georgiaforward 2011 forum report

32
2011 GeorgiaForward Forum Creating an Innovation Agenda for Georgia August 17-18, 2011 Pine Mountain, Georgia

Upload: toosterman

Post on 25-Jan-2015

431 views

Category:

Documents


3 download

DESCRIPTION

GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report Results

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

2011 GeorgiaForward Forum Creating an Innovation Agenda for Georgia August 17-18, 2011 Pine Mountain, Georgia

Page 2: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

2 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

Contents Preface………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5 How Can Georgia Foster Innovation? ……………………………………………………………………... 7 Speaker Recap……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8 Panel Recap………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 11 Social Media Recap………………………………………………………………………………………….. 13 An Innovation Agenda for Education……………………………………………………………………….. 15 Creating a Vision for Statewide Prosperity…………………………………………………………………. 17 Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………………………… 20 Appendix……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 23

Agenda……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 24

List of Registrants and Panelists………………………………………………………………….. 27

Page 3: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

3 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

2011 marked the second year for GeorgiaForward and its annual Forum. Over the last year, GeorgiaForward has received tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, built a statewide Board of Directors, hosted open conference calls with key policy makers and expanded its annual Forum. This year, the GeorgiaForward Forum brought together over 200 business, government, academic and civil society leaders from over 100 organizations and 20 Georgia cities. The event and took place in the midst of difficult economic times for Georgia. Growth in every region of the state has slowed, unemployment is higher than the national average and education, infrastructure and health care challenges loom large. Yet, despite this backdrop, through the lens of innovation, the Forum explored transformative solutions. Forum participants asked big questions and examined bold and, in some cases, overdue solutions. These included allowing Georgia’s pension system to invest in venture capital

funds and holding poor performing schools to the highest expectations. The theme of the 2011 Forum was Creating an Innovation Agenda for Georgia. As participants explored a range of pressing issues, they were asked to prioritize, through an interactive session, the top two issues facing Georgia and then offer innovative solutions or goals for addressing those issues. You can find the results of those sessions in this report. In 2012, GeorgiaForward will continue to engage stakeholders in honest, open and ambitious dialogue about the state’s future. We also want you to articulate specific goals and solutions for Georgia’s success. To this end, we need your participation, expertise and input. Join us in these conversations and commit to acting for the good of Georgia. Indeed, while visionary leadership is important, equally important is the willingness of stakeholders to collaborate and propose solutions.

Preface Amir Farokhi Executive Director, GeorgiaForward

Page 4: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

4 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

Hill Hardman (Routematch Software), Mike Gerber (ARCHE) and John Hardman (First Light Ventures)

Tjuan Dogan (IBM) and Curley Dossman

(Georgia-Pacific)

Terry Lawler (Regional Business Coalition of Metro Atlanta), Kris Hattaway (New Town Macon) Tom Ratcliffe (Coastal Georgia Regional Water Planning Council) & Dan Bollinger (Southwest Georgia Regional Council)

Page 5: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

5 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

Executive Summary: Creating An Innovation Agenda for Georgia

The 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum brought together over 200 business, government, academic and civil society leaders from over 100 organizations and 20 Georgia cities to create an “Innovation Agenda for Georgia.”

Participants were asked to think about innovative, cross-sector solutions to the state’s policy challenges, from transportation to economic development, health care to education, and how best to create an environment in which innovation is valued and cultivated.

Indeed, the economic recession challenging Georgia and the United States, coupled with the growth of competitive middle classes in India, China, Brazil and others, provided a backdrop requiring new approaches for building on old successes.

As background, Metro Atlanta’s rapid growth that fueled much of Georgia’s growth over the last 40 years has slowed. In its wake sits a state with enormous economic disparities, little vision for statewide prosperity and a number of fundamental policy challenges. Statewide unemployment is at 10.1%, a full percentage point higher than the national level. Many cities have yet to diversify their economies to adjust to smaller demand for domestic manufacturing and a more global economy. Math, science and reading scores of Georgia’s students are either in the middle of the pack or the bottom quartile among states. The comparative rise of other states and major metropolitan regions, make attracting the best talent to Georgia a more competitive proposition. The absence of ample venture capital often pushes innovative minds and companies to other states. The state’s transportation network, despite strong road and shipping rail lines, struggles to meet the needs of rural, urban and ageing communities. Long-term water supply solutions have yet to be fully articulated. State revenues have yet to find solid footing and additional budget cuts are likely. Frustratingly, political partisanship prevents pragmatic problem-solving.

Yet, despite these challenges, Georgia has strengths and advantages. Higher education institutions are highly-regarded. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the state’s ports are massive economic engines. Abundant natural resources sustain a strong tourism and agricultural sectors. The state remains among the best in the country in which to do business and is a center for global public health, corporate headquarters and technology. The cost-of-living remains low. And, not to be discounted, Georgia leaders remain highly motivated and positive about continuing the state’s success. To succeed, however, Georgia must be more collaborative, show greater vision and political will and produce more innovative people and solutions. This year, at the Forum, participants were asked which issues were most critical to Georgia’s success.

The first was dramatically improving K-12 education. According to participants, the quality of public education was critical to meeting nearly every other policy challenge, from economic development to public health to quality of life. To evolve into an innovative, sustainable state, Georgia needs a public education system that produces critical thinkers and creative global minds while also meeting Georgia’s vocational needs. Georgia can no longer rely only on the importation of educated talent and must be better at producing those with skills and talent to meet the needs of their regions in the 21st century. Discussions on K-12 education included:

• Improving the quality of early childhood

teaching and curricula, particularly with respect to literacy;

• Raising our expectations as to the quality of teachers necessary and levels of achievement possible; and

• Developing a curriculum that produces critical thinkers and innovators alongside strengthening vocational training in some regions of the state.

Second, participants prioritized the development of a “Vision for Statewide Prosperity”, reasoning that a coordinated, inclusive plan for lifting each region of the state was badly needed. While Georgia might have a competitive advantage within the U.S. on price, globally it does not. Accordingly, Georgia must increase the quality of its output. This requires creative leveraging of existing advantages and seizing opportunities in emerging fields and markets. To scale good ideas Georgia must provide funding to take advantage of talent. Moreover, good policy

Page 6: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

6 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

making requires cooperation and action at the intersection of government, business and civil society.

