April 2020 Features

• How Georgia Southern’s Business Innovation Group Is Providing Resources to Small Businesses during the COVID-19 Crisis

  April 30, 2020

  The past two months haven’t exactly been business as usual for Georgia Southern University alumnus and small business owner Garrett Clark.

• Georgia Department of Education Awards $21M in Digital Learning Grants

  April 30, 2020

  The Georgia Department of Education is awarding digital learning grants totaling $21,578,236 to 55 school districts. The grants are intended to help districts shore up their digital/distance learning infrastructure in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Georgia Chamber CEO Chris Clark: Free Enterprise Responds

  April 30, 2020

  Over the last few weeks, the power of free enterprise has been on full display as companies around the world have shifted, planned, reprogrammed and adjusted to protect employees and customers across a very different economic landscape.

• Georgia Power Launches Learning Power Mobile App

  April 29, 2020

  While parents, teachers and students alike are managing new ways of learning during school closures and "stay-at-home" orders, the Georgia Power Learning Power app includes interactive lessons for students, offering fun, educational activities with real-world applications of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), energy and energy efficiency content.

• Georgia Chamber Mobilizes Resiliency and Recovery Initiative

  April 29, 2020

  The Georgia Chamber announces the formation of its Resiliency and Recovery Task Force led by top businesses from across Georgia. The task force is leading the charge for economic recovery in the state, leveraging partners in the private and public sector to develop strategies, provide insights and bolster growth and sustainability of the New Georgia Economy (NGE), post COVID-19.

• Anthem Foundation Directs $200,000+ to Address Food Insecurity in Georgia Resulting from COVID-19 Pandemic

  April 28, 2020

  The Anthem Foundation is directing more than $200,000 to several organizations in Georgia on the frontlines in the fight against food insecurity as Georgians continue struggle with the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

• b. moody group Joins Seabolt Real Estate, Bringing Market Expertise and Commitment to Clients

  April 27, 2020

  Seabolt Real Estate, the exclusive coastal Georgia affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, is pleased to announce that b. moody group has joined Seabolt Real Estate in Savannah, Ga. Members of the group.

• GMSDC Announces Fund to Support Minority Businesses Impacted by COVID-19

  April 27, 2020

  The Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council, Georgia’s leading small business development and supplier diversity advocacy organization, has established a Disaster Relief Certification Fund.

• United Way of the Coastal Empire Announces New Board Leadership

  April 24, 2020

  Moving forward with the business of the organization since canceling the Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon due to the COVID-19 pandemic, United Way of the Coastal Empire announced the officers and directors who will serve on the 2020-2021 board.

• Employer Filed Claims Dominate Record-Setting Claims Numbers

  April 24, 2020

  Last week, the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) processed 247,003 initial claims with employer filed claims accounting for 94%. In the past month, GDOL has processed 1,090,536 claims, more than the combined total for the previous three years. Unemployment initial claims throughout the United States decreased 810,000 last week to 4.4 million.

• No Date Set for Georgia Lawmakers to Return to Session

  April 24, 2020

  When announcing his plans Monday to begin the transition phase of reopening the state, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp made some reference to the FY21 State Budget which has been on hold since Georgia lawmakers went on break because of the COVID-19 outbreak. However, neither Kemp, Lt Governor Geoff Duncan nor House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) made any reference to a return date.

• Corsica Technologies: How Hackers are Using Coronavirus to Compromise Your Computer

  April 24, 2020

  Given the rapidly evolving story around the COVID-19 pandemic, countless Americans are actively searching for information. Hackers have taken notice and are wasting no time trying to take advantage in a number of ways.

• Fortune CEO Alan Murray Joined by Frank Blake as CEO Forum Shifts Online May 5th

  April 23, 2020

  Fortune CEO Alan Murray will be the featured guest at goBeyondProfit’s CEO Forum planned for May 5, in dialogue with retired The Home Depot CEO and Chairman Frank Blake. The event, previously scheduled as a breakfast gathering, will now be held as an encrypted Zoom video at 11 a.m.

