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Georgia has many of the elements necessary to support the global film industry. The state has the right infrastructure — millions of square feet of new soundstage space and a massive airport. It has a transferable tax credit with no annual cap. And it has skilled crews, along with equipment, prop and costume rental houses.

But Trilith Institute CEO Jeffrey Stepakoff says one key piece is missing: Writers’ rooms, which he calls the “teaching hospitals” of the global entertainment industry.

Read more at The Atlantic Journal-Constitution.

Today, RTX and Boys & Girls Clubs of America are introducing a first-of-its-kind STEM curriculum rolling out to Clubs nationwide. Developed in collaboration with Northwestern University, this approach breaks down barriers to STEM learning by using everyday items that can be found in nearly every home and grocery store.

“We’re at a pivotal point in the evolution of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s evidence building strategy. We’re grateful for RTX’s support and look forward to working with them on this transformative work that allows young people to tap into the curiosity of STEM and science,” said Omar Guessous, National Director of Research, Evaluation, and Insights at Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Since 2015, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and RTX have shared a mutual goal of advancing access to high-quality, STEM programming for all. The ongoing work continues to create access to STEM learning opportunities to inspire the workforce of tomorrow.

The curriculum is designed to help kids learn science the way scientists do – in a practical, nonintimidating way through questioning, working collaboratively, and designing their own unique experiments. The new curriculum will reach over 3 million young people at over 5,400 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country.

“We’re thrilled to support Boys & Girls Club staff across the country with the training and curriculum they need to enable young people realize their potential in STEM,” says Dr. Michael Kennedy, Research Professor and Director of Science in Society at Northwestern University. “Not only does this collaboration immerse Club youth in the field of science but it also reinforces the idea that STEM is a career option for everyone.”

Despite a significant decline in mortgage rates and improved supply in some parts of the country, existing home sales are not expected to pick up meaningfully through the remainder of 2024, with the annual pace now forecast to be the slowest since 1995, according to the September 2024 commentary from the Fannie Mae (OTCQB: FNMA) Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group. Recent data, including softness in pending home sales and purchase mortgage applications, continue to suggest limited home-purchase demand at current affordability levels. According to the ESR Group, existing home sales have not grown despite a nearly 20-percent increase in homes available for sale from year-ago levels, in part due to geographic variations. Much of the increase in for-sale inventories has occurred in the Sun Belt and Mountain West regions, areas that also experienced some of the strongest home price growth in recent years, as well as robust new home construction. This creates both a large relative affordability shock in these states and greater competition for existing home sales stemming from the new construction. The ESR Group believes some combination of easing mortgage rates and soft home price growth relative to income growth in these regions will be needed before existing home sales begin to meaningfully rise.

The ESR Group’s economic growth outlook was mostly unchanged this month, as incoming data has been largely consistent with expectations. The ESR Group notes that the economy is likely shifting into a slower growth path, and as inflation moves closer to the 2-percent target, the Federal Reserve is poised to move monetary policy toward a more neutral stance. Still, the ESR Group believes the lagged effect of monetary policy is likely to keep real gross domestic product growth subdued in coming quarters before returning to the long-term trend by the end of 2025.

“Increasingly, regional variations in housing supply are creating divergent affordability conditions and experiences for consumers on both sides of the home sales transaction; however, taken as a whole, home sales activity, particularly on the existing side, remains near what we consider to be the floor of basic demographic and household mortgage demand,” said Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae Senior Vice President and Chief Economist. “Supply has risen significantly in many Sun Belt states, where such factors as ease of new home development and increasing insurance costs are having an impact, but at the national level the supply shortage still very much applies. Although mortgage rates have fallen considerably in recent weeks, we’ve not seen evidence of a corresponding increase in loan application activity, nor has there been an improvement in consumer homebuying sentiment. We think it’s likely that many would-be borrowers are waiting for affordability to improve even further, and that some may be anticipating additional declines in mortgage rates given expectations that the Fed will lower the federal funds target rate. Others may be waiting for household incomes to improve further to offset some of the recent home price growth, or they may be thinking that future supply growth will ease affordability. Regardless of the lever, we expect affordability to remain the primary constraint on housing activity for the foreseeable future, and we now think full-year 2024 will produce the fewest existing home sales since 1995.”