Too many regions of Georgia do not have sustainable 21st century economies.

In the discussion regarding developing a vision for statewide prosperity, participants articulated the need to:

• Break down silos among regions and

sectors and promote collaboration, cooperation and integrated regional development approaches;

• Develop incubators for bolstering core strengths, like health care and logistics, and developing new ones across the state; and

• Articulate what Georgia wants to look like and then develop a comprehensive plan to achieve the vision.

The consensus among participants was that Georgia can no longer afford to allow its divides to get in the way of smart, proactive policy. Silos, whether regional or industry-based, are impediments to the problem-solving needed for Georgia to succeed on a global playing field. Integral to success is visionary leadership that puts the state’s interests above electoral or industry interests. Over the course of the 2011 Forum, participants heard from keynote speakers and participated in panel workshops and an interactive agenda-setting session. This format allowed participants to hear experts in fields and regions other than their own and think about approaches that might benefit each corner of the state. What follows are key outcomes from the Forum.

Megan Sparks (Leadership Atlanta), Tjuan Dogan (IBM) and Ben Reeves (Cushman & Wakefield)

Lisa Borders (Grady Health Foundation), AJ Robinson (Central Atlanta Progress), Cheryl Lomax (Bank of America) and Ann Cramer (IBM)

Page 7: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

7 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

How Can Georgia Foster Innovation? A pre-Forum survey, asked for ideas to foster innovation in in public policy making or in the private sector. Forum participants also offered their ideas. Below are some select responses:

• Allow the state pension fund to invest in venture capital and private Georgia companies.

• Instead of rewarding the “old guard” for past service, make heroes out of new innovators.

• Innovation requires innovative individuals.

• Reform public education curricula to emphasize critical-thinking, creativity and innovation.

• Encourage entrepreneurship.

• Provide competitive funding for new initiatives.

• Foster growth in the arts sector.

• The state has to create an environment that welcomes innovation, promotes the creation of small business and attracts the creative class.

• Be less tradition-bound and conservative in our thinking. Consider things that other

countries are doing (e.g., Germany) with respect to public-private partnerships, mass transit and infrastructure.

• Provide more state support for research and development, including stem cell research.

• Create special incubators around the state to fund and leverage the economic strengths or potential of each region.

• Ultimately, we need less provincial more visionary leadership.

• Increase the talent at all levels of public policy making.

• Invest in education, alternative energy infrastructure.

• Consider a statewide version of the civilian conservation corps to employ citizens to work in state parks.

• Promote cross-regional incentives.

• Reduce regulation.

• Find a pragmatic balance between tax breaks and tax revenue that is grounded in data and not political or industry hyperbole.

Bank of America Senior Vice President Cheryl Lomax presents a $50,000 check to the Georgia Council on Economic Education, represented by its Executive Director, David Martin.

Page 8: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

8 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

Speaker Recap

The typical state gets 35-42% of its revenues from the federal government. That is not sustainable. States that are assuming that the past is prologue are making a big mistake…Government has an important role to play but government is not the engine of innovation and job creation. David Walker, CEO, Comeback America Initiative

If we are going to survive, if we are going to be relevant as a state, we must innovate. We simply cannot afford not to innovate. ------- We have the strategic vertical integration to drive innovation. We have to start identifying and attracting innovators. Ross Mason, Founder, Healthcare Institute for Neuro-Recovery and Innovation

You are a middle of the pack state [with regard to educational performance]. Not a great place to be in a knowledge economy. ------- You have to ask why we aren’t aiming higher. [It’s] really important that you not be left behind again as other states are moving forward with much higher standards. ------- Nobody ought to be an ineffective teacher for more than two years. They ought to be gone. Kati Haycock, President, The Education Trust

40% of jobs lost in the recession were in the high wage category. Only 10% of jobs created post-recession have been in the high wage category. ------- If we are not willing to learn from others and change the way we do business, we are missing a lot of opportunities. Chad Evans, Senior Vice President, Council on Competitiveness

Page 9: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

9 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

States are operating “a 20th century tax system for a 21st century economy.” ------- Tax on services is where the economy has moved to. Some states are moving toward that model incrementally. Michelle Mariani Vaughn, Pew Center for the States

Social media is the most important asset right now. It is how I leverage support; it is how I get people to connect with me…it is the biggest source of inspiration and change, for free, absolutely free. Navneet Singh Narula, CEO of nBrilliance

[When it comes to demography,] Georgia is the new California. ------- Georgia has a very fast growing population under the age of 18. By 2030, there will be an additional 1.1 million people under the age of 18 than there are right now. That is a lot of people. 1 out of 5 will be Hispanic…When we talk about Georgia, it is becoming a very diverse group. How do you plan for this change in Georgia? Matthew Hauer, Public Service Assistant, Carl Vinson Institute Applied Demography Program, University of Georgia

You cannot get away from government. At all levels, government is part of the innovation chain. Stephen Fleming, Vice Provost, Enterprise Innovation Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology

Page 10: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

10 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

(L-R) Michael Love (GeorgiaForward) and Brian Brodrick (L-R) Diane Waugh (Coca-Cola), Ann Cramer (IBM), Erik (Jackson Spalding) Johnson (Woodruff Foundation) and Lesley Grady

(Community Foundation of Metro Atlanta).

Panel: The State of Education in Georgia Clair and Catherine Muller

Heather Alhadeff (Perkins + Will) moderates a transportation panel.

Page 11: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

11 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

Panel Recap

Central to the 2011 Forum were a series of panel workshops covering transportation, education, economic development, water, healthcare and governance. Each of the panel workshops included a panel of experts followed by either an interactive problem-solving session for participants and/or Q+A with the panelists. A complete listing of the panels and panelists can be found in the Forum agenda in the Appendix to this Report. Key takeaways and highlights from select panels included the following: Panel Workshop: The State of Education in Georgia: Strengths Weaknesses and Opportunities As noted in greater detail later in this Report, the quality of public education in Georgia was of paramount concern to most attendees. Participants of this workshop identified several approaches they felt were key to improving educational outcomes in Georgia. These included:

• Improving teacher quality through training and mentoring;

• Empowering principals to learn from high performing schools and poor performing schools while also being given guidelines related to achieving national goals (e.g., Race to the Top); and

• Increasing community support of schools with smarter parent outreach initiatives.

