Author: Admin

Jeb Blazevich of Sterling Seacrest Pritchard talks about the pros and cons of an employee benefits captive.

As the debate over remote versus in-office work continues to evolve, groundbreaking research has surfaced, challenging traditional notions of workplace engagement. Conducted by WorkProud, the study reveals compelling insights into the dynamics of employee pride and engagement across different work arrangements.

• No significant variance in company pride between on-site and remote workers.

• Hybrid workers exhibit higher pride levels, with fewer individuals falling into the ‘low’ pride group.

• Hybrid workers rate their company’s direction more favorably compared to those working entirely on-site or remotely.

WATCH DR. RICK GARLICK SPEAK DURING THE STUDY RELEASE WEBINAR

Dr. Rick Garlick, the leading researcher behind the study, emphasizes, “It seems that hybrid workplaces, where people aren’t fully remote but don’t come to the office every day, yield higher or more elevated pride levels among employees.” He further notes, “If there was a winner among the various situations, then Hybrid seemed to bring the strongest levels of engagement.”

The research, which surveyed 1,000 full-time employees across various industries, offers actionable insights for businesses seeking to optimize their workforce strategies in a rapidly changing landscape.

DOWNLOAD THE 2024 WORKPROUD STUDY

On the Jekyll Island pier, Addison Simmons, a rising junior at the University of Georgia, hauls up her crab net, hoping to see a flash of blue. Her excitement builds with the realization that she’s caught a female blue crab.

With help from Lisa Gentit, a marine resource specialist at UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, she learns how to carefully remove the crab from her net. Gentit points out some of the crab’s distinctive features, like the bright red pinchers that indicate it’s female, before releasing it back into the estuary.

Simmons is one of 11 UGA undergrads exploring the Lowcountry, documenting and celebrating the relationships between people and seafood as part of a service-learning domestic field study course at UGA entitled “Writing and Community at the Georgia Coast.”

Domestic field studies integrate place-based learning across diverse U.S. locations, and service-learning courses address community needs through partnerships with local organizations and institutions. With these partnerships, students learn new topics through the lens of those who live and work in the community.

This course was developed through a collaboration between the UGA Office of Instruction and UGA Public Service and Outreach, connecting the Office of Service-Learning, the Domestic Field Study program, and Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. Course instructor Elizabeth Davis spearheaded the initiative following her participation in the first Domestic Field Study Fellows cohort.

“It’s been incredible. This is what I imagined—learning firsthand what goes on in these communities, what they’re like, what their concerns are,” says Davis, who coordinates the Interdisciplinary Writing Certificate program at UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “Concerns vary from place to place, yet they are all connected by some very strong threads.”

Davis developed the concept after teaming up with faculty at Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. The organization’s long history of working with Georgia’s fishing communities made it an ideal partner for connecting students with people whose lives revolve around safe, sustainable seafood.

During the first half of the trip, the students stayed at South Carolina’s historic Penn Center, immersing themselves in the cultural tapestry of the Gullah Geechee community and gaining insights into its historical significance along the Georgia coast.

The second half took them to various UGA coastal campuses, including Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s facilities on Skidaway Island and in Brunswick, as well as UGA’s Marine Institute on Sapelo Island. They explored the saltmarsh, which is vital to seafood like fish, crabs and shrimp. They participated in activities like crabbing and seining, where they learned how to identify marine life and experience seafood harvesting firsthand.

The students also engaged with coastal residents with links to seafood—from harvesters and aquaculturists to chefs and conservationists—who shared their expertise and experiences.

“These opportunities to immerse are key to service-learning,” says Davis. “Understanding what a community is asking you to help them with, as writers, you really need to be on the ground.” 

Students learned about Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s work to bring sustainable oyster aquaculture to Georgia and help commercial fishermen navigate changes to the industry.

Laura and Perry Solomon, owners of Tybee Oyster Company, spoke with the class about challenges they faced launching the first floating cage oyster farm in the state. They credited Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Shellfish Research Lab, which produces and sells oyster seed and advises shellfish farmers on best practices for growing shellfish, with helping them navigate the oyster farming process.

