September 2020 Features

• Aflac Leadership Honored with Georgia’s goBeyondProfit Champion Award

  September 30, 2020

  In a fitting capstone to the designation of September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Aflac has been honored with the goBeyondProfit Champion Award. The peer-nominated goBeyondProfit Champion honor is given for Aflac’s consistency in benefiting its community and business with a generous and diverse company culture, while deploying company resources and priorities toward community empowerment.

• Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and United Way of Greater Atlanta Open Applications for Additional COVID-19 Response Grants

  September 30, 2020

  The Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, a joint effort from Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and United Way of Greater Atlanta, today announces an open application process for nonprofit organizations to receive grant funding for pandemic response efforts.

• Amid Pandemic, Small Business Owners Respond With Meaningful Transformation; Remain Resilient

  September 30, 2020

  Amid this year's historic coronavirus pandemic, businesses are adapting by making major changes to their operations including increased use of technology, according to the latest PNC semi-annual survey of small and mid-size business owners and executives, which concluded Sept. 8th.

• Lt. Governor Duncan Address Sets Stage for Health Connect South 2020 Platform

  September 29, 2020

  The seventh annual Health Connect South (HCS), the Southeast’s gathering of thought leaders in the field of medicine, convened on September 24th with over 750 in attendance—its largest forum ever. Its unique networking platform encourages collaborative innovations and advances key health topics via 17 panel sessions, featuring over 40 renowned moderators and speakers, including Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan.

• Venture Atlanta Expands National Reach, Announces 2020 Lineup of Most Promising Tech Companies

  September 28, 2020

  In the midst of a pandemic, Venture Atlanta, one of the nation's best venture capital conferences, continues to usher in new startup capital and highlight the Southeast's most promising tech businesses. The annual conference today announced the 103 companies that will present and be showcased at this year's fully virtual event, Venture Atlanta Live Online.

• Chris Clark: D.C. Fly-in Emphasizes Importance of Vote

  September 28, 2020

  Last week has been nothing short of extraordinary. From economic recovery and foreign affairs to health care, transportation, rural initiatives, agriculture and so much more, last week’s all-virtual Georgia Chamber D.C. Fly-In reported record attendance and conveyed a strong message that business and government can and must work together for a better future and more rapid recovery from the COVID recession.

• Piedmont Hits $150 Million Fundraising Goal for Marcus Tower

  September 25, 2020

  The Piedmont Healthcare Foundation met its $150 million fundraising goal for the Marcus Tower at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, which completed its Phase I construction and opened on July 15. Phase II of the project’s construction has begun and Piedmont will open the first floors that are part of Phase II in January 2022.

• UPS Appoints Nikki Clifton to Lead The UPS Foundation, Announces Retirement of Ed Martinez

  September 25, 2020

  UPS today announced the appointment of Nicole “Nikki” Clifton as President of Social Impact and The UPS Foundation, effective November 1st, and the retirement of Eduardo “Ed” Martinez. Nikki will lead UPS’s global philanthropy, social impact and community engagement efforts as part of UPS’s new Corporate Affairs, Communications and Sustainability team.

• Georgia Historical Society Announces Former United States Senator Sam Nunn to Keynote Georgia History Festival Series

  September 25, 2020

  The Georgia Historical Society announced today that the theme and focus of study for the 2020-2021 Georgia History Festivalis Tear Down This Wall: Georgia in Cold War America.

• Georgia Power Brings Complimentary Electric Vehicle Charging to Atlanta Botanical Garden

  September 24, 2020

  In partnership with the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Georgia Power installed eight Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) chargers at the midtown attraction’s SAGE parking garage this year.

• Truist Donates $40M to Launch Innovative Nonprofit Fund Supporting Ethnically, Racially Diverse and Women-Owned Small Businesses

  September 24, 2020

  Truist Financial Corporation announced a $40 million initial donation to help establish CornerSquare Community Capital, a new national nonprofit fund that will support selected community development financial institutions (CDFIs) through the purchase of 25% loan participations.