Panel Workshop: The State of Healthcare and Public Health in Georgia Georgia has its share of healthcare and public health challenges. Here, participants agreed that the top health care challenges facing Georgia were:

• The high rate of uninsured residents (approximately 2 million uninsured Georgians);

• Spotty access to health care, especially in rural areas;

• Too few residency spots for training physicians of all specialties; and

• Lack of knowledge among residents about how personal behavior choices can affect health and health outcomes.

Participants also agreed that the top three public health challenges include:

• Raising public awareness as to how public health is distinct from health care and how

public health relates to economic development;

• Georgia’s high rates of obesity and related chronic diseases; and

• The need for more robust local health care systems that can identify and implement strategies for disease prevention.

Finally, participants were asked where Georgia should focus its energies and limited resources in improving health care and public health. The top three solutions included:

• Raise the tobacco tax to deter tobacco use and raise revenue for Medicare;

• Restore physical education in public schools; and

• Improve incentives to purchase nutritious foods (e.g., use EBT cards at farmer’s markets and offer sales tax exemptions to industries purchasing healthy foods).

Panel Workshop: What Do the Project Lists Mean for Georgia’s Transportation Future? In 2012, Georgia voters will vote on whether to tax themselves one cent to fund a list of transportation projects. The list of transportation projects are decided by political roundtables in twelve regions. Two days before the Forum, the projects lists for each region were released pending final approval later in 2011. This panel’s conversation included a wide range of perspectives from rural to urban, counties to cities. Despite these different perspectives, panelists and participants agreed that there were commonalities among them including the positive economic impact that a new infusion of cash for transportation infrastructure would have, particularly in light of under-investment in transportation infrastructure for many years; a collective desire to care about the prosperity of future generations of Georgians; and the importance in good transportation network and a thriving economy to keep university students in state. While participants were encouraged by the statesmanship and cooperation evident in much of the project list selection process, there were lingering concerns about (1) whether voters would see the benefit of the tax; and (2) the lack of statewide vision on transportation infrastructure. Panel Workshop: Solving Georgia’s Long-Term Water Supply Problem Georgia is mired in a long legal battle with Alabama and Florida regarding water access and consumption.

Page 12: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

12 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

Yet, Georgia still receives, on average, abundant rain relative to most states. What are solutions to Georgia’s long-term water needs? Where will industry, agriculture, power plants and people get the water they need? Participants praised the state for allocating money to build additional reservoirs but called on the state to pursue more innovative and comprehensive approaches to encouraging and incentivizing conservation. Other popular, if not controversial, approaches included inter-basin transfers, higher water rates, regional water sharing agreements and rainwater catchment systems. Panel Workshop: The Politics of Slower Growth After experiencing rapid or sustained growth across much of the state, most Georgia municipalities and counties are now faced with much slower growth. As a result, less tax revenue has forced local governments to make difficult decisions regarding the delivery of services. Experts in this panel workshop made the following observations:

• Slow growth can be viewed as an opportunity as it gives those that experienced rapid growth time to catch up to community needs.

• The past few years can be viewed as the “great reset”, forcing local government to focus on its core mission and service delivery.

• State and local relations remain strong because cities are not totally dependent on state budgets.

• Residents want high level of services but low taxes, a difficult demand. Public safety is often the one non-negotiable for residents and often consumes 50% of municipal operating budgets.

• The slower economy has helped sharpen the economic development focus of localities, often focusing on boosting and redeveloping downtowns.

• Government needs leaders who have the courage and guts to make tough decisions.

• The number of state and federal mandates make it difficult for small, rural counties and cities to meet all the requirements, particularly when those requirements require significant costs.

• There may be too many cities and counties in Georgia, which might lead to increased conversations on consolidation of services or shared purchasing agreements.

Panel Workshop: Do Creative Economies Work and Can They Strengthen Georgia? Georgia has a strong arts eco-system and, yet, arts and culture rarely receive a prominent place in the economic development discussion. Recently, the music and film industry has seen remarkable growth aided in part by state programs and tax incentives for film production. While Georgia ranks 11th per capita in the number of creative economy businesses and 4th per capita in creative economy employees, it ranks 47th in state funding for the arts. Panelists explored the economic benefits of the arts in rural towns and major cities and the link between the arts and innovation and the arts and tourism. Also of concern is the fear that Georgia is losing talented young professionals to cities like Austin, New Orleans and San Francisco due to their strong arts ecosystems. Too many cities view economic development through an old paradigm of manufacturing. This view has slowed the economic reinvention of some smaller towns. Chattanooga, Tennessee was cited as a city that used the arts to transform a decaying downtown into a vibrant urban core. Participants stated the need to grow the role of the arts as economic development through more visible leadership (and funding) from the state and greater visibility of the impact that the arts have on communities and Georgia’s economy. Panel Workshop: Solving Georgia’s Childhood Reading Problem Only 30% of Georgia’s children read at grade level by grade 3. The long-term economic and societal impact of such underperformance is dramatic. Students that fall behind in reading rarely recover academically and often do not graduate high school. Part of the problem is that only 17% of a child’s day in Pre-K in Georgia is spent on language instruction. Disagreements surfaced on the level of the state’s concern for this issue, citing increased lip-service to the issue but little transformation in policy and funding. In order to reverse course, teachers need be trained in the latest methods and practices for encouraging verbal communication and increasing reading aptitude. Integral to this approach, better research is needed on the conditions under which children learn to read.

