August 2021 Features

• Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game Announces Fan COVID Policies for Labor Day Weekend Games

  August 31, 2021

  Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game officials today announced that the Mercedes-Benz Stadium roof will be open for its two marquee games slated for Labor Day Weekend.

• Morehouse College Receives $350,000 Gift from Wells Fargo to Support Minority Business Training

  August 31, 2021

  Morehouse College has received a $350,000 grant from Wells Fargo to fund the Entrepreneurs of Color Program, which helps minority entrepreneurs to improve their business models, marketing outreach, technology systems, and seek resources necessary for growth.

• Hartsfield-Jackson Named Most Efficient Airport for 18th Consecutive Year

  August 30, 2021

  Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), for the 18th consecutive year, has been recognized as the most efficient airport in the world as determined by the Air Transport Research Society (ATRS).

• With FDA Approval of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, Vaccinations Remain Top of Mind for Metro Atlanta Health Care Systems

  August 30, 2021

  With the FDA approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine this week for individuals 16 years of age and older, Emory Healthcare continues to work with the community and other metro Atlanta area hospitals to convey the importance of being vaccinated.

• Leadership Georgia Announces 2020-21 Award Recipients

  August 27, 2021

  The Leadership Georgia Board of Trustees today announced the recipients of the organization’s most prestigious awards, presented to Georgians who exemplify the principles of Leadership Georgia and whose impact through leadership and stewardship has helped shaped communities and the state.

• Improving the Lives of Georgia’s Children and Youth: What’s Next

  August 27, 2021

  Over the past year, GMA has brought you stories of how cities, organizations and individuals are finding ways to support and engage young people in their communities. We’ve also spotlighted issues that affect children and youth – literacy, early childhood development, quality after school care and socio-economic and mental health issues – and how cities are tackling those challenges.

• Partnership for Inclusive Innovation Announces 2021 Cohort of the Georgia Smart Communities Challenge

  August 26, 2021

  The Partnership for Inclusive Innovation (PIN) announced the four communities selected for its 2021 Georgia Smart Communities Challenge (GA Smart), which allows localities across the state to apply for research assistance that empowers them to envision, explore, and plan for a “smart” future.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters Select Greenberg Traurig Co-President Ernest Greer and Patrice Greer as 2021 Legacy Awards Honorees

  August 25, 2021

  Ernest LaMont Greer, co-president of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, and his wife, Patrice Greer, will be honored as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta’s 2021 Legacy Awards honorees at the organization’s Legacy Awards Live gala on Sept. 18th.

• Upcoming SBA Georgia Virtual Events

  August 25, 2021

  The Georgia Office of the Small Business Administration recently announced a number of different virtual events and resources to help you start, grow, expand or recover your business.

• Atlanta Braves Become First MLB Team to Sign NIL Deals with Student Athletes

  August 24, 2021

  The Atlanta Braves announced the signing of NIL contracts with two local student-athletes, University of Georgia gymnast Rachel Baumann and Georgia Tech quarterback Jordan Yates. With this signing, the Braves become the first Major League Baseball team to officially partner with student-athletes since the NCAA and state regulations were passed last month.

• goBeyondProfit Champion Awarded to Cox Enterprises

  August 23, 2021

  Not only in spite of pandemic upheaval, but partly for how it navigated the storm, goBeyondProfit announced that Cox Enterprises has been awarded as the most recent goBeyondProfit Champion. Cox Enterprise was nominated for how its values-oriented approach has endured for over a century.

• Development Authority of Fulton County Announces Sarah-Elizabeth Langford as Finalist for Interim Executive Director

  August 23, 2021

  The Development Authority of Fulton County (DAFC) Board of Directors announced Sarah-Elizabeth Langford as finalist for the position of Interim Executive Director. The Atlanta native and Howard University School of Law graduate brings nearly two decades of successful experience in affordable housing development, government affairs and community relations.

