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Welcome to the second issue of South Georgia Business + Culture, a magazine dedicated to creating an awareness and synergy about South Georgia—its businesses, people, and quality of life.
I want to thank our advertisers; it is
their support that makes this magazine possible. When people read South Georgia Business + Culture Magazine, I want
them to be amazed at what we have in South Georgia. The economic impact found throughout industry and business, agriculture, tourism, and workforce development, along with a rich cultural prominence, plays a tremendous role in making South Georgia a great place to live and work.
In this issue, the cover story is focused
on agriculture, which is Georgia’s No. 1 industry. Agriculture impacts everyone from the cotton sheets on your bed, to the food you eat and the clothes you wear.
Creating a pipeline to educate Georgia’s future agricultural workforce is important in sustaining Georgia’s status as an agricultural leader. How do we build this workforce? Educational leaders believe that the rst step is getting more middle and high school students interested in agricultural careers. The challenge is supplying schools with enough quali ed agricultural teachers to meet current and future demands.
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) is stepping up to help in this e ort. Last year, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved ABAC’s request to establish a Bachelor of Science in agricultural education.
Located in South Georgia, ABAC’s ability to graduate more agricultural education teachers will help the state add more programs at the middle and high school levels and place more graduates in the pipeline to ll future agricultural-related jobs.
Since 1941, Moody Air Force Base has been a vital member of the South Georgia community. Moody has a profound economic impact on the Valdosta-MSA, which includes Brooks, Echols, Lanier
and Lowndes counties. It was a group
of community leaders that fought for Moody’s existence, and 50 years later it was the community that rallied to have Moody removed from the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list.
Today, community leaders continue to be united in their e orts to protect Moody, one of South Georgia’s largest economic assets.
With the successful completion of its rst ve-year strategic plan and the launch of a second plan, the Thomasville Center for the Arts (TCA) is having a positive impact on quality of life and commerce.
One of the most successful outcomes of the strategic plan has been the integration of the arts to spur economic growth in Thomasville’s downtown area.
In 2014, a charrette was held to develop plans for an area of downtown that would become known as the “Creative District.” Planning was a collaborative e ort of
the Thomasville Planning and Zoning Department, Thomasville Main Street and Tourism, Thomasville Landmarks, and TCA.
As you stroll through Thomasville’s downtown, it is apparent that the arts have become deeply infused into the business community. Outdoor concerts, performances, murals, and a host of new businesses—many are being opened by millennials moving to the area—are all part of the appeal that is pulling visitors from Tallahassee and throughout South Georgia to experience Thomasville’s artistic revitalization.
There is a lot to be proud of in South Georgia. Let’s celebrate our successes and work together to strengthen our future.
It’s time to tell South Georgia’s story!
“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” — Psalm 105:4
FROM THE EDITOR:
Thressea H. Boyd
Creating an Awareness and Synergy about South Georgia
WEBSITE: sgamag.com | FOLLOW: South Georgia Business + Culture Magazine 6 SG MAGAZINE | SPRING 2017