The students also toured City Market Dock in Brunswick, a seafood business that operates one of the few remaining commercial fish houses where fishermen can offload their catch. Bruce Collins, fish house manager, discussed issues facing the commercial industry, including competition with imported shrimp, rising fuel costs and a diminishing workforce.

In between activities, students spent time in reflective writing workshops, developing pieces inspired by their experiences.

April Cerritos, a rising sophomore double majoring in English and comparative literature, had never been to the Georgia coast.

“I didn’t expect to see so many local, smaller fishermen supporting themselves and their families, and smaller communities,” says Cerritos, who plans to go into book publishing.

By sharing her experience and what she learned through the course, Cerritos hopes that her writing encourages people to buy local seafood and research places before traveling. 

“One thing I’m going to do before I ever visit a place again as a tourist is research the communities there,” says Cerritos. “That’s what I really want to inspire people to do—learn more about the places they’re going.”

By the end of the course, the students had crafted insightful texts illuminating the resilience and interconnectedness of coastal communities. Perhaps even more exciting for Davis was seeing the transformative impact of experiential learning on the students and the special bond they cultivated during the trip.

“I hope they take away the community that they formed here as a group, and the realization that you form communities wherever you go throughout life,” says Davis. “That experience of bonding, as a community, with shared interests and concerns is really important.”

Read pieces written by students Addie Simmons and Theron Camp on Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Student Blog at https://gacoast.uga.edu/studentblog.

Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced the appointment and re-appointment of the following 26 Georgians to various state boards, authorities, and commissions.

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Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities

Bill Slaughter is a retired business owner of a family-owned and operated heating and air conditioning business in Lowndes County. Slaughter has served as the Chairman of the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners since 2013. He has been involved in many civic groups, trade associations, and community boards such as the Homebuilders Association of South Georgia, Construction Industry Licensing Board of Georgia, Lowndes-Valdosta Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Foundation Board. He is also a graduate of Leadership Lowndes Class of 2007, a member of the Community Service Board for Legacy Behavior Health, Transportation Investment Act (Executive Committee Chairman), as well as Chairman of the Citizens Review Panel for the Transportation Investment Act overseeing transportation projects for the southern region.

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Board of Community Affairs

D. Scott Gibbs was reappointed.

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Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce

Cecil F. Bennett, Jr. completed his undergraduate studies at Syracuse University, earning a degree in Biology. Later, he continued his education at Morehouse School of Medicine. During his fourth year in medical school, Bennett was elected the President of the Student Government Association. Upon completion of medical school, Bennett continued his training in Family Medicine at Morehouse, where he served as Chief Resident in his final year. He earned his Board Certification from the American Board of Family Medicine. Bennett is also a fellow in health care advocacy for Morehouse School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine. He has served on the Morehouse School of Medicine Board of Trustees, as an Associate Dean of Medical Education for Washington Adventist University, and is currently adjunct faculty for the Morehouse School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine. Bennett was the first President of Xavier University School of Medicine, Aruba. He served on many boards including the Board of Directors of the Georgia Academy of Family Medicine and the membership commission of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He has twice held the honor of being doctor of the day for the Georgia State Legislature. Bennett answered served in the Georgia National Guard during Operation Desert Storm, where he earned an Army Commendation Medal. Bennett was honorably discharged from the Army as a Captain and Medical Corps Officer. He and his wife, Andrea, have been married for 34 years and have three children.

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Savannah-Georgia Convention Center Authority

Patrick Farrell, Anne Scheer, and Ansley Williams were reappointed.

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Board of Commissioners of the Superior Court Clerks’ Retirement Fund

Vincent Clanton was reappointed.

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Board of Commissioners of the Magistrates Retirement Fund of Georgia

Berryl A. Anderson, Rita Cavanaugh, Connie J. Holt, Mary Kathryn Moss, Brendan Murphy, and Harlan Proveaux were reappointed.