This week, veteran Georgia lobbyists and longtime colleagues Chandler Haydon and David Raynor announced their partnership in the new firm, Haydon & Raynor Public Affairs.  With over 50 years of combined experience in Georgia politics under the Gold Dome in Atlanta, Haydon and Raynor have established lasting relationships with key policymakers on both sides of the aisle.  Effective October 1, 2024, the public affairs firm will specialize in client services including executive and legislative lobbying, state procurement, and navigating regulatory environments in Georgia.

Since 2005, Chandler Haydon has owned the government affairs firm, Haydon Consulting, LLC. As a trusted advisor to various groups including several Fortune 500 companies, Chandler has successfully helped her clients navigate complex legislative and regulatory issues in Georgia.

Chandler’s previous work experience includes the Office of Congressman Charles Hatcher, Georgia

Department of Community Affairs, Georgia House of Representatives, and Media & Public Relations Manager and Legislative Liaison with the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade & Tourism (now GA Dept. of Economic Development). Prior to starting her own firm, she worked as a lobbyist for Joe Sports & Associates.

For the past 14 years, David Raynor has led the lobbying, policy development, and political engagement efforts at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.  During his tenure at the Chamber, Georgia has been named the best state in which to do business for an unprecedented 11 consecutive years.

Prior to his service at the Georgia Chamber, Raynor’s experience has included serving as the State Director for the National Federation of Independent Business, the Chief of Staff for then Georgia State Senate Majority Leaders Bill Stephens and Tommie Williams, Deputy Director of Government Relations at the Medical Association of Georgia, and working with the late Don Cargill at his lobbying firm. 

Chandler remarked, “I have consistently admired David’s extensive expertise across various business-related issues as well as his unwavering integrity and transparency when interacting with elected officials.  Partnerships thrive on a foundation of trust and respect which are essential elements for success.  I am genuinely excited about the new opportunities our collaboration will bring.” 

David said, “As friends and colleagues for 20 years, I have firsthand knowledge of the strong record of success Chandler has had in effectively executing on behalf of her clients.  Her credibility and work ethic are unmatched, and I look forward to the opportunities this new partnership presents.” 

Chris Clark, President & CEO at the Georgia Chamber, commented, “After well over a decade working with David, I’ve seen his incredible passion and professionalism and appreciate the role he has played in advocating for Georgia’s business community at the state and federal levels. Similarly, Chandler’s longtime service on the Georgia Chamber Board of Directors underscores her dedication to advancing private sector opportunities across our state.  I wish David and Chandler all the best in this new endeavor, and look forward to continuing our work together, partnering with government, in promoting free enterprise across Georgia.”

 Peachtree Corners – one of the nation’s first smart cities powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G – today announced a collaboration with Juganu, a leading provider of smart lighting whose groundbreaking and sustainable platform leverages lighting infrastructure to create a fully digitized and connected environment. Juganu’s smart city lighting solutions will be deployed within the Curiosity Lab ecosystem and at the City of Peachtree Corners Town Center. This marks Juganu’s first full smart city lighting deployment in the United States.

Juganu’s lighting solution eliminates the need for multiple devices on one light pole, with multiple systems unified in a single fixture. Their smart city fixture includes energy-efficient and high-quality LED lighting, environmental sensors to monitor air quality, IoT framework for additional smart city applications and leverages a security camera that features AI and edge computing for enhanced capabilities. In addition, each light fixture includes a wireless access point to provide free public Wi-Fi.

