the Chamber's twice monthly e-newsletter

President's Message

Welcome to The Phoenix, the Chamber's e-newsletter.

In this edition, you'll learn about how the Chamber is celebrating the lasting economic development legacy of the 1996 Olympic Games 10 years later and about the Chamber's role in recruiting the first Chinese manufacturer to Georgia.

We'll tell you about a recent water forum hosted by the Chamber and how the Chamber is actively involved in the discussions about Georgia's water future.

On the education front, we'll tell you how Georgia is raising standards and staying nationally competitive with other schools and about Georgia honoring more than 100 high-performance principals.

Finally, we'll also share with you how another non-profit has chosen Atlanta as its home.

Thanks for reading. We will continue to keep you informed on the issues you care about.


Sam A. Williams
President
Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce

Hot Topics

Atlanta's Olympic Legacy
Still Transforming City

Ten years after the Olympic Games were held in Atlanta, the city is still being transformed by an Olympic legacy that changed the face of downtown Atlanta, strengthened the city's position as a global commerce hub and positioned Atlanta as the sports capital of the world.

Wednesday, July 19, marked the 10th anniversary of the Opening Ceremonies of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.

"The 1996 Olympic Games made Atlanta a household name around the world and kick-started major infrastructure investments," said Sam A. Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. "But we didn't let it stop there. Atlanta has never stopped leveraging our Olympic opportunity to revitalize downtown Atlanta, recruit companies from all over the world and host the biggest and best sporting events in the nation."
Backgrounder: Economic Development Legacy of the Games

Georgia Opens Doors to
New Business with China

Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that Georgia is expanding its international business outreach by opening its first-ever office in China and welcoming Chinese manufacturing company Kingwasong LLC to Georgia.

“This move shows just how strong the metro Atlanta economy is,” said Sam A. Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, which took an active role in encouraging the venture. “We are able to attract Chinese manufacturers half a world away because we’ve got everything they need – a home base located in the heart of the nation’s fastest growing region, a low cost of doing business and access to the world through our international airport.”
More>>

Top Experts Address
Georgia's Water Future

The Chamber recently hosted a standing room only water forum with the state’s top water experts. Panelists included: Brad Currey, Retired Chairman and CEO, Rock-Tenn. Co.; Dr. Carol Couch, Director, Georgia Environmental Protection Division; Patricia Barmeyer, Counsel to the Atlanta Regional Commission and metro governments in the tri-state water litigation, King & Spalding; and Jim Stokes, President, Georgia Conservancy

In the days leading up to the forum, water led the news:

• The Army Corps of Engineers accidentally released 22 billion gallons of water from Lake Lanier due to a malfunctioning gauge

• Georgia filed a lawsuit against the Corps alleging excessive reservoir release in the Chattahoochee basin

• Florida filed an emergency motion in a different court seeking increased water release to support endangered species in the Apalachicola River.

• A statewide Level 1 drought was declared in Georgia

Meanwhile, Georgia, Alabama and Florida are attempting to mediate the 16-year-old tri-state water wars. Developments over the next year could have a profound impact on metro Atlanta and Georgia’s future water supplies and growth.
Metro Atlanta Water Resources Summary
Fact Sheet - Water Availability
Fact Sheet - State Water Plan

New Nonprofit Chooses Atlanta for Headquarters

A new disease-specific nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals and families with Lewy body dementia is locating its headquarters in Atlanta.

"This association joins a long list of non-profits that call Atlanta home," said Sam A. Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. "That's because Atlanta has everything they need - access to a great international airport, a world-class medical research community, and a strong community of nonprofit peers."
More>>

Education

APS has received preliminary results from Georgia’s 2006 Criterion Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT), the main benchmark for meeting the federal No Child Left Behind requirements, and is verifying the results. Final scores will be available by early July.

The Georgia Department of Education significantly changed the content and raised the ‘passing’ scores for the CRCTs. With these changes, Georgia now is more aligned with other states’ tougher standards.