• Atlanta Falcons Will Host Fans in Limited Capacity Beginning October 11th

  September 23, 2020

  The NFL's Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United of Major League Soccer announce that both teams will play games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (MBS) with fans in limited capacity and following league protocols beginning with the Falcons' home game vs. the Carolina Panthers on October 11th.

• Carl Vinson Institute Fellowship Helps Communities Address Revitalization Challenges

  September 23, 2020

  The City of Richmond Hill is promoting a unified “look” and the City of Dahlonega is envisioning visitor-friendly parking solutions through a community development collaborative with the University of Georgia.

• Georgia Congressional Delegation Fights to Close Digital Divide

  September 22, 2020

  U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA), U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), and 10 members of the Georgia congressional delegation sent a letter urging Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai to utilize Georgia’s recently completed location-level broadband maps as the federal government works to improve access to high-speed internet.

• Critical Panel Discussion to be Featured at Health Connect South: Atlanta Hospital CEOs Collaboration to Combat COVID-19

  September 21, 2020

  The agenda for the 2020 Health Connect South (HCS) annual gathering on September 24th will feature a compelling panel discussion with three Atlanta area hospital CEO’s who will share how they spearheaded unprecedented, collaborative efforts to combat the Novel Coronavirus pandemic.

• Bang Energy to Invest $145M in Lithia Springs Facility

  September 21, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that energy and sports beverage company BANG ENERGY will invest $145 million in opening its first Southeastern manufacturing and distribution facility in Douglasville, delivering 600 new jobs to the community, which includes Lithia Springs.

• Papa John’s Selects Metro Atlanta as Location of a New Global Headquarters

  September 18, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that internationally known pizza delivery and carry-out company Papa John’s has selected metro Atlanta to open a new global headquarters in 2021, delivering 200 jobs to the area.

• Pedro Cherry Appointed to Synovus Board of Directors

  September 18, 2020

  Synovus Financial Corp. has appointed Pedro Cherry, president and CEO of Atlanta Gas Light and Chattanooga Gas, to its Board of Directors. Cherry is a longtime executive of Southern Company.

• Georgia Significantly Outperforms National Unemployment Rate in August

  September 18, 2020

  The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today that for the month of August, Georgia’s unemployment rate was 5.6 percent, while the national unemployment rate stood at 8.4 percent. Along with outpacing the national rate, Georgia recorded a decrease of 2 percentage points since July and a seven-point drop since the beginning of the pandemic.

• Poll Worker Training: Aggressive Statewide Program Targets Those Who Make the Critical Difference on Election Day

  September 18, 2020

  Even with new technology and new procedures, one thing has not changed about Georgia elections: Those who will have the most direct impact on achieving a smooth, successful election day are the poll managers and workers who will staff Georgia’s 3100 precincts on Nov. 3rd.

• Georgia Commission for Freight and Logistics Kicks Off 2020 Meeting Series

  September 17, 2020

  The Georgia Commission for Freight and Logistics has kicked-off its 2020 Meeting Series with its first meeting held on September 15th. This year’s regional meetings will continue the work launched in 2019 with the creation of the commission through House Resolution 37.

• Cobb Chamber Announces Board of Directors Chair Leadership Term Extension

  September 17, 2020

  Today, the Cobb Chamber Board of Directors announced they will extend the terms of their 2020 Board of Directors chair leadership.

• Health Connect South 2020 Set to Showcase Best of the Southeast Regions’ Health Collaborations

  September 16, 2020

  The 2020 Health Connect South (HCS) annual gathering on September 24th will present a unique view into health collaborations happening across the Southeast among health systems, academia, healthcare providers, investors, health innovators and key state and national policy makers.

• ATDC Celebrates 40 Years of Innovation with Double Vision Event

  September 16, 2020

  The Advanced Technology Development Center, Georgia’s technology incubator, announces its Double Vision Event to celebrate its 40th anniversary and recognize eight companies that are graduating from its program.

• Georgia State President Mark Becker Will Leave Presidency

  September 16, 2020

  Georgia State University President Mark Becker, who has led the university through the most dynamic period of growth and development in its history, has announced his plans to leave the presidency at the end of June 2021.