Page 13: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

13 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

Social Media Recap Forum participants were encouraged to publish reactions on Forum speakers or events via Twitter #gafwd. Below is a sample of some of the “Tweets”.

iruncampaigns Demography is destiny! Awesome presentation by Matt Hauer with the Carl Vinson Institute at Georgia Forward! #gafwd

GeorgiaForward @StephenFleming: meritocracy, free markets, immigrants, collaboration & freedom to fail are key to innovation. #gafwd

paulgoggin I hate it when so many people are tweeting about an interesting conference - that I’m missing #gafwd

chadevans1019 @DaveWalkerCAI rocking his luncheon keynote @GeorgiaForward #gafwd…Visit www.tcaii.org – Restoring Fiscal Sanity

GeorgiaForward Kati Haycock of Educ. Trust: US falling behind developed countries at scary rate. Start giving underperforming kids more, not less #gafwd

GeorgiaForward Don’t need more med schools; need bigger med schools with higher quality education. Dr. Azziz at #gafwd

StephenFleming Ross King: more discussion of city-county (and multiple county!) consolidation in Georgia over last 12 months than I have ever seen. #gafwd

RyanTaylorAIA @GeorgiaForward Forum digital audience poll identifies #education as the most important issue/challenge for #Georgia. #gafwd #gapolitics

joeventures “I was in GA Senate for 12 years & I learned more about what arts mean to GA communities in the past hour than I did in 12 years.” #gafwd

Page 14: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

14 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

GeorgiaForward Board Chair, AJ Robinson

Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson Bill Steiner (NW GA Regional Comm.) Cynthia Perry Young (Bank of America) Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver

(L-R) Hill Hardman, Megan Sparks, Howard Franklin, Rukiya Eaddy, Amanda Shailendra, Mary Ann Portt, John Hardman and Amir Farokhi.

Page 15: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

15 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

An Innovation Agenda for Education Of the many policy challenges facing Georgia, none receives as much interest and call for action as public education. At the 2011 Forum, participants were asked for the “most important issue to Georgia’s

future success and the issue that GeorgiaForward should focus its work on over the next year?” Education received the highest vote total (37%) among the 106 attendees participating in the poll.

Accordingly, in the Forum’s interactive visioning session, participants were asked to discuss the following questions:

• What are the most important goals within this issue area which Georgia must aspire to if it is to make transformative change?

• What are 2 to 3 ways we can significantly drive

progress in this issue area over the next 5-10 years?

• What will we and other leaders/stakeholders

have to do differently to promote innovative solutions to policy challenges in this issue area?

A summary of the responses and ideas generated in the interactive session follows:

What are the most important goals to which Georgia must aspire if it is to make transformative change in public education? In the wake of a keynote address by Kati Haycock of The Education Trust calling on Georgia to raise expectations for all students and not to accept mediocre or failing teachers, significant discussion centered on goals that address changing perceptions about education and improving teacher and curriculum quality. Among the goals discussed were:

• Start early and expect excellence from the start.

• Zero in on key performance or quality goals and commit to making progress.

Transportation Infrastructure

12%

Healthcare and Public Health

2%

Water 6%

A Vision for Statewide Prosperity

22% Public Education

37%

Job Growth 11%

Regional Competition 1%

Quality of Life 6%

Environmental Sustainability

3%

What is the most important issue to Georgia’s future success and the issue that GeorgiaForward should focus its work on

over the next year?

Page 16: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

16 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

• Focus on building public will for valuing education and expecting excellence.

• Provide teachers with strong professional development and better salaries while also weeding out poor teachers.

• Focus on early childhood education, particularly language and literacy skills.

• Ensure that curriculum not only prepares critical-thinkers but also does not eliminate career specific curricula.

What are ways to significantly drive progress in public education over the next 5-10 years? There are no shortages of theories on how best to improve public education. For decades, debates have raged over funding levels, class sizes, access to technology, teacher quality, the role of the parental involvement and external factors. The 2011 Forum was no different. While consensus on a few specific goals was elusive, approaches that gained repeated mention or support included:

• Institutionalize the expectation of success and excellence; do not weaken standards for learning or teaching.

• Encourage innovation: from systems to the kinds of schools available to curriculum to instruction.

• Develop of a statewide communications plan

relating to educational expectations and strategy.

• Connect islands of educational excellence through technology and expose low-performing schools/districts to their methods.

• Evolve curriculum to meet real world

requirements including producing global-minded, innovative, critical thinkers and offering vocational schooling where needed.

• Incorporate more public-private partnerships

into the education system.

• Instead of premising the curriculum around (sometimes weak) standardized testing, change assessment practices to focus on a portfolio of desired skills and knowledge.

• Focus on early childhood development and

education, especially early childhood literacy from ages 0-8.

What will leaders/stakeholders have to do differently to promote innovative solutions to education policy challenges? Talk means little without action. While the Forum consisted of ambitious and thoughtful conversations, only action and a change in behavior will create the transformative change needed in Georgia’s public education system. Participants recommended the following behavioral and strategy changes necessary to make significant improvements to Georgia public education.

• Commit to putting students before politics and demand that legislators and state agencies embrace best-in-class approaches and high expectations.

• Hold the quality of teachers as paramount to educational success.

• Raise standards and education levels of

teachers while providing teachers with ample professional support.

• Create an environment that is open to

innovation and adaptation and willing to abandon unsuccessful approaches.

• Study states that have made significant gains

in public education (e.g., Massachusetts).

• Articulate a set of goals and then doggedly pursue those goals.

OUTCOME Transformative change to public education in Georgia will take considerable more thought, specific goal-setting and collaboration. Yet, participants in this year’s GeorgiaForward Forum agreed that it was time to articulate a vision and then act. Failing to do so imperils the Georgia’s economic viability and the future of Georgia’s growing young population. Accordingly, GeorgiaForward is developing a plan to lead a transformative goal-setting process for dramatically improving Georgia’s public education system.

Page 17: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

17 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

A Vision for Statewide Prosperity In Georgia, disparities in regional economic performance, natural resource consumption and health and education outcomes result in deep-seeded resentment and distrust. This distrust often manifests itself in political battles which, in turn, makes consensus and vision rare. Although many localities and regions have robust, thoughtful long-range plans,

the absence of a vision for statewide prosperity led many Forum participants to call for urgent articulation of such vision. In a poll participated in by 104 Forum attendees, a vision for statewide prosperity was viewed as the second most important issue to Georgia’s future success.

