July 28, 2021 (Moultrie, Ga.) – A University of Georgia leadership initiative will partner with seven new organizations over the next year to develop leaders equipped to address critical issues in communities across Georgia. The Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority, in partnership with Colquitt Count Schools, is among the selected organizations.
The J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, a unit of UGA Public Service and Outreach, developed the Innovations in Community Leadership Initiative in 2020 with private funding donated by members of the Fanning Institute Advisory Board, most notably a lead gift from the James L. Allgood Family.
Through the initiative, the institute provides resources and technical support to communities and organizations in Georgia seeking to enhance their leadership development efforts.
“Strong communities must have leaders from all walks of life who can identify challenges and know how to build the right team to affect change,” said Matt Bishop, director of the Fanning Institute. “The Innovations in Community Leadership Initiative allows us to support communities who share this commitment, but lack the resources needed to make it happen.”
With this support from the Fanning Institute, the Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority will be developing soft skills training program for the school system that that will be taught with a specific focus on leadership development. Barbara Grogan, President of the Development Authority, and Timothy Hobbs, Director of the Career Technical and Agricultural Education program for Colquitt County Schools, will serve as project leads, bringing together business leaders and school personnel as needed to create and implement a successful program.
“Understanding many personal skills can be taught through the lens of leadership, we believe faculty members of the Fanning Institute have the expertise, resources, and understanding of how to develop a program to address soft skills for students in Colquitt County Schools,” says Grogan. “Soft skills cover many topics, such as showing up on time, paying attention, and being engaged and active, which are skills individuals need at all stages of life. Whether a student is in third grade, middle school, high school, is an employee on a job, or simply a member of a family, soft skills enable a person to be actively engaged and participative in their environment.”
Over the next year, the Fanning Institute faculty and staff will work with the Development Authority and the school system to develop and build out the proposed leadership program.
“Our youth are our future workforce, and in time, the impact and benefits of this program will be evident in the community,” says Colquitt County Schools Superintendent Ben Wiggins. “While this program will be specifically designed for Colquitt County, it could very well be a model for other school systems in the future.”
As part of the Innovations in Community Leadership Initiative, communities are expected to sustain and continue the programming over multiple years. Once the program curriculum is defined and the initial cohort underway (expected August 2022), the Development Authority is prepared to secure funding for implementation over future years.
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The Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority was established to support, enhance, and expand the economic development base of Colquitt County. Created in 1960 through an amendment to the Georgia Constitution, the Authority is governed by locally appointed board members.
The Moultrie Colquitt County Development Authoirty meeting scheduled for July 7, 2021 has been cancelled.
The Moultrie Colquitt County Development Authority Meeting scheduled for August 4, 2021, will be held at the City of Moultrie Downtown Welcome Center, located at 31 East Central Avenue, Moultrie. The monthly Authority meetings will begin 10:30AM and continue until all business is completed.
Do you have 20K, 100K, 500K square feet (or anything in between!) for lease or sale in Colquitt County? If so, the Moultrie-Colquitt County Development Authority would like to partner with you to advertise the site. The Development Authority is often approached by new and growing businesses in search of commercial and industrial properties. We’d love to connect these leads with our local property owners and landlords. Simply complete the form below to have your property added to our database.
The Moultrie Colquitt County Development Authority will host a regional networking meeting on Thursday, April 15, 2021.
The meeting will begin at 6:00PM, at Sundown Farms Plantation located at 894 Mack Dekle Road, Moultrie, GA 31768. Should you need additional information, please contact Barbara Grogan at (229) 921-1457, or via email at bgrogan@selectmoultrie.com.
The Moultrie Colquitt County Development Authority will host committee meetings per the following dates, times and locations. Should you need additional information, please contact Barbara Grogan at (229) 921-1457, or via email at bgrogan@selectmoultrie.com.
Business and Site Retention and Expansion Committee Thursday, February 18, 2021 – 6:00PM Moultrie Colquitt County Development Authority 116 First Avenue SE | Moultrie, GA 31776
Strategic Planning Committee Tuesday, February 23, 2021 – 6:00PM The Soda Fountain 640 North Veterans Parkway | Moultrie, GA 31768
For the Moultrie Colquitt County Development Authority (MCCDA), 2020 marked a time for gathering insight and making plans for the future growth of Colquitt County. Eight community growth initiatives highlighted needs on topics ranging from workforce development and transportation, to education and branding.
“By answering tough questions about what might be holding Colquitt County back, we can build a data-driven plan for moving forward.”