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Georgia Council for the Arts

Michele S. Arwood served as Executive Director at Thomasville Center for the Arts for a decade and recently founded Maris Design Group and the About Place Initiative. Before relocating to Thomasville, Arwood spent 20 years in the marketing industry, including at Babbit & Reiman and McCann Erickson, before eventually joining the 1996 Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. She later co-founded SquareOne Marketing, a full-service marketing and strategic philanthropy firm for entrepreneurial businesses and non-profit organizations. For the last 13 years, she has also served as founding Editor of THOM magazine, profiling the entrepreneurs, artists, and innovators shaping the creative life of South Georgia’s Red Hills region. Her commitment to community and the arts is further demonstrated by her service on the Atlanta-based Arts Now Advisory Council and numerous other boards over the years, including Jerusalem House, South Georgia Ballet, Southern Center for Non-Profit Excellence, Thomasville-Thomas County Chamber of Commerce, and Rotary Club of Thomasville. Additionally, she has served on various City of Thomasville boards and commissions, including the Main Street Advisory Board, Destination Thomasville Tourism Authority, Sidewalk and Trail Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, and the Arts District Ad Hoc Planning Committee. Arwood was named Thomasville’s “Woman of the Year” in 2014.

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State Commission on Family Violence

Rebecca Jackson currently serves as the Solicitor General for Carroll County. Previously, Jackson served as the Chief Assistant Solicitor and as an assistant public defender in Carrollton and Augusta. Jackson’s legal career began with a student clerkship at Fulton County Superior Court under the Honorable Judge Thelma Wyatt Cummings Moore in 2008. She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology from the University of Georgia and a J.D. from Georgia State University. Active in her community and within the legal profession, Jackson is an attorney coach for the Georgia Mock Trial Competition, is chairwoman of the Domestic Violence Task Force, the secretary of Keep Carroll Beautiful, and is an Executive Committee member for the Georgia Association of Solicitors-General.

Joan Prittie has served as CEO of Project Safe Domestic Violence Center since 1999. Prittie teaches graduate classes at UGA and serves as editor and principal author of the Georgia Domestic Violence Bench Book—a resource guide for judges. Prittie previously worked as an attorney and represented indigent inmates in the Georgia state prison system. As a pro bono project, she worked on behalf of 78 incarcerated survivors of abuse, securing one sentence commutation and numerous early paroles. She was the recipient of the 2021 Gender Justice Award, the 2015 UGA President’s Fulfilling the Dream Award for social justice, and the 2014 ATHENA award for professional excellence and community service. In 2010, she received the national Sunshine Peace Award for facilitating social change to end violence against women and children. An active member of Covenant Presbyterian Church and former high school Sunday school teacher, she currently serves on the board of The Table at UGA (formerly Presbyterian Campus Ministry). She and her wife recently celebrated their 30th anniversary.

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Georgia Humanities Council

Pat Wilson was appointed Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development in November 2016. As Commissioner, he leads the state agency responsible for creating jobs and investment opportunities in Georgia through business recruitment and expansion, small business growth, international trade, and tourism, as well as the arts, film, and digital entertainment industries. Wilson previously served as Chief Operating Officer of GDEcD from January 2011 until he was appointed Commissioner by former Governor Nathan Deal. As COO, he managed the daily operations of the agency, directed long-term strategy, managed the agency’s legislative priorities, and served as the department’s liaison with the Georgia Congressional delegation and federal government partners. In addition, he served as Executive Director of the Georgia Allies. Wilson joined GDEcD as Deputy Commissioner for Global Commerce in 2010. Before that, he served on the staff of Governor Sonny Perdue as Director of Government Affairs, promoting the Governor’s legislative agenda at the State Capitol and managing federal affairs for the State of Georgia. He previously served as Director of Federal Affairs for the state, opening the Washington, D.C., office in 2005. Before joining state government, Wilson was Director of Governmental Affairs for Greenberg Traurig, LLP, in Washington. He served under the late Senator Paul Coverdell and then-Representative Nathan Deal. He holds an undergraduate degree in political science with a focus on international relations from the University of Georgia.