While this poll did not result in broad consensus, the Forum’s interactive workshop asked participants to discuss what is necessary for the development of a vision for statewide prosperity and what prosperity means. Similar to the interactive sessions on public education, participants were asked three questions. A summary of the responses and ideas generated in the interactive session follows: What are the most important goals to which Georgia must aspire if it is to make transformative change the development of vision for statewide prosperity? Forum participants approached this issue with a wide range of ideas on what prosperity means and how

best to develop a vision for it. Ultimately, however, there was broad agreement that the infrastructure for developing such a vision needs to (1) be created and that any such process be open, take into account all citizens of Georgia; (2) not be purely an economic vision; and (3) propose solutions that fit a common vision but are decidedly local. To this latter goal, participants often spoke of doing a better job leveraging the agriculture industry in southwest Georgia, the medical strengths of Augusta, the military bases near Columbus and Hinesville, the innovative talent in Atlanta and protecting natural resources in north and coastal Georgia, among others. Below are goals articulated at the Forum to which leaders and the state should aspire here:

• Break down silos between education, water, economic development, quality of life, energy,

Transportation Infrastructure

21%

Healthcare and Public Health

11%

Water 8%

A Vision for Statewide Prosperity

28%

Public Education 4%

Job Growth 14%

Regional Competition 1%

Quality of Life 6%

Environmental Sustainability

7%

What is the second most important issue to Georgia’s future success and that GeorgiaForward should focus

its work on over the next year?

Page 18: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

18 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

public health and infrastructure. These issues are interrelated and cannot be addressed individually.

• Define prosperity to include civic, cultural,

economic, social, health, quality of life and education. Aim to create happy, healthy engaged citizens.

• Aspire to develop a common statewide vision

with local solutions.

• Aim to develop a vision that leverages local strengths like locally grown food, tourism, the arts, higher education, military bases, natural resources and healthcare.

• Develop reasons for the best and brightest to

come to and stay in Georgia.

• Allow state pension funds to invest in the venture capital market, to both grow local ideas and attract outside venture capital firms.

• Make Georgia welcoming to outsiders, including immigrants, because they have an enormously positive impact on the state’s economy and quality of life and are major drivers of innovation.

• Do not leave behind adults that need literacy education or new workface training.

• Make robust use of tax allocation districts,

community improvement districts and empowerment zones.

• Collect good data on where we are as a state

and where we want to go. What are ways to significantly drive progress in the development of vision for statewide prosperity over the next 5-10 years? Ideas abound as to how best make a vision for statewide prosperity become reality. Some ideas articulated at the Forum follow:

• Be willing to listen to one another across the state and collaborate.

• Identify a leader or leading organization (or

both) that can drive this process in a professional, open and positive way.

• Connect academics, policy makers and business community in this process.

• Create the infrastructure for a creative, open

statewide planning process.

• Develop an incubation culture that is focused on a few key issues and that seeks out and supports big and small projects and companies that will benefit the state.

What will leaders/stakeholders have to do differently to promote the development of vision for statewide prosperity? To say that Georgians are frustrated with the absence of vision and pragmatic problem-solving is an understatement. Central to their frustration is a seemingly intractable clash of partisan politics, egos and regional and local balkanization. While disagreement is expected and at times healthy, Georgia needs to do things differently, pull together and help one another if it wants to have continued success. Participants called on leaders to make the following changes to help a statewide vision take flight:

• Work together and overcome regional and political egos and stalemates.

• Be willing to listen to all Georgians and incorporate their vision.

• Commit to an integrated statewide plan.

• Think and plan beyond political terms.

• Engage young leadership.

• Articulate the need for a statewide vision to the public.

OUTCOME The development and articulation of a vision for statewide prosperity requires significant time, resources and engagement from many people. Participants at the 2011 Forum felt strongly that any such effort be grassroots, collaborative and take a broad view of prosperity. GeorgiaForward will continue to be a voice calling for the development of a statewide visioning process and, if appropriate, may seek to lead such an effort. In the interim, GeorgiaForward will work to engage Georgians around the state to help disparate regions see common interests and opportunities for collaboration.

Page 19: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

19 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

Kathryn Dennis (Community Foundation of Central Kymberlee Estis (Task Force for Global Health), Cliff Pyron Georgia) and Danah Craft (Georgia Food Bank Assoc.) (Georgia Ports Authority) and Steve McWilliams (Georgia Forestry Association)

Mattice Haynes Julie Ralston (Atlanta Regional Commission); Harry Matt Hauer (Univ. of Georgia, West (Georgia Tech) & Patricia Barmeyer Vinson Institute) & Michele (King & Spalding LLP) Mariani Vaughn (Pew Center)

Rickey Bevington (Georgia Public Broadcasting) and Terry Lawler Mien Dang

Page 20: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

20 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

Acknowledgements GeorgiaForward would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of the 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum:

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Supporting Sponsors

Media Sponsor

GeorgiaForward would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their assistance in organizing, supporting and/or running the 2011 Forum: Michael Love, Camillia Brown, Wilma Sothern, Pamela Henman, Lynn Williamson, Dan Williams, Meg Modjeski, Jennifer Ball, Isaac Boring, Dr. David Sjoquist, Megan Sparks, Dr. Janet Cummings, Mien Dang, Dr. Tony Mallon, Jamila Owens, Laura McCarty, Emily Boness, Melanie Carlson, Dr. Janet Rechtman, Mattie Haynes and The Art of Community, Central Atlanta Progress, Association of County Commissioners of Georgia, Georgia Municipal Association, Georgia Economic Developers Association, Technology Association of Georgia, and Active Production and Design. We also thank all of our speakers, panelists and moderators, without whom great ideas would not have flourished at the Forum.

Page 21: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

21 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

Acknowledgements (cont.)