• Georgia Chamber CEO Chris Clark: Economic Prosperity Requires Action on Crime

  August 23, 2021

  A decade ago, businesses shifted their expansion, location, and relocation decisions from a model founded on incentives and infrastructure to one based on access to talent. Vibrant communities, otherwise known as live, work, play, and pray communities, have become the true economic drivers. No longer do workers move to better jobs. Today, better jobs move to workers.

• French-American Chamber of Commerce Announces its Move to Curiosity Lab

  August 20, 2021

  Today, Peachtree Corners, one of the nation’s first smart cities powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G – announced that the French-American Chamber of Commerce-Atlanta is moving operations from the Consulate General of France to office space within the Innovation Center at Curiosity Lab.

• State Unemployment Rate Drops to Pre-Pandemic Level in July

  August 20, 2021

  The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced that Georgia's unemployment rate dropped three-tenths of a percentage point to 3.7 percent in July, mirroring rates seen prior to the pandemic. In March 2020, Georgia’s unemployment rate was 3.6 percent

• Morehouse College Welcomes Most New Students on Record

  August 20, 2021

  This week, Morehouse College welcomed the largest group of new students on record for the first day of fall 2021 semester classes.

• Mercer University’s Executive Forum to Kick Off 42nd Year with Presentation by Sportscaster Ernie Johnson Jr.

  August 19, 2021

  Mercer University’s Executive Forum, presented by Truist, will kick of its 42nd year on Sept. 7th with a presentation by beloved, Emmy-winning sportscaster Ernie Johnson Jr. in Macon.

• Atlanta Fed President and CEO Raphael Bostic to Speak at 2021 American Rural Prosperity Summit

  August 19, 2021

  The Georgia Chamber has announced that Raphael Bostic, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, will be a featured speaker at this year’s American Rural Prosperity Summit being held in Athens, Georgia, October 4th-6th.

• Southern Company Gas Partners with Chauncey Black of Blackstreet to Launch ‘No Diggity’ Safe Digging Campaign

  August 19, 2021

  Dig up the musical nostalgia of Blackstreet’s ’90s chart-topping R&B jam “No Diggity,” which has been remixed on its 25th anniversary to promote safe digging awareness.

• Cobb Young Professionals Names 2021 Next Generation Award Winners

  August 18, 2021

  Cobb Young Professionals (CYP), the Cobb Chamber’s networking and development group for professionals in their 20s and 30s, named the winners of the 2021 Next Generation Award at the Chamber’s August Marquee Monday event: Allison Giddens of Win-Tech, Inc., and Andrew Dill, of Lockheed Martin.

• Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: How Georgia’s Cities are Leveraging Partnerships to Achieve New Heights

  August 16, 2021

  There’s no shame in asking for help, especially when something as important as a city’s future is at stake. Several of Georgia’s cities are setting a new standard for how to utilize partnerships to truly thrive. Here are their stories.

• Vanderlande Industries Expanding in Cobb County, Creating 500 Jobs

  August 13, 2021

  Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that global material handling and logistics company Vanderlande Industries Inc. will invest $59 million in expanding their North American headquarters in Cobb County. This expansion will create 500 new jobs in Marietta, bringing the company’s total employment to more than 1,250 people in Georgia.

• State Record-Breaking Jobs & Investment in FY2021

  August 13, 2021

  Governor Brian P. Kemp joined the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) to announce record-setting jobs and investments from economic development projects across the state during fiscal year 2021. Investments increased by 46%, while job creation increased 5% above prior state economic development records.

• Equifax Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire Health e(fx)

  August 11, 2021

  Equifax announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Health e(fx), a leading and experienced provider of Affordable Care Act (ACA) services. This acquisition will help Equifax Workforce Solutions bring businesses more of the information, insights and solutions they need to help manage through the changes that impact their workforce.

• Live Music and International Entertainment This Weekend at the 85th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival

  August 11, 2021

  It might be the country’s third-oldest fine arts festival, but the 85th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival also offers attendees plenty of live entertainment throughout the weekend. The Coca-Cola Main Stage features music in a variety of genres for three tune-filled days.