24 S G M A G A Z I N E | S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 9 B U S I N E S S + C U LT U R E 25 NAVIGATING CHANGE University. A collaborative effort with ABAC, University of Georgia, and Fort Valley State University, the summit facilitated discussion regarding issues of importance to Georgia’s agricultural industry. The summit also featured keynote speakers representing the agriculture industry including Commissioner Gary Black, Georgia Department of Agriculture, and Zippy Duvall, president of American Farm Bureau Federation. Shoring Up Economic Support To further shore up rural economic prosperity, House Bill 951 also created the Georgia Rural Initiative, a division within the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). The new division includes Amy Carter, deputy commissioner; Chris Chammoun, division director, and Taylor Walden, project manager. The Georgia Rural Initiative was established to help rural communities become more competitive for economic development projects and identify new strategies for attracting jobs and investments. During its first year, the rural initiative team has visited more than half of Georgia’s 159 counties and facilitated roundtable discussions with community leaders and stakeholders. “Although our focus is rural counties, we intend to have a community meeting in every county,” says Carter. “There are ‘rural parts’ in each county, including some of those in metro areas.” Carter says the discussions have been informative, and though each community has its own sets of issues, the rural initiative division has identified five areas of mutual concern: workforce development, leadership, housing, healthcare, and infrastructure. “In my opinion workforce, leadership, and infrastructure continue to emerge as top priorities,” says Carter. “The brain drain is a big problem. Kids are leaving their rural hometowns and not returning to live and work; and of course, soft skills and work ethics continue to be an issue.” While there are various programs within communities and across the state to prepare future leaders, Carter says current community leaders need to be united. “City and county leaders, internal leadership, they all must be on the same page and work as a team to see economic development success.” With a depleting population comes a dwindling tax base, which makes it difficult for small communities to maintain or build new infrastructure including water, sewer, and roads. In my opinion workforce, leadership, and infrastructure continue to emerge as top priorities. The brain drain is a big problem. Kids are leaving their rural hometowns and not returning to live and work; and of course, soft skills and work ethics continue to be an issue. - AMY CARTER, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF THE GEORGIA RULE INITIATIVE the project going. The center will also be able to provide resources through students and faculty members. If the project is big enough, we might be able hire some assistance.” According to Scott Blount, associate director of Georgia’s Rural Center, one of the center’s primary initiatives is ABAC Connect, a career services management system that will match employees with ABAC students who are seeking internships and employment opportunities. “We want to make sure our students are aware of the opportunities that exist in rural communities in this state,” says Blount. “Through the work of the center and the experiential learning opportunities of the internships, we hope to instill in them an affinity for rural Georgia and the benefits of living in rural communities as they move forward in their career and lives.” Currently the internship program is only open to ABAC students; however, the goal is to make ABAC Connect available to college students throughout Georgia. “We are creating a situation that connects employers in rural communities with students who want an opportunity to gain work experience,” says Bridges. “In the short- term, we help students gain valuable work experience, but the long-term goal is creating an opportunity for future full-time employment.” With the projected loss of population and workforce in rural Georgia, Bridges says connecting students to internships leads to a higher possibility that they will secure full-time employment and remain in rural communities. In addition to developing the internship program, the center has completed several research projects including an economic impact analysis for Harrison Poultry, located in Barrow County. Information from the study was used by Harrison Poultry’s leadership to secure $19.4 million in cost savings and cost avoidances for expansion in Barrow and Taliaferro counties. With the dual-county expansions, Harrison Poultry is expected to create 260 jobs and add $72 million of capital investments in Taliaferro County, one of the state’s least populous counties. “By opening a new facility in nearby Taliaferro County there is an immediate increase in new jobs,” says Bridges. “Barrow County also wins because by moving part of its operation to Taliaferro, it opens up the availability for a second shift, which means they will hire more people.” As part of its mission to partner with other higher education institutions and state agencies, Georgia’s Rural Center sponsored an Ag Summit on the campus of Middle Georgia State Scott Blount, associate director of Georgia’s Rural Center