This may not be the most interesting column to write… or read – but it’s necessary. Occasionally, there seems to be a bit of confusion...

Over all, having a recognizable brand and avenue to assist in sharing appropriate, business and job-focused information will be extremely beneficial to tell our story better and ultimately attract quality businesses that create quality jobs, so Early County residents can have a better quality of life.

When I started writing this column, I sat and stared at the computer screen for quite a while. It took me some time to find the words to...

This may not be the most interesting column to write… or read – but it’s necessary. Occasionally, there seems to be a bit of confusion...

This past month, Locate South Georgia released its 2024 Annual Report that gives an economic development productivity overview of the...

Hopefully you will remember the story told earlier this year of when Downtown Blakely turned into Mayberry while I was giving a special...

There can be lots of misconceptions about economic developers. I’ve attended a lot of community development training over the past...

Typically, when people think about economic development, they imagine the big industries and governor announcements; and while that is a...

This past month another Early County resident graduated from South GeorgiaLEADS. I was so proud to welcome DeWana Fields into the LEADS...

When the Electric Cities of Georgia (ECG) called to invite me to be a panelist for the 20th Anniversary of their Economic Development...

I don’t know about ya’ll – but I finally feel like I’m beginning to thaw out from the cold winter months. Tomorrow (3/20) is the first...

I grew up volunteering so much that I didn’t even know how to act when I got my pay check for my first “real” job. We know it takes money...

Housing. It’s a hot topic in the economic development world right now. A decade ago that wasn’t the case; however with the influx of...

Depending on how far away I am from home when someone asks where I’m from, I generally just say “Southwest Georgia.” More often than not,...

At the end of this week, those who choose to do so will celebrate Valentine’s Day. For the rest of us – we will celebrate the first of...

I like to hunt – but truthfully, I enjoy fishing more. On a lucky day, I might consider myself an amateur angler. On the luckiest of...

When it comes to attracting new businesses to town and creating jobs it’s vital to have incentives to help seal the deal. As I’ve...

Not that long ago, we were swatting gnats and complaining about the heat and not a drop of rain. Who would have thought then that we...

Being born and raised in Southwest Georgia aka “God’s Country,” I have a strong love for listening to stories as well as telling them. I...

Throughout all of the community surveys, conversations and overall feedback gathered from Early County in over two years, a farmers market was in the top five things mentioned as “missing” or “an opportunity” for Blakely. It was an answered prayer having someone approach the Downtown Development Authority to help organize and manage a downtown market. That’s what economic development is all about!