2011 Forum Steering Committee:

Shan Arora, Southface David Edwards, IBM

Mattice Haynes, Art of Community Amir Farokhi, GeorgiaForward

Sean Framton Dr. Thomas Lockamy, Savannah-Chatham County Schools

Dr. Janet Rechtman, Fanning Institute, UGA Otis White, Civic-Strategies

Dave Wills, Association of County Commissioners of Georgia Ben Young, Georgia Trend Magazine

GeorgiaForward 2011 Board of Directors

A.J. Robinson, Board Chair, President, Central Atlanta Progress

Charles Stripling, Board Vice Chair, Stripling, Inc./Agricultural Landowner

Renay Blumenthal, Sr. Vice President, Public Policy, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce

Bill Bolling, Founder and CEO, Atlanta Community Food Bank

Amanda Brown-Olmstead, President, Amanda Brown-Olmstead and Associates

Deke Copenhaver, Mayor, City of Augusta

Ann Cramer, Director of Corporate Community Relations, IBM

Doc Eldridge, President, Athens Area Chamber of Commerce

Lesley Grady, Sr. Vice President of Community Partnerships, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

Hill Hardman, Director of Corporate Strategy and Development, RouteMatch Software

Howard Morrison, Lebanon Plantation; Co-Founder and Chair, Savannah Ocean Exchange

Catherine Ross, Director, Georgia Tech Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development

Wilma Sothern, Vice President of Marketing, Central Atlanta Progress

Charles Strawser, Vice President of Finance, Central Atlanta Progress

Ben Young, Associate Publisher, Georgia Trend Magazine

Page 22: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

22 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect those of GeorgiaForward.

GeorgiaForward 50 Hurt Plaza

Suite 110 Atlanta, GA 30303 Tel: 404-658-5919 Fax: 404-658-1919

www.georgiaforward.org Follow GeorgiaForward on Facebook and Twitter

Together, Improving the State of Our State

GeorgiaForward is an independent, non-partisan organization working to improve the state of Georgia by engaging business, political, academic and civil leaders to collaboratively shape a statewide vision and policy agenda. GeorgiaForward is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, incorporated in 2010, and is not affiliated with any political, partisan, local or regional interests.

© GeorgiaForward, Inc. All rights reserved.

Page 23: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

23 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

APPENDIX

Page 24: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

24 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

2011 GeorgiaForward Forum Agenda

August 17, 2011 at The Lodge at Callaway Gardens 7:30-8:30am: Registration/Continental Breakfast 8:30-8:50am: Welcome from GeorgiaForward 8:50-9:40am: Michele Mariani Vaughn, Project Manager, Pew Center on the States: State of the States: Challenges and Opportunities for Georgia and Beyond 9:45-10:35am: Mathew Hauer, Public Service Assistant, UGA Vinson Institute Applied Demography Program: Georgia is the New California: Our Population and Implications

10:35-10:45am: Break

10:45-11:15am: Stephen Fleming, Vice Provost, Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute: Georgia: State of Innovation

11:15am-12:00pm: Panel of Regions

• Moderator: Rickey Bevington, Georgia Public Broadcasting • Coast: Tom Ratcliffe, Hinesville, Vice-Chair, Coastal Georgia Regional Water Planning Council • Metro Atlanta: Terry Lawler, Executive Director, Regional Business Coalition of Metro Atlanta • Southwest GA: Dan Bollinger, Executive Director, Southwest GA Regional Council • West Middle GA: Teresa Tomlinson, Mayor of Columbus • North GA: William (Bill) Steiner, CEO of the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission • East GA: Deke Copenhaver, Mayor of Augusta

12:00-1:30pm – LUNCH with Keynote Address:

Ross Mason, Founder, Healthcare Institute for Neuro-Recovery and Innovation (HINRI) Ventures, HINRI Labs and the HINRI Foundation: Making Georgia A Global Leader in Healthcare

1:30-3:00pm – Overview Workshops

- Transportation: o What Do the Project Lists Mean for Georgia’s Transportation Future?

Moderator: Heather Alhadeff, Perkins + Will Matt Hicks, Associate Legislative Director for Economic Development and Transportation, ACCG Howard Bicknell, Chair, Jackson County Board of Commissioners Billy Trapnell, Mayor, City of Metter, President, Georgia Municipal Association Kathryn Lawler, Atlanta Regional Commission David Millen, District 3 District Engineer, Georgia Department of Transportation

- Education: o The State of Education in Georgia: Strengths, Weaknesses and Opportunities

Moderator: Susan Walker, Deputy Director, Governor's Office of Student Achievement Teresa MacCartney, Deputy Superintendent, Race to the Top Implementation, Georgia

Department of Education Steve Dolinger, Executive Director, Georgia Partnership for Education Excellence Ann Cramer, Director Americas, IBM Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs Bobby Cagle, Commissioner of Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and

Learning - Economic Development:

o Georgia’s Competitive Advantages and Disadvantages Moderator: Mike Cassidy, Georgia Research Alliance Mike Gerber, President Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education

Page 25: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

25 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

Cliff Pyron, Chief Commercial Officer, Georgia Ports Authority Tino Mantella, President, Technology Association of Georgia Jannine Miller, Executive Director, Georgia Regional Transit Authority

- Water: o Where Are We on Water Now?

Moderator: Andre Jackson, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Patricia Barmeyer, Partner, Head of Environmental Law Practice, King & Spalding LLP Allen Barnes, Director, Georgia EPD Joe Rozza, Global Water Resource Sustainability Manager, Coca-Cola Mike Gaymon, President, Columbus Chamber of Commerce

- Public Health and Healthcare: o The State of Healthcare and Public Health in Georgia

Moderator: Andy Miller, Editor, Georgia Health News Dr. Ricardo Aziz, President, Georgia Health Sciences Univ. Cindy Zeldin, Executive Director, Georgians for a Healthy Future Matt Caseman, Executive Director, Georgia Rural Health Association

3:00-3:15pm – Networking Break

3:15-3:30pm – What Did We Learn?

3:30-5:00pm – Two “Think Big” Closing Keynotes

Navneet Singh Narula, Managing Partner, nBrilliance: How Social Entrepreneurship Can Change the Game for Georgia.