“The nature of this past year
allowed the Development Authority time to really analyze the needs of our
county on many levels. By answering tough questions about what might be holding
Colquitt County back, we can build a data-driven plan for moving forward,” says
Barbara Grogan, MCCDA president.
In early 2020, the Development Authority partnered with the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG) to conduct a housing and buying power survey. Major findings of the survey demonstrated a desire for more retail and dining establishments, as well as a need for more rental housing options. Survey results provide developers with valuable insight into the needs and wants of the local community.
“We are seeing an uptick in the data requests from housing developers and franchise restaurant developers,” says Grogan. “Being able to respond with up-to-date and credible data helps us match developers with opportunities.”
In another partnership with CVIOG,
the MCCDA embarked on a community branding project designed to unite local
municipalities and organizations while also telling the story of Colquitt
County to visitors, developers, and future residents. After gathering feedback
from citizens in a series of brainstorming sessions, one-on-one interviews, and
an online survey, the CVIOG team is scheduled to present an initial brand
concept next month. Once approved, the Development Authority has plans to
release a series of industry recruitment videos and print collateral in the
style of the new brand to help attract business and industry.
In April, the MCCDA received a $60,000
grant from the US Economic Development Administration which allowed the Joint
Development Authority (JDA), a regional partnership of Brooks, Colquitt, Grady,
Mitchell and Thomas counties, to launch a regional workforce pipeline
survey. The project focused on industry and community engagement with cross
participation among the K-12 and post-secondary institutions serving the
region. Over 70 businesses in Colquitt County responded with detailed
data. Preliminary findings of the project revealed current workforce trends and
future skills needed to ensure our region continues to grow and thrive. The
full report will be available in February.
Despite the overlay of the COVID-19 pandemic, which coincided with much of the collection period for the 2020 Census, the Development Authority joined many other local agencies in an effort to encourage census completion.
“We certainly want to do everything can to make sure Colquitt County gets our share of those economic development dollars.”
“For the next 10 years, the federal government will rely on the collected data to help guide distribution of approximately $1.5 trillion annually,” says Grogan. “We certainly want to do everything can to make sure Colquitt County gets our share of those economic development dollars.”
Industrial park enhancements also
took a front seat in 2020 when the Development Authority Board approved
upgrades to the Moultrie Regional Park (home to Sunbelt Ag Expo, Maule Air,
Southern Powder Coating, Georgia Linens, and others) main entrance and
directional signage, as well as landscaping improvements there and at Citizens
Business Park (site of Sanderson Farms and two additional parcels for sale) off
Highway 133. These enhancements began last year and will be completed by summer
2021.
Mid-year, focus shifted to
education when Colquitt County Schools Superintendent Doug Howell announced his
upcoming retirement. The Development Authority, in partnership with the
Colquitt County School Board, engaged the Georgia Electric Membership
Corporation’s community development division in a robust parent perspectives
project. Data from a combination of surveys, interviews, and a series of public
listening sessions reinforced the community’s prioritization of education and
resulted in a multi-faceted plan to keep parents involved in the direction of
local education.
Complimenting these discussions,
the Colquitt County Educational Foundation (CCEF) was formed with support from
the Development Authority and community leaders across many sectors. The
Foundation aims to create a brighter future for Colquitt County, with the first
initiative being an elementary literacy mentoring program. The Foundation is
currently accepting applications for two key staff positions, as well as
recruiting volunteers and donors. More information can be found at
BrighterColquitt.org.
Looking toward the year ahead, and with the first phase of the Development Authority’s strategic planning completed by ACCG in December, Grogan says “We have some exciting projects in store for 2021, and the solid local participation in our efforts last year really helps us focus on the priorities ahead.” The full strategic plan will be presented mid-2021, and the Development Authority Board is already seeing many of the outcomes from last year’s initiatives already showing a strong correlation with the first phase of the plan.
“We’re on the right track… we’re just thankful to be a part of the efforts that are pushing our great county forward.”
“It means we’re on the right track,” says Grogan. “All in all, we’re just thankful to be a part of the efforts that are pushing our great county forward.”
There will be a called meeting of the Moultrie Colquitt County Development Authority, per the Zoom online communication links below, on Thursday, January 14, 2021. The meeting will be held at 3:00 pm. The meeting is for organizational purposes. For any questions, please contact Barbara Grogan, President, at (229) 921-1457, or via email at bgrogan@selectmoultrie.com
There will be a called meeting of the Moultrie Colquitt County Development Authority on Tuesday, December 22, 2020 at 4:00 pm to discuss a property matter. The meeting will be held at the Development Authority offices, located at 116 First Avenue SE, Moultrie, GA 31776. The meeting may be joined in person, or via Zoom per the information listed below.