In the long run, these changes will be good for students across the state. The more competitive we are with the rest of the nation, the better. In the short run, the state’s gradual shift to more rigorous tests and higher ‘passing’ scores makes it impossible in some cases to compare one year’s performance to the next. Until the state phases in all of its new tests, scores must be reported to the public in the following categories:

• Category 1: This category compares performance on those tests that are the same from one year to the next. In this category in 2006, APS continued to improve in 13 of 17 tests. These tests were administered in various grades in mathematics, science and social studies. For example, in eighth-grade mathematics, an area of weakness in the past, the percentage of students who ‘passed’ the test increased by 11 percent -- from 49 percent in 2005 to 60 percent in 2006. APS also continued to close the gap with the state in mathematics, science and social studies in grades three, five and eight.
  
  

• Category 2: This category includes results for tests, such as the new reading assessment, that are being administered for the first time in Georgia. Since these tests are totally new and designed to gauge different levels of knowledge than the previous tests, their results can only serve as baselines for future comparisons.

Given the increased rigor of the tests and the new, higher standards for passing them, APS will commit additional resources to help teachers deliver instruction that is challenging, student-centered and filled with opportunities for conversation, discussion and deep thinking related to the real world.

Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall notes, “To make this vision of becoming a high-performing school system come true, it will take patience, commitment and hard work from all our stakeholders -- including parents, school staff, administrators, civic organizations, business partners and others.”
Source: Atlanta Public Schools

Georgia Honors High Performance Principals
Georgia is home to more than 100 high performance principals,
almost half are from metro Atlanta schools

Governor Sonny Perdue and State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox announced today the names of more than 100 High Performance Principals who are working in Georgia’s schools. These principals, from more than 40 school districts, were identified as leaders whose schools were performing well above expectations.

Under the High Performance Principals legislation championed by Governor Perdue, these principals and high performing principals from outside the state are eligible to receive salary supplements if they agree to transfer to middle and high schools classified as “Needs Improvement” schools.

“High performance principals provide strong and effective leadership for teachers, staff and students to achieve above and beyond expectations,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “We need to make sure that our best principals are in the places where they are needed most.”
Click here to view the full press release on Governor Sonny Perdue's Web site.

Chamber Events

Hold your next special event in the J.B. Fuqua Rooftop Pavilion
The J. B. Fuqua Rooftop Pavilion overlooking the Atlanta skyline and Centennial Olympic Park is offered to Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce members for a special discounted rate.

The open-aired rooftop venue is the perfect space to entertain clients or your staff in 2006. Enjoy a great night overlooking Centennial Olympic Park and the lights of downtown Atlanta as your guests enjoy breath-taking skyline views.

For more information please visit: www.MetroAtlantaChamber.com/macoc/home/rooftop.shtml

July

12 Wednesday
Member Orientation
10:15 a.m. Registration/Networking
10:45 a.m. Program
Noon-1p.m. Lunch/Networking
Location: Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
235 Andrew Young International Blvd.
Lunch Sponsor: Deli & Dawgs
Event sponsored by Bank of America and Office Depot
RSVP required.

13 Thursday
Power networking:
Make sure to bring several business cards and promotional materials
to exchange with other members!
Location: MACOC - 235 Andrew Young International Blvd
Time: 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
One representative per company can attend this event
RSVP required.
Members Only

26 Wednesday
Business Development Series:
Small Business Legal Questions - Answered!
Members are invited to bring their lunch and join Brian Bodker (Bodker, Ramsey, Andrews, Winograd, Wildstein) to get answers to critical legal questions regarding small business
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: MACOC 235 Andrew Young International Blvd.
Event sponsored by SunTrust Bank
RSVP required
$50 non-members

26 Wednesday
PricewaterhouseCoopers Hosts Member Reception
Hosted by:
Gary Price, Managing Partner, Pricewaterhouse Coopers
Location: The Peachtree Club
999 Peachtree Street, 28th floor
Time: 5:30 - 7 p.m.
RSVP required

Community Events

The Making a Difference Discovery Tour

The Making a Difference Discovery Tour will be held at The Home Depot in Marietta, Ga. from 9am-1pm on Thursday, September 21. The Tour is a uniquely formatted half day executive briefing designed to expose business leaders to powerful opportunities to tap into one of the largest pools of qualified, reliable workers in the metro Atlanta area.

Be part of a win-win solution for your company and thousands of persons with disabilities ready, willing and able to add value to your bottom line. Become a sponsor. Confirm your reservation. For more information contact the Governor's Council On Developmental Disabilities.
Valerie meadows Suber
404-657-2122
vmsuber@dhr.state.ga.us.