America is invited to a special Birthday Festival on September 28th honoring Plains, peanut farmers and the 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter. James Earl Carter Jr. was born October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, at the Wise Sanitarium, where his mother worked as a registered nurse. President Carter turns 100 on October 1, 2024 and continues to remind everyone “if you want to live a long and healthy life like me, eat more peanuts.” 

The festival is in its 26th year and promises to be a fun filled day in this small town that may only boast around 560 citizens but counts among them a former president of the United States, Jimmy Carter. Carter is the oldest living United States President. 

On this day Plains celebrates both President Carter and those farmers who are the backbone of rural agriculture and especially peanut farmers. The day will begin at 8 AM with the Plains 5K and Fun Run and rolls right into the Peanut Parade at 11:00, featuring beauty queens, political candidates, and antique tractors. 

Throughout the day, arts and crafts vendors and food vendors are scattered throughout Maxine Reese Park and the Downtown Historic District, promising everything from quilts and woodworking prizes to snow cones and funnel cakes! 

Visitors are urged to stop by and taste the popular grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from the Peanut Buying Points Association. The Georgia Peanut Commission will have country fried peanuts, hot and ready for tasting. Walk down Plains Main Street and sample boiled peanuts, a southern delicacy. 

A first this year is the White House Communications Agency will display in the Plains Community Center. This Agency is comprised of military personnel who serve in White House administrations. Former members and staffers will be showing films and answering questions about their roles in working with presidents and presidential families. The group will be in the Community Center 9-12. Enjoy live music in the Community Center Courtyard throughout the morning. 

At 7:30 pm, Slaughter Creek Band will take the stage on Main Street for the annual downtown street dance and will play until’ the crowd goes away”. 

Kim Fuller, Executive Director of Friends of Jimmy Carter, said, “Local, state, and ‘all around’ peanut entities have always committed sponsorships to the Festival and without their constant support the 26th Annual Plains Peanut Festival would not be one of September’s memorable days in Plains!” 

Why You Need a Travel Content Strategist

Why You Should Hire a Travel Content Strategist Considering how competitive your segment of the travel industry has become in the last few years, your brand needs to stand out and present itself as the only travel company travelers will need or want. And it’s your developed content that expresses your unique value proposition/brand, presenting…

Boston Massachusetts, Birthplace of America!

Travel to Boston, Massachusetts Travelers from across North America, Europe and Asia travel to Boston to experience the history of the United States. There is no better city to revel and be immersed in America’s history to really understand what Boston represents to the New England area. There are exquisit art galleries, impressive museums, churches,…

Relatient, the leading patient scheduling platform, is expanding its Customer Advisory Board (CAB) following the group’s successful, inaugural year. In response to increased interest in intelligent scheduling and patient access solutions across healthcare specialties, the organization is adding two seats and four new CAB members.

The addition of these members, representing diverse specialty organizations, underscores Relatient’s commitment to maintaining a leading edge in patient scheduling:

• LaDonna Collinsworth, CMPE, Director of Shared Services, The Villages Health System, LLC
• Tanner Sloan, Chief Operations Officer, Texas Orthopedics
• Tiffany Cross, VP of Clinical Informatics, Covenant Health
• Regina Hancock, Director of Practice Transformation, Ascension

Since it was organized in 2023, Relatient’s CAB has provided the organization with invaluable insights into operational gaps and opportunities aligned with patient and provider needs. The Board’s strategic input on the importance of self-service tools guided recent enhancements to Relatient’s award-winning self-scheduling solution, Dash Self.

“You don’t become the best by operating in a silo,” said Jeff Gartland, CEO of Relatient. “Customer voices are integral to Relatient’s mission of improving access to care through intelligent, innovative solutions. We welcome these accomplished professionals to our CAB and look forward to continued collaboration in leading the market with innovative solutions that improve access to care.”

New members will join an already distinguished group of leaders, including Andrew Wade, Chief Executive Officer at OrthoSC; Erika Noll, Chief Operating Officer at Peachtree Orthopedics; Jalal Shawwa, VP of Consumer and Patient Experience & Contact