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Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council

Holly Croft is an associate professor of library sciences and the Associate Director for Special Collections and Galleries at the Ina Dillard Russell Library at Georgia College and State University. She began her career at GCSU as a digital archivist in 2016. She previously worked at Campbell University and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Croft earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia before going on to receive her master’s degree in library science and a graduate certificate in nonprofit leadership from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She is a member of the Society of American Archivists, the Society of Georgia Archivists, and the Society of North Carolina Archivists.

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State Rehabilitation Council

Karen Addams and Wina Low were reappointed.

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Board of Economic Development

Dennis Chastain, Drew Ellenburg, and Mitchell Malcom were reappointed.

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State Ethics Commission

Nancy Denson is the former Mayor of Athens-Clarke County. Denson has held several municipal roles in the Athens area, including on the Georgia Municipal Association Board of Directors, the Athens City Council from 1980-1985, and as a Clarke County Tax Commissioner from 1985-2010. Notably, she was the first woman elected to the Athens city government. She is a UGA Terry College alumna and received a public management certification from the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government. Denson retired from electoral politics in 2019 but remains active in advisory and community service roles, including the Athens Emergency Food Bank, the Northeast Georgia Food Bank, the PTA, the Georgia Commission on Women, and more.

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State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia

Lisa Winton is the CEO of Winton Machine Company. She and her husband, George Winton, founded the company in 1997. Winton Machine is a member of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and Winton has served as a board member since 2020. She serves on the governance committee and the education and workforce committee. In 2019, she participated in several joint meetings between NAM and White House representatives. Winton has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Technical College System of Georgia and the State Workforce Development Board. She works locally as the Partnership Gwinnett Education and Workforce chair, a public-private economic development partnership. In 2022, Winton was recognized as one of Georgia’s “100 Titans.” In 2023, she was again recognized as an Alumni Titan. The Titan 100 program recognizes the top 100 CEOs and C-level executives through a nomination and judging process. Winton recently completed serving on the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for a two-year term. She attended the University of Florida where she earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration. She is a graduate of Leadership Gwinnett, SBDC Fast Trac, GrowSmart, SBAEmerging Leaders, and ExportGA program.

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Jekyll Island – State Park Authority- Chairman

Glen Willard was first appointed to the Jekyll Island State Park Authority by Governor Brian Kemp in 2019. He is a managing member of Olde South Candy Company and River Street Sweets: Savannah’s Candy Kitchen. He has previously served on the Bryan County Board of Commissioners. He attended Georgia Southern University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

Set, Hike! The College Football Hall of Fame is setting a new industry milestone with its new GAME ON! AI Experience. This deeply engaging, personalized storytelling experience inserts fans into the rich history of college football. The introduction of GAME ON! and overall renovation mark a new era for the Hall of Fame as it celebrates 10 years in Atlanta and cements its impact in the Capital of College Football.

While museums and entertainment destinations have experimented with artificial intelligence since 2017, GAME ON! uses generative AI for the first time to make guests the hero of the college football story. Guests step up to a photographic face scan kiosk, prompting a series of questions about their favorite team, biggest rivals and their dream position they’d take on the field. The technology leverages this information to tailor their experience, spanning 14 fan-specific AI experiences throughout the Hall. Guests will see their likeness, preferences and personality through curated images and video with customized captions. Here are just a few examples:

• The Super Fan: Guests are transported to a college football stadium where they find themselves cheering in the stands and wearing their favorite team’s colors. Simultaneously, they can read about their own game day rituals.

• The Weight Room: This existing exhibit is being enhanced by GAME ON! AI so guests can both see themselves pumping iron and read about how they can reach maximum strength.

• The Coaches: The existing coaches exhibit has been updated with a video called “The Greatest Coaches That Never Were,” where guests are shown as a fictitious historic college coach who inspired their team through some unusual methods.

