November 2020 Features

• GAgives on Giving Tuesday December 1st

  November 30, 2020

  GAgives on GivingTuesday, Georgia’s biggest giving campaign, is coming up quickly: This year’s campaign culminates on December 1, GivingTuesday, as part of the worldwide celebration that takes place each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

• Georgia’s Unemployment Rate Drastically Drops in October

  November 20, 2020

  The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced that Georgia’s unemployment rate for October decreased by 1.8 percentage points to reach 4.5 percent.

• Georgia Chamber CEO Chris Clark: Changing for a More Inclusive Future

  November 20, 2020

  This year has been nothing short of unequaled in our lifetime. From a global pandemic wreaking havoc on our lives and livelihoods to the social and racial injustices that we watched unfold on our televisions and in our backyards around America, 2020 has truly offered much hindsight from which to learn.

• AT&T Makes $150,000 Contribution to Construction Ready Program

  November 20, 2020

  AT&T has contributed $150,000 to the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia (CEFGA) to support CEFGA’s “Construction Ready” program. The contribution will allow the program to expand its presence in metro Atlanta, to provide additional training and create career paths and economic empowerment opportunities for Atlantans in construction and the skilled trades.

• Carvana Debuts Flagship Car Vending Machine in Atlanta

  November 19, 2020

  Carvana , a leading e-commerce platform for buying and selling used cars, opened its flagship Car Vending Machine in Atlanta, the same city Carvana sold its first car in just seven years ago. Atlanta is now home to the tallest Car Vending Machine in the U.S., standing a remarkable 12 stories high with a 43-vehicle capacity.

• U.S. Economic Health Heavily Dependent on COVID-19 Path

  November 19, 2020

  The response by consumers and policymakers to rising COVID-19 case counts is likely to determine whether currently projected improvements to U.S. economic growth materialize, according to the latest commentary from the Fannie Mae Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group.

• StartUP Columbus Opens Restored New Uptown Space

  November 18, 2020

  On Tuesday, StartUP Columbus held the grand opening of their new facility located at 1127 Broadway, just below CSU’s Frank Brown Hall. Thanks to a partnership with Columbus State University, StartUP was able to renovate their new space and open their doors to help entrepreneurs from our region.

• GEDA Recognizes Top Deals of the Year and Outstanding Individuals at Luncheon

  November 18, 2020

  At its Annual Awards luncheon on Monday, the Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA) recognized top deals of the year an excellence by individuals. Awards included the Deals of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Rip Wiley Award for Professional Excellence, Honorary Life Member selections and Committee Chair of the Year.

• Georgia 4-H Youth Upcycle Trash into Practical, Useful Objects

  November 17, 2020

  Georgia 4-H students rose to the occasion during the 4-H Upcycle Challenge, which encouraged youth to reuse — or upcycle — materials that normally would have been discarded or recycled to create functional items.

• Georgia Chamber CEO Chris Clark: The Future of Georgia Transportation

  November 16, 2020

  As the Georgia economy continues its recovery, we are seeing the return of the strength and importance of logistics and transportation. Moving manufactured goods, agriculture products and employees around town and around the world requires a visionary outlook.

• Warp Speed Chief Visits Emory, Urges Participation in COVID Vaccine Trials

  November 16, 2020

  Operation Warp Speed's Chief Science Advisor visited Emory University and urged Americans to continue enrolling in ongoing COVID-19 vaccine trials.

• Georgia Shatters Previous Record, Earns Top Business Ranking for Eighth Consecutive Year

  November 13, 2020

  As the world’s greatest golfers teed off today at the Masters Tournament in Augusta to compete for the prized Green Jacket, Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that the State of Georgia has shattered its own record by being named No. 1 for business climate for the eighth consecutive year by Site Selection magazine.

• UGA Study: Each College Graduate Adds $2M to Georgia’s GDP

  November 13, 2020

  Georgians have long viewed higher education as the fastest path to a brighter future, but new research shows how college graduates also fuel the state’s economic engine.

• University System of Georgia Enrollment Increases to Record High

  November 12, 2020

  University System of Georgia (USG) enrollment has reached an all-time high of 341,485 students, according to USG’s Fall 2020 Semester Enrollment Report. The record enrollment represents a 2.4% (7,978 students) increase over Fall 2019, extending USG’s growth trend to seven consecutive years.

• EY Survey: US Executives Rethink Corporate Strategies in Anticipation of Post-Election Legislation, Regulation and Policy Changes

  November 12, 2020

  On the heels of the US elections, US executives are responding to uncertainty from the impending changes in legislation, regulations and policy by rethinking their corporate strategies in the US and abroad, according to the Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) Election Pulse Strategy Survey, conducted by EY US Strategy and Transactions.

• Carolyn Bermudez Selected to Lead Liberty Georgia Operations

  November 11, 2020

  Liberty is pleased to announce that Carolyn Bermudez has been appointed President of our Georgia operations.

• Georgia Chamber Announces an All-Virtual 2021 Eggs & Issues Breakfast

  November 11, 2020

  The Georgia Chamber announces that it will host its annual marquee event, the Eggs and Issues Breakfast, as an all-virtual program on January 13, 2021. The Georgia Chamber Eggs and Issues Breakfast is the largest, most prolific program that the Chamber hosts each and every year with more than 3,000 attendees statewide.

• Georgia Graduation Rate Increases Again, to 83.8 Percent

  November 11, 2020

  Georgia's graduation rate increased again in 2020, rising to 83.8 percent – an all-time high since the state began using the adjusted cohort calculation now required by federal law, and up from 82 percent in 2019.

• Tripadvisor Reveals 2020 Thanksgiving Travel Index: Over Half of Americans Still Traveling

  November 10, 2020

  Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel platform, today released findings from its Thanksgiving Travel Index for 2020, providing insights into where Americans are traveling for the holiday. The big takeaway is that despite COVID-19 concerns, more than half - 56 percent - of Americans still intend to travel this Thanksgiving.

• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Benefits Exhaust for Many in Georgia

  November 06, 2020

  Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), established under the March Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, has provided almost $1.7 billion in benefits to over 323,000 Georgians during the pandemic.

• CSU’s Bo Bartlett Center, Harris Co. School District Partner on New STEAM Education Initiative

  November 04, 2020

  Columbus State University’s Bo Bartlett Center will assist Harris County School District in providing science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) learning to the district’s 2,201 elementary students.

• Gov. Kemp Announces New Senior Leadership

  November 04, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp announced recent additions to the Kemp Administration's senior leadership team.

• Study Reveals Columbus State’s Latest Economic Impact Exceeds $290M

  November 03, 2020

  A recent economic impact study commissioned by the University System of Georgia and released in early October estimates Columbus State University’s regional economic impact as $290.5 million for fiscal year 2019.

• Georgia Lottery Posts Record Quarter for HOPE, Pre-K

  November 03, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp announced the Georgia Lottery Corp.’s most profitable quarter in its 27-year history. The Georgia Lottery registered more than $383,352,000 in profits for the first quarter of fiscal year 2021, bringing the total transferred to the State Treasury’s Lottery for Education Account to approximately $22.7 billion.