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 led a highly successful New York City business development trip with Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and about how another company has chosen Atlanta as its headquarters.

We’ll give you the scorecards that the Committee for a Better Atlanta released for Fulton County Commission Candidates and tell you about how a top national logistics summit has chosen Atlanta to host its gathering for a third consecutive year.

We’ll introduce you to our new project manager of international business and announce that the Chamber’s vice president of logistics was appointed to the Supply Chain Management Professionals board.

Finally, we'll share with you how the Chamber is involved in recruiting more teachers to the Atlanta region.

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

Chamber, Mayor Take Trip to Big Apple

On June 29 and 30, an Atlanta delegation completed a highly successful New York City business development trip with Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin that also included media visits to Bloomberg News and prestigious magazines such as BusinessWeek, Time, Fortune and Essence.

Click here for an article the Atlanta Business Chronicle wrote about the trip.

Atlanta Selected as Catlin U.S. Headquarters

Catlin Group Limited, an international property and casualty insurer and reinsurer based in Bermuda, has selected Atlanta as the headquarters for Catlin U.S., which encompasses all of Catlin’s operations in the United States. The Catlin U.S. office will be located at Tower Place One in Buckhead.

“Catlin choosing Atlanta as its headquarters is truly a win for the metro area,” said Sam A. Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce in a June 10 statement. “Our international airport will give Catlin access to their customers worldwide. The metro area’s outstanding transportation system and excellent labor force continue to be a draw for companies to relocate their headquarters.”
More>>

The Committee for A Better Atlanta Releases Scorecard
for Fulton County Commission Candidates

The Committee for a Better Atlanta issued a composite scorecard for Fulton County Commission candidates on June 28. The CBA partnered with the South Fulton and the Greater North Fulton Chambers of Commerce during the scoring process.

“The Committee for a Better Atlanta’s scorecard is an important tool to help guide voters,” said Hank Almquist, chair of the committee and executive vice president for AmericasMart. “This year it is an even more important tool as Fulton County faces big questions like municipalization."
More

Logistics Summit to Return to Atlanta in 2007
for Third Consecutive Year

Organizers of the Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Summit announced June 28 at the closing of this year's event that the two-day conference focused on logistics management is to be held in Atlanta for its third consecutive year in the summer of 2007.

“Atlanta's reputation as a logistics leader is soaring worldwide,” said Sam A. Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. “We're pleased that the world's top third-party logistics service providers will meet again in Atlanta for the eyefortransport 3PL Summit. When it comes to gathering top minds in the logistics industry, there's no better place than Atlanta.”
More>>

Chamber Names Karen Holladay as New Project Manager
of International Economic Development

The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce has named Karen Holladay, former Latin America and Caribbean region manager for Delta Air Lines, as the new international project manager for the economic development division.

“Karen will be instrumental in this newly developed role as the Chamber continues to focus on our international strategy and increase our reach around the world marketplace,” said Hans Gant, senior vice president of economic development for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. “Atlanta is already recognized as a global gateway, and we are ready to expand our international reach, foreign direct investment and job creation throughout metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia.”
More

Chamber VP of Logistics Appointed to
Supply Chain Management Professionals Board

Bob Pertierra, vice president of logistics industry development for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, was recently appointed to the board of the Atlanta chapter of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP).

The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) is the preeminent worldwide association of Supply Chain Management Professionals dedicated to lead the evolving Supply Chain Management profession by developing, advancing, and disseminating Supply Chain knowledge and research.

In fact, the Atlanta Roundtable is one of the largest CSCMP chapters in the country.

“CSCMP continues to be the top organization for Supply Chain Professionals," said Pertierra. "Atlanta is one of the nation’s top five markets for supply chain talent. It is my privilege to join the board and ensure Atlanta’s supply chain and logistics professionals have ample opportunity to learn, grow and network.”

Pertierra’s involvement in a leadership role with CSCMP and our Atlanta Logistics Innovation Council continues to advance our efforts to grow the logistics industry in metro Atlanta through advocacy and direct recruitment of companies.

Other board members include: Stanley Chatlen, Atlas Cold Storage; Beth McClurg, CB Richard Ellis; Chris Barnes, Voxware; Ben Cubitt, Rock-Tenn; David Carpenter, Osborne Hessey; Brett Levine, Jurlique; James Philpott, Cushman & Wakefield; Brian Gibson, Auburn University; Chris Norek, Chain Connectors.

For more information on CSCMP, visit www.cscmp.org.

Education

The State of Georgia will need 14,000 teachers next school year and our state universities and colleges will only produce about 5,000. The Chamber's Regional Education Committee, chaired by Janie Maddox, senior vice president of Post Properties, is tackling this issue and working to boost Georgia’s teacher recruitment this year.

A subcommittee co-chaired by Helene Lollis, president of Pathfinders, Inc., and Gary Pell, managing partner, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, has been working with the state agency responsible for recruitment and retention of teachers, the region’s superintendents and their personnel officers and others to create a “teacher-friendly” region. The region would provide discounts and reduced fees to teachers for services, housing, entertainment and other expenses in the metro Atlanta area.

The group is working to develop a communications plan to strategically recruit teachers from other states that have a surplus of teachers and to communicate to the general public and state policy makers the fact that Georgia has a teacher shortage and that in the next five years, approximately 50 percent of the current state teacher workforce will be retiring. The subcommittee’s work is being used by Cyndy Stephens with the State Professional Standards Commission (PSC) as an example to create strategies for statewide teacher recruitment efforts. Cyndy is a new member to the Regional Education Committee and is on the Teacher Recruitment Subcommittee.

Approximately 20 new members have joined Regional Education since the beginning of the year.

Click here for a Link to 2006 Regional Education Policy Committee Members.

The Teacher Recruitment Vision Statement can be found here.

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

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
Members are invited to come and network with other Chamber members. Be sure to bring several business cards!
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

August

2 Wednesday
Member Orientation
10:15 am Registration/Networking
10:45 am Program
Noon-1pm Lunch/Networking
Location: MACOC - 235 Andrew Young International Blvd.
Lunch Sponsor: A Legendary Event
Event sponsored by Bank of America & Office Depot
RSVP required.

9 Wednesday
Business Development Series:
Financing Options for Small Business
Members are invited to join this breakfast program lead by Jonathan Freedberg of Aberdeen Funding, Inc. Freedberg will share his tips on funding for small business.
Location: MACOC - 235 Andrew Young International Blvd.
Time: 7:30-9:30 am
RSVP required.
$50 - Non-members

16 Wednesday
Atlanta Life Financial Group
Hosts Member Reception
Members are invited to network with other Chamber members. Be sure to bring several business cards.
Hosted by: Ron Brown, president and CEO, Atlanta Life Financial Group
Location: 100 Auburn Avenue - Herndon Plaza Atrium
Time: 5:30-7 pm
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.