• The Champions & Contenders: Guests can pose with the Heisman and College Football Championship trophies, next to a display case featuring the real-life hardware.

• The Field JumboTron: As guests enter the College Football Hall of Fame’s famous field to kick, pass and run, they’ll find a video of themselves as their favorite team’s most recent college recruit with a personalized voice-over playing on the field’s large LED screen.

“As a leading attraction in sports and a symbol of College Football at the highest level, we were looking for a modern way to pay homage to the sport we love,” said Kimberly Beaudin, President and CEO of the College Football Hall of Fame. “GAME ON! is our mission in action: an experience that connects fans to college football through education, inspiration and entertainment, while honoring the sport’s excellence through every artifact and AI touchpoint.”

GAME ON! is the result of a ground-breaking, international collaboration between the College Football Hall of Fame, Georgia’s Creative Principals, New Zealand tech startup HyperCinema and The Producers Group from Los Angeles. “When the College Football Hall of Fame enlisted our help to reimagine its exhibits and experiences, we had the vision to help guests become part of the story, rather than just witness it,” said Geoff Thatcher, founder and chief creative officer of Creative Principals, the creative firm behind the development of GAME ON!.

HyperCinema’s groundbreaking technology and team has brought Creative Principals’ vision to life. “For the last two years, our team of skilled experts has been developing and refining this hyper-personalized storytelling technology. We’re honored to collaborate with Creative Principals to create this remarkable experience for the College Football Hall of Fame. Now every guest can become the hero of their own story, ushering in a new age for creative guest experiences,” said Dr. Miles Gregory, co-founder and creative director of HyperCinema, the company responsible for the patented technology that powers GAME ON!.

The upgrades to the Hall of Fame’s guest experience aren’t stopping with GAME ON!.

The Hall and Aflac partnered to create an all-new exhibit celebrating the rich shared history between the US Military and College Football. The fitting tribute honors our U.S. Service Academies, Senior Military Academies and Hall of Fame Inductees who served. The exhibit will showcase priceless artifacts, uniform displays and an 18ft x 12ft video wall of stadium flyovers. The new “Military and Football” exhibit also includes a GAME ON! AI experience putting guests in the cockpit of a plane or helicopter during a stadium flyover.

Additional upgrades include an expanded exhibit on the game’s biggest rivalries, a high-intensity walk-in tunnel, specially curated display honoring a decade in Atlanta and a reimagined retail experience in the Team Store.

The Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame will reopen to the public on Saturday, August 24 with a 10th Anniversary Celebration and Kickoff Game Football Fest. For more information on the grand reopening or visiting the Hall in Atlanta, visit the College Football Hall of Fame website.

Competition for homes and price appreciation tapered off faster than normal in July as high housing costs continued to stymie shoppers, according to the Zillow® market report.¹ But recent drops in mortgage rates should spur more competition as we head into fall. 

“If this relief from mortgage rates continues, we should see more buyers restarting their hunt for a home,” said Zillow Chief Economist Skylar Olsen. “But although rate lock among homeowners is easing, they probably won’t be as motivated to jump back into the market and sell. With housing inventory still scarce, this improved affordability picture could reignite competition and sales as we head into the fall, or at least delay the usual post-summer cooldown.” 

 

Sellers lose the upper hand

Sellers gave up a marked advantage over buyers in July on the national scale, as the Zillow market heat index² moved into neutral territory for the first time since December. This marks the first July the national market has been neutral since 2019; in each of the past two years, the market moved into neutral ground in October. 

Among major markets, Denver, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Louisville lost their advantage for sellers and moved into neutral territory, while Orlando became buyer-friendly like the rest of the big Florida metros.

Homes are lingering on the market — even successful listings took almost a week longer to sell in July than last year. While that’s still five days faster than the average pace of sales in the years before the pandemic, it’s still a sign that buyers were much less eager to commit.

Inventory accumulated further in July, and now stands nearly 25% above last year’s levels, marking the eighth straight month the year-over-year inventory gap has widened. Compared to pre-pandemic norms, the inventory shortfall shrank a bit and is now down 31.5%, the smallest deficit since October 2020. 

