April 2023 Features

• Georgia Hospitals Receive Almost $60M from HEART Program in 2022

  April 28, 2023

  Officials with the Georgia HEART Hospital Program said Georgia taxpayers contributing a total of $58,732,410 to rural hospitals in 2022.

• TCSG Announces 2023 Student of the Year and Instructor of the Year

  April 28, 2023

  The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) announced the state’s top technical college student and top instructor for 2023. Janette Velez, an Esthetician student from Columbus Technical College, was chosen as this year’s Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) winner and Adrienne Baldwin, a Mathematics instructor from Chattahoochee Technical College, was chosen as the winner of this year’s Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction.

• U.S. Travel & Tourism Sector Set to Reach Record-breaking High this Year

  April 28, 2023

  The World Travel & Tourism Council's 2023 Economic Impact Research reveals the U.S. Travel & Tourism sector is forecast to exceed the 2019 peak this year.

• Brown Bag Lunch Concert Series Returns May 1-5th

  April 27, 2023

  The Main Street Office will host the Brown Bag Concert Series in Downtown Valdosta from May 1st to May 5th.

• Women We Admire Announces Top 50 Women Leaders of Georgia for 2023

  April 27, 2023

  Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Leaders of Georgia for 2023.This year’s awardees are front runners in the organizations they serve. Their unwavering commitment and contributions play a part in their success and development within their areas.

• Jessie’s Restaurant & Catering Winners of the 6th Annual Valdosta Food & Wine Classic Best Dish Award

  April 26, 2023

  Congratulations to Jessie’s Restaurant and Catering, the winners of the 6th Annual Valdosta Food & Wine Classic Best Dish award. The winning dish was chosen from among 11 participating vendors.

• Georgia Companies Hit Key Milestones in Long-Term Partnerships

  April 26, 2023

  Over the past several months, companies that have invested in Georgia have been making big moves on big projects. From groundbreakings to grand openings, companies in high-demand industries are delivering on planned investments and bringing high-paying jobs to Georgians.

• Community Wide Workforce Development & Advanced Manufacturing Symposium to be Held May 10th

  April 21, 2023

  Wiregrass Tech’s Economic Development Department in partnership with the Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority, Valdosta – Lowndes Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Workforce Development and Advanced Manufacturing Symposium on Wednesday, May 10th.

• The GDOL Celebrates First 100 Days Under New Leadership While Unemployment Rate Remains Steady

  April 21, 2023

  Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson celebrates 100 days in office on April 22, 2023. During this time, the commissioner's administration has been laser-focused on the modernization of the Georgia Department of Labor.

• Aflac's Dan Amos & Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta's Donna Hyland to Receive Georgia’s Highest Honor from the Georgia Historical Society

  April 19, 2023

  To celebrate the 290th anniversary of the founding of Georgia, the Georgia Historical Society will induct Dan Amos, Chairman and CEO of Aflac Incorporated, and Donna Hyland, President and CEO of Children’s Hospital of Atlanta, as modern-day Georgia Trustees. It is the highest honor the State of Georgia can confer.

• A Decade in Residential Construction: At 14%, Georgia Sees 4th Biggest Y-o-Y Increase in Number of Permits in 2022

  April 19, 2023

  While the number of completed units has increased every year since 2012, data shows that the housing market is losing momentum, with permits and housing starts dropping nationwide. However, Georgia did not follow this trend, as the number of permits issued in this state increased by 14% in 2022 compared to 2021.

• Turner Center Announces 2nd Annual Recipient of the Lena Bosch Lifetime Achievement Award at 36th Spring Into Art Gala

  April 17, 2023

  The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts announced Dr. Ronald M. Zaccari as a recipient of the Lena Bosch Lifetime Achievement Award at the 36th Spring Into Art Gala, on April 10th.

• AG Carr Kicks Off Annual Fundraiser to Benefit Georgia’s Regional Food Banks

  April 17, 2023

  Attorney General Chris Carr, Feeding Georgia, and the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia today kicked off the 12th Annual Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, a two-week fundraising competition to benefit the state’s seven regional food banks.

• With Pandemic Over, Focus Must Shift From Physical to Fiscal Health

  April 14, 2023

  On April 10th, 2023, President Joe Biden signed a bill officially ending the three-year national emergency for Covid-19. The White House intends to continue the “public health emergency” until May 11th. Perhaps then, we can consider the pandemic officially over.

• Georgia Annual Business Registration Season Sees Increase of 29,000 Corporate Filings in 2023

  April 14, 2023

  Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced a record-breaking Annual Registration Season for the Corporations Division of the Secretary of State’s Office. The Annual Registration Season, which runs from January 1 – April 1, concluded with over 784,000 annual registration filings, marking an increase of more than 29,000 filings over last year’s filing period.

• Training Program Prepares Students for Manufacturing Jobs

  April 13, 2023

  Students from Echols, Lanier, Lowndes, and Valdosta high schools participated in the second annual Wired for Workforce program, March 27-31.

• Business Travel Begins to Take Off, But Full Recovery Experiences Further Delays

  April 12, 2023

  Though leisure travel reached pre-pandemic levels, corporate travel has been slower to return. A variety of factors appear to impact the decision to travel for business including employee safety, client interest in meeting in person, the value of attending a conference, and whether virtual conferencing platforms can replace a trip.

• The Home Depot Foundation Invests Time and Money at LAMP

  April 10, 2023

  To kick off National Volunteer Month, volunteers from the local Lake Park Home Depot headed to Lowndes Associated Ministries to People (LAMP) for a day of giving back.

• South GeorgiaLEADS ‘Finds the Passion and Runs With It’ At Graduation of Sixth Cohort

  April 10, 2023

  South GeorgiaLEADS is proud to announce the graduation of its sixth cohort, with 26 graduates committed to creating a competitive South Georgia through strong leadership and working collectively as a region.

• Moody AFB Launches AFAF, Changes Lives

  April 07, 2023

  Moody Air Force Base’s Air Force Assistance Fund campaign launches April 10 and runs until May 19 with a goal to raise $34,475.

• Kia Production Announcement Brings GA’s EV Efforts Full Circle

  April 07, 2023

  This week at the New York Auto Show, Kia officially announced that their newest EV, the Telluride sized EV9, will be built at the company’s plant in West Point Georgia. This is in addition to the 300,000 electric vehicles Kia’s corporate partner Hyundai plans to build at their Bryan County facility.

• Hartsfield-Jackson Named the World’s Busiest Airport

  April 07, 2023

  Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has once again been named the world's busiest airport by the Airports Council International. In 2022, ATL served more passengers and conducted more aircraft movements than any other airport in the world.

• Colony Bank Names Jud Moritz Quitman Market President

  April 06, 2023

  Colony Bank announced that Jud Moritz has joined the Company as Quitman Market President.

• Georgia AP Pass Rate Rises to 15th in the Nation, Student Scores Increase

  April 06, 2023

  Georgia's Advanced Placement pass rate has risen to 15th in the nation, from 17th the two years prior, according to data released by the College Board today.

• The Home Depot Foundation Pledges $10M+ to Improve Accessibility, Support Communities Across the Country

  April 05, 2023

  The Home Depot Foundation pledged to invest $10 million in community service projects this year in celebration of the 30-year anniversary of The Home Depot's associate volunteer force, Team Depot.