November 2020 Features

  • SGMC Announces Ambetter as HIE Partner

    November 30, 2020

    South Georgia Medical Center (SGMC) announces its Health Insurance Exchange (HIE) partner for 2021 is Ambetter from Peach State Health. The HIE connects patients with affordable, quality healthcare plans across communities served by SGMC, SGMC’s physician network and its affiliates in Lowndes, Berrien and Lanier counties.

  • 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.

  • Downtown Dollars Make Great Holiday Gifts!

    November 19, 2020

    Downtown Valdosta Main Street wants to make your shopping and gift giving easier this holiday season by encouraging the gift of Downtown Dollars. Downtown Dollars are gift certificates available in $10 increments and are accepted at most Downtown merchants.

  • 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.

  • Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber Selects Christie Moore as New President and CEO

    November 18, 2020

    Christie Moore, an experienced and proven non-profit professional, has been selected to serve as the new president and chief executive officer of the Valdosta- Lowndes Chamber of Commerce. The organization’s board of directors voted unanimously to name the Georgia native to the position effective January 2021.

  • 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.

  • Catherine Ammons, Richard Hardy Appointed as Deputy City Managers

    November 13, 2020

    On November 11th, City Manager Mark Barber appointed Human Resources Director Catherine Ammons and Public Works Director Richard Hardy as Valdosta’s new Deputy City Managers.

  • ABAC and VSU Create Bridge for Social Work Careers

    November 13, 2020

    A new articulation agreement between Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and Valdosta State University gives ABAC graduates who complete the bachelor’s degree in Rural Community Development fast-track consideration for VSU’s Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) program.

  • 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.

  • City Advanced Metering Infrastructure Installation Process Continues

    November 11, 2020

    The City of Valdosta is continuing to replace utility meters throughout the city as part of the Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI) system deployment. The system will replace all utility meters in the city of Valdosta. During this process, there will be contractors from Vanguard Utility Service working throughout the City changing out water meters.

  • 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.

  • Wiregrass and VSU Sign Articulation Agreement to Benefit Future Teachers

    November 10, 2020

    Wiregrass Georgia Technical College (Wiregrass) and Valdosta State University (VSU) signed a new articulation agreement that will benefit the education field for years to come.

  • 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.