Kati Haycock, President, The Education Trust: Improving Achievement and Closing Gaps Between Groups: Lessons from Schools, Districts and States on the Performance Frontier

5:00-6:30pm –Cocktail Reception

August 18, 2011 at The Lodge at Callaway Gardens 7:00-8:00am: Continental Breakfast 8:00-8:15am: Welcome/Day 1 Summary 8:15-9:10am: Chad Evans, Senior VP, Council on Competitiveness: The Global Playing Field: Where America Stands

9:15-10:45am: Interactive Workshops

- Transportation: o Approaching the 2012 Transportation Referendum Vote

Moderator: Jennifer Ball, Vice President, Planning, Central Atlanta Progress Tim Kassa, Planning Division, Georgia DOT Paul Bennecke, Red Clay Strategies Doc Eldridge, president, Athens Area Chamber of Commerce Henry Lange, Harris County Commission

- Education: o Solving Georgia’s Childhood Reading Problem

Moderator: Stephanie Blank, Chair of the Board, GEEARS Comer Yates, Head of School, Atlanta Speech School Dr. Nicole Patton-Terry, Assistant Professor, Georgia State University David Pennington, Mayor, City of Dalton

- Governance: o The Politics of Slower Growth

Moderator: Neely Young, Publisher, Georgia Trend Magazine Ceasar Mitchell, President, Atlanta City Council

Page 26: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

26 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

Paul Radford, Director, Georgia Municipal Association Clint Mueller, Legislative Director, Revenue & Finance, ACCG John Ward, City Manager, Jefferson, GA

- Water o Solving Georgia’s Long Term Water Supply Problem

Moderator: Dan Chapman, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Katie Kirkpatrick, Vice President, Environmental Policy, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Don Cope, President and CEO, Dalton Utilities Joe Cook, Director, Coosa River Basin Initiative Mark Masters, Director of Projects Flint River Water Planning and Policy Center

- Economic Development: o Do Creative Economies Work and Can They Strengthen Georgia?

Moderator: Jamil Zainaldin, President, Georgia Humanities Council Jessyca Holland, Executive Director, C4 Atlanta Leslie Breland, Cultural & Tourism Product Development Manager Georgia Department of

Economic Development Wayne Jones, Executive Director, Arts Connection Linda Bennett, Executive Director, Choose Chattanooga

- Public Health and Healthcare: o Combating Obesity in GA

Moderator: Andy Miller, Editor, Georgia Health News Greg Dent, President, Community Health Works Christi Kay, Executive Director HealthMPowers Dr. Kimberly Redding, Director of the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Program at the

Georgia Department of Public Health Dr. Bettylou Sherry, Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control, Division of Nutrition, Physical

Activity and Obesity Dr. Juanita Cone, Chief of Population Care, Kaiser Permanente of Georgia

10:45-11:00am: Break

11:00-12:00pm: Interactive Session: Summary of Workshops and Creating an Innovation Agenda for Georgia

12:00-1:30pm: Lunch with Keynote Speaker: David Walker, CEO of Comeback America Initiative

1:30-2:00pm: Adjourn

Page 27: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

27 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

List of Forum Registrants and Panelists

Terry Taylor 2020 Georgia Alex Scavo A. Brown Olmstead Associates Amanda Brown-Olmstead A. Brown-Olmstead Associates Pamela Roshell AARP Georgia Deborah Bowie Albany Area Chamber of Commerce Cara Polk Aracacia Wayne Jones Arts Connection Ross King Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) Matt Hicks Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) Clint Mueller Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) Terry Smith AT&T Doc Eldridge Athens Area Chamber of Commerce Rukiya Eaddy Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. Brian Leary Atlanta Betline Inc. Bill Bolling Atlanta Community Food Bank Cheryl Strickland Atlanta Development Authority Dale Royal Atlanta Development Authority Amanda Shailendra Atlanta Development Authority Jeff Lam Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association Steven Lindsey Atlanta Gas Light Wayne Martin Atlanta Housing Authority Tracey Scott Atlanta Housing Authority Andre Jackson Atlanta Journal-Constitution Dan Chapman Atlanta Journal-Constitution Dan Reuter Atlanta Regional Comission Kellie Brownlow Atlanta Regional Commission Julie Ralston Atlanta Regional Commission Kathryn Lawler Atlanta Regional Commission Michael Gerber Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education Mike Gerber Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education Nydia Tisdale Atlanta Road, LLC Comer Yates Atlanta Speech School Ora Parish Bank of America Cynthia Perry Young Bank of America Cheryl Lomax Bank of America Eric Melson Bank of America Geri Thomas Bank of America Steven Price Bank of America Kenneth Bleakly Bleakly Adivsory Group Bobby Cagle Bright From the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care & Learning Joe Winter C4 Atlanta Jessyca Holland C4 Atlanta Beverly Johnson Carl Vinson Institute - University of Georgia Dennis Epps Carl Vinson Institute of Government - UGA

Page 28: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

28 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

Catrina Maxwell CatMax Photography Dr. Bettylou Sherry Centers for Disease Control Jennifer Ball Central Atlanta Progress Wilma Sothern Central Atlanta Progress Lynn Williamson Central Atlanta Progress Pamela Henman Central Atlanta Progress Dan Williams Central Atlanta Progress Charles Strawser Central Atlanta Progress Billie Izard Certified Literate Community Program Kurt Hetager Chatham County Public Schools Linda Bennett Choose Chattanooga David Bennett City of Atlanta Karyn Nixon City of Augusta John Ward III City of Jefferson John Ward City of Jefferson A Ferguson IV City of West Point Clair Muller Civc League for Regional Atlanta Catherine Muller Civic League for Regional Atlanta Tom Ratcliffe Coastal Georgia Regional Water Planning Council Cathy Ramos Coca-Cola Joe Rozza Coca-Cola Diane Waugh Coca-Cola Refreshments Mike Gaymon Columbus Chamber of Commerce Rick Jones Columbus Consolidated Government Will Johnson Columbus Consolidated Government John Helton Columbus State University Bob Diveley Columbus State University Abraham George Columbus State University Bob Jones Columbus Technical College Jamie Loyd Columbus Technical College David Walker Comeback America Initiative Kathryn Dennis Community Foundation of Central Georgia Gregory Dent Community Health Works Kathleen Ashley Community Health Works Greg Dent Community Health Works Joe Cook Coosa River Basin Initiative Bruce Drennan Cordele Crisp IDC Chad Evans Council on Competitiveness Craig Jones Cousins Properties, Inc. ED Helton CSU Cunningham Center for Leadership Development Ben Reeves Cushman & Wakefield Don Cope Dalton Utilities Joe Montgomery Darlington School Bob Simmons Development Authority of Fulton County Daniel Sherman DLA Piper LLP Betty Willis Emory University