• PSC Sets Rules on How EMCs Will Offer Rural Broadband

  April 23, 2020

  The Georgia Public Service Commission has released a final order directing Electric Membership Cooperatives that want to provide broadband Internet service in rural parts of the state to develop a cost allocation manual. The PSC must approve that manual before the EMC can start to provide Internet service.

• Gov. Kemp and Georgia Dept. of Labor Address Unemployment Options

  April 23, 2020

  In response to the Governor’s decision Monday to initiate a gradual return to work, the Georgia Department of Labor and Governor Kemp are partnering to make sure Georgians understand their unemployment options.

• Chick-fil-A Announces Multi-Million Dollar COVID-19 Community Relief Effort

  April 22, 2020

  Chick-fil-A, Inc. announced a relief effort dedicated to helping local franchisees continue their support of those impacted by COVID-19 in the communities they serve.

• Georgia Power Recognized Nationally as a Utility That is "Easiest to Do Business With"

  April 22, 2020

  For the second year in a row, residential customers rated Georgia Power as a utility that's "Easiest to Do Business With" according to a study by industry-leading analysts in the energy sector. The company was ranked among top utilities based on company reputation and outreach, communication, and customer and field service satisfaction.

• Kia Motors Begins Producing Face Shields at US Plant

  April 21, 2020

  In response to a nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kia Motors today announced that production of face shields has begun at its manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia. Initial donations of medical use face shields assembled at Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) will be made in Georgia, Alabama, New York and California.

• Governor Kemp Updates Georgians on COVID-19, Begins Reopening Economy

  April 21, 2020

  Governor Brian P. Kemp provided the following update on COVID-19 in Georgia. Governor Kemp was joined by Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, Speaker David Ralston, Georgia National Guard Adjutant General Tom Carden, Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey, and GEMA/HS Director Homer Bryson, and announced Phase I for the prudent reopening of the state’s economy which continues to prioritize the health and safety of Georgia citizens.

• AG Carr & Partners Kick Off 9th Annual Georgia Legal Food Frenzy

  April 21, 2020

  The 9th Annual Georgia Legal Food Frenzy is a two-week virtual fundraising drive fueled by Georgia’s legal community.

• TriNet & The Harris Poll Reveal Pulse Survey Results on State of Small & Medium-Size Business During COVID-19

  April 21, 2020

  To better understand broad COVID-19 sentiment, beyond its own small and medium size business (SMB) customers, TriNet, a leading provider of comprehensive human resources, teamed with The Harris Poll on three industry-wide pulse surveys on the topic of cash flow and liquidity.

• Georgia Public Policy Foundation: Build the Foundation for a Sound Ongoing COVID-19 Response

  April 20, 2020

  State and local government budgets, businesses, families and individuals continue to reel from the effects of the novel coronavirus. The biggest factor is the unknown. The longer the crisis continues, the dimmer the future appears to many, and the bigger the hole they must dig out of.

• Carl Vinson Institute of Government Ramps up Online Continuing Education

  April 20, 2020

  The University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government is quickly moving some popular education programs online so that state and local officials don’t fall behind during the coronavirus pandemic.

• Post-Crisis Planning Underway: Visit Savannah Prepares “Rediscover Our City” Campaign To Jump-Start Local Economy Post-Isolation

  April 17, 2020

  Since before either the mayor or the governor issued orders to shelter in place and avoid contact outside of the home, Visit Savannah and Visit Tybee’s communications team have been planning ahead for the time when restrictions are lifted and the first signs of recovery are apparent.

• Georgia Reps. Work for Increased Rural Broadband During COVID Outbreak

  April 17, 2020

  Several members of the Georgia delegation are teaming up in a bi-partisan effort to increase broadband access to residents in rural parts of the state. Reps. Doug Collins (R-GA-09), Austin Scott (R-GA-08), and Sanford Bishop (D-GA-02) sent a letter to officials at Windstream late last week stressing the importance of increased broadband access during this unprecedented time in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak.