The Metro Atlanta Chamber's Forward Atlanta initiative exceeded its target cash goal of $25 million, which will help fund a new five-year cycle beginning with calendar year 2008.  "Once again, the Atlanta business community has responded to the call to action by lending significant support to the Chamber so we can tackle major regional challenges that affect all of us", said Sam Williams, President and CEO of the Chamber.  "Our agenda has grown way beyond traditional economic development and these funds are critical to our ability to address major challenges such as transportation, water and public education, all of which impact our ability to attract and retain companies and jobs."   Left to Right: Sam Williams, President and CEO Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce; Tom Bell, President and CEO Cousins Properties; Richard Anderson, CEO Delta Airlines Campaign Co-Chair Tom Bell, President and CEO of Cousins Properties emphasized the "strong partnership we have built with our government leaders at the local, state and federal levels."  The strength of the relationships is due in part to the fact that "we don't need their money to operate.  We need and get their cooperation."  Forward Atlanta receives no public money for operating.  It is one of the few all privately funded economic development initiatives in the United States.

Left to Right: Des Cummings, 2008 Chair, Central Florida Partnership; Kelley P. Mossburg, 2007 Chair, Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce; James M. Lewis, 2006 Chair, Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce; Jeffrey Jonasen, General Counsel, Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce "Our experience over the past twelve months to transform the Orlando Regional Chamber was a necessary step in transforming the region for what lies ahead," says Kelley P. Mossburg, 2007 Chair of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce.  "Some may say 'so what' and I say that in order to prepare our region for significant challenges like transportation, for example, we need to prepare ourselves to drive positive change.  In order to do this, we must first do the hard work - the heavy lifting, if you will - to put our own house in order so that we can be an effective change agent to positively influence and impact the future of Central Florida."  Learn more...

Resource Development Group is pleased to be able to play a small part in supporting the International Economic Development Council's Diane Lupke Scholarship Fund.  The Lupke Scholarship  is an educational fund created for economic development professionals working in distressed communities.  It is designed to provide these professionals the same opportunity for continuing education that others in the industry have available. At this years IEDC Annual Meeting, RDG sponsored a raffle for two tickets to watch  The Ohio State Buckeyes play the Indiana Hoosiers in Columbus, Ohio.  The winner, JC Wallace, Executive Director of the Ohio Economic Development Association, also won round trip airfare and two nights hotel accommodations for he and his son. Thanks to the generosity of all the economic developers attending the IEDC conference in Arizona, $500 was raised for the Lupke Scholarship Fund.  RDG matched the raffle proceeds and made a contribution of $1,000 to help support the scholarship fund's activities.  Thanks to all who participated and for your generous support of IEDC.