Page 29: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

29 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

Emily Boness Fanning Institute, UGA John Hardman First Light Ventures Mark Masters Flint River Water Planning and Policy Center Phillippa Moss Gainesville-Hall County Community Service Center Daniel Groce Georgia Agribusiness Council Alan Essig Georgia Budget and Policy Institute Angie Patterson Georgia Cancer Coalition, Inc. Andrew Lewis Georgia Charter Schools Association Patricia Nobbie Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities Eric Jacobson Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities David Martin Georgia Council on Economic Education Saralyn Stafford Georgia Department of Community Affairs Leslie Breland Georgia Department of Economic Development Teresa MacCartney Georgia Department of Education Fred Aiken Georgia Department of Labor Dr. Kimberly Redding Georgia Department of Public Health David Millen Georgia Department of Transportation Tim Kassa Georgia Department of Transportation Mindy Binderman Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students Stephanie Blank Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students Bill Verner Georgia EMC Allen Barnes Georgia EPD Danah Craft Georgia Food Bank Association Steve McWilliams Georgia Forestry Association Andy Miller Georgia Health News Dr. Ricardo Azziz Georgia Health Sciences University Laura T. McCarty Georgia Humanities Council Brett Davis Georgia Humanities Council Jamila Owens Georgia Humanities Council Jamil Zainaldin Georgia Humanities Council Laura McCarty Georgia Humanities Council Jim Langford Georgia Meth Project Brian Wallace Georgia Municipal Association Billy Trapnell Georgia Municipal Association Paul Radford Georgia Municipal Association Steve Dolinger Georgia Partnership for Education Excellence Diane Hopkins Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education Cliff Pyron Georgia Ports Authority Rickey Bevington Georgia Public Broadcasting Jannine Miller Georgia Regional Transportation Authority Michael Cassidy Georgia Research Alliance Matt Caseman Georgia Rural Health Association Dr. Nicole Patton-Terry Georgia State University James Weyhenmeyer Georgia State University Harry West Georgia Tech Stephen Fleming Georgia Tech - Enterprise Innovation Institute

Page 30: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

30 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

Neely Young Georgia Trend Magazine Amir Farokhi GeorgiaForward Michael Love GeorgiaForward AJ Robinson GeorgiaForward & Central Atlanta Progress Cindy Zeldin Georgians for a Healthy Future Curley Dossman, Jr. Georgia-Pacific Foundation Kathy Carlisle Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers, Inc. Susan Walker Governor's Office of Student Achievement Lisa Borders Grady Health Foundation Henry Lange Harris County Commission Ross Mason Healthcare Institute for Neuro-Recovery and Innovation Ventures Christi Kay HealthMPowers Dean Baker Historic Preservation Division of Dept of Natural Resources David Edwards IBM Tjuan Dogan IBM Ann Cramer IBM Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs Howard Franklin Influence Factory Hunter Bicknell Jackson County Board of Commissioners Howard Bicknell Jackson County Board of Commissioners Brian Brodrick Jackson Spalding Noah Levine Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta Beverly Blake John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Jason Anavitarte Kaiser Permanente of Georgia Dr. Juanita Cone Kaiser Permanente of Georgia Mason Stephenson King & Spalding LLP Jonathan Letzring King & Spalding LLP Patricia Barmeyer King & Spalding LLP Megan Sparks Leadership Atlanta Howard Morrison Lebanon Plantation Deke Copenhaver Mayor of Augusta Teresa Tomlinson Mayor of Columbus David Pennington Mayor of Dalton Jackie Wilson Mayor of Douglas Sharon Gay McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP Jeff Wansley Metro Atlanta Chamber Renay Blumenthal Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Chuck Meadows Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Katie Kirkpatrick Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Dr. N.R. Farokhi Morris Brown College Navneet Singh Narula nBrilliance Kris Hattaway NewTown Macon Mike Ford NewTown Macon William (Bill) Steiner Northwest Georgia Regional Commission Tracy Oosterman One More Sponsor Yvonne Williams Perimeter CIDs Heather Alhadeff Perkins + Will

Page 31: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

31 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum

Michele Mariani Vaughn Pew Center on the States Ceasar Mitchell President, Atlanta City Council Mary Zurn Primrose School Franchising Co Jo Kirchner Primrose School Franchising Co Margaret Ciccarelli Professional Association of Georgia Educators David Weitnauer R. Howard Dobbs, Jr. Foundation Paul Bennecke Red Clay Strategies Terry Lawler Regional Business Coalition of Metro Atlanta Katie Howard River Valley Regional Commission Erik Johnson Robert W. Woodruff Foundation Janet Cummings Rollins School of Public Health Hilliard ("Hill") Hardman RouteMatch Software Joseph Porter, Jr. S. L. King Technologies, Inc. Ellen Shellabarger S. L. King Technologies, Inc. Stephen Nygren Serenbe Development Corp. John Reyhan Skanska USA Building Inc Gray Kelly Southface John Sibley Southface Energy Institute Dan Bollinger Southwest GA Regional Council Charles Stripling Stripling, Inc. Suzanne Burnes Sustainable Atlanta Tyrone Williams Sustainable Neighborhood Development Strategies Inc. Ryan Taylor taylor28design LLC Tino Mantella Technology Association of Georgia Melanie Goux Television by Design, Inc. Jay Antzakas Television by Design, Inc. Laura Lester The Atlanta Community Food Bank / 2020 Georgia Lesley Grady The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta Phil Smith The Concord Coalition Kati Haycock The Education Trust Maria Saporta The Saporta Report Beth Schapiro The Schapiro Group Kymberlee Estis The Task Force for Global Health Suzanna Stribling The Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation Debbie Burdette Troup County CLCP Alec Fraser Turner Properties Dr. Tony Mallon UGA School of Social Work Melanie Carlson UGA School of Social Work Mathew Hauer UGA Vinson Institute Ann Mintz United Way Metropolitan Atlanta Juliet Cohen Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Mark Riley Urban Realty Partners Bobbie Munroe

Mien Dang Vanitha Sivarajan Doug Cox

Page 32: GeorgiaForward 2011 Forum Report

32 2011 GeorgiaForward Forum