In an effort to win over cash-strapped buyers, home sellers again cut prices at record levels. More than 26% of homes on Zillow received a price cut in July, the highest share for any July since at least 2018, when the dataset began. 

What happens next? 

This cooling competition and pricing slowdown could dissipate in August if lower mortgage rates hold. 

By the end of July, lower rates brought the monthly price premium to buy a home, rather than rent a similar property, below $200.³ That has shrunk from a $247 difference as recently as April. Now lower rates in August are closing the gap even further. 

Of course, the cost disparity between renting and buying differs in every metro and even by neighborhood. But for those shoppers on the edge of affordability — and who have enough cash on hand for a down payment — the significant drop in rates may offer enough relief to entice a move. The effect of a rate cut on mortgage payments is more significant in expensive areas.

Lower rates aren’t likely to encourage a comparable wave of current homeowners to sell, though. Zillow surveys show 80% of recent sellers were influenced by major life events, such as a change in their household size or working situation. New listings typically surge in spring and then taper off as homeowners aim to sell, buy another house, and be moved in before school and the fall holidays begin. 

Home value appreciation slowed to a refreshingly reasonable 2.8% year over year in July, but that could tick back up if the surge in demand outweighs an increase in supply, as expected. 

 Corvus Insurance, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Travelers Companies, Inc., today released its Q2 2024 Cyber Threat Report, Ransomware Season Arrives Early. Featuring data collected from ransomware leak sites, the report identified 1,248 ransomware victims in Q2, the second most the company has recorded in a single quarter.

During the quarter, new ransomware groups, including PLAY, Medusa, RansomHub, INC Ransom, BlackSuit and some additional lesser-known factions, led a series of attacks that eclipsed the first quarter of this year by 16% and the second quarter of 2023 by 8%. These new threat actors emerged following the takedown of LockBit and BlackCat by international law enforcement.

Ransomware Demands and Payouts on the Rise
Based on Corvus data, the Q2 report found that the average ransomware demand reached $1,571,667. That represents a quarterly increase of 102% and the highest figure Corvus has reported since the second quarter of 2022. The average ransom payment also reached a new high of $626,415. 

According to the research, a company’s backup strategies can impact payouts. Businesses without robust backups are more than twice as likely to surrender to ransom demands during an attack. Conversely, organizations with effective backup strategies have incurred median claim costs 72% lower than their less-prepared counterparts.

Ransomware Operators Continue Evolving Tactics
Recognizing that many organizations possess valuable and sensitive information, ransomware operators have evolved their tactics by engaging in double-extortion schemes where operators encrypt data, exfiltrate it and then threaten to release it on the dark web. So far in 2024, data theft was involved in 93% of ransomware incidents observed by Corvus, up from 88% in 2023. Using double-extortion schemes, even organizations with secure backups may be forced to pay ransoms, often to prevent the exposure of stolen data.

“Data theft has become the technique employed by attackers to secure maximum payouts from their victims, whether or not they have secure backups,” said Jason Rebholz, Chief Information Security Officer at Corvus Insurance. “A robust security plan is never one layer deep. While a sound backup strategy is important, it cannot mitigate these threats alone. Businesses must utilize a multi-layered security strategy based on a resilient environment with fast detection and prevention capabilities.”

Key Industry Trends: Construction Becomes the Most Frequently Targeted Industry in Q2
While the Corvus study found that industries most affected by ransomware attacks remained largely similar from the first quarter, Construction moved from second to first in the second quarter. In addition, Government and Oil and Gas joined the list, and ransomware attacks targeting the Software Development and IT Services and IT Consulting sectors were up 257% and 54%, respectively. RansomHub was responsible for 16% of the reported victims within the IT Services industry, followed by PLAY and BlackSuit, which accounted for an additional 18%.

To learn more, a webinar called “Q2 Cyber Threat Report: Ransomware Season Arrives Early” is scheduled for August 29 and will feature Corvus experts.