the University of Georgia, a position she has held since 2014.

• Atlanta Housing Celebrates Grand Re-Opening Of Tenth And Juniper Senior Community

  June 13, 2018

  On Wednesday, June 6th, the Atlanta Housing team was joined by representatives of Columbia Residential, JM Wilkerson, Wells Fargo, Sweetwater Capital, and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, as well as City of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, to celebrate the return of residents to Tenth and Juniper, an affordable 149-unit community for seniors and the non-elderly disabled.

• Creative Urban Development Firms Join Forces

  June 12, 2018

  Two development firms responsible for some of the most successful adaptive re-use and creative infill projects over the past decade in Atlanta are uniting. Third & Urban and Chris Faussemagne, President of Westbridge Partners, are forming a new entity which seeks to be the premier creative development company in the southeastern United States. The new firm will retain the name Third & Urban.

• Atlanta Marriott Marquis Named Marriott’s Hotel of the Year

  June 08, 2018

  Marriott International has named Atlanta Marriott Marquis the 2017 Americas Hotel of the Year, just four weeks after the property earned the honor of being named internal Hotel of the Year Eastern Region. The award was received by Erica Qualls-Battey, Area General Manager of the hotel in downtown Atlanta, at Marriott’s awards ceremony in Washington DC.

• 4 Ways to Master Risk in Your Small Business Without Breaking a Sweat

  June 08, 2018

  Risk is something that few people enjoy. Sure, there are always daredevils who push things too far, but the majority of people are relatively cautious. And while there’s something to be said for protecting yourself, successful entrepreneurs don’t shy away from risk altogether.

• AG Chris Carr: Frequently Asked Questions When It Comes to Open Records and Open Meetings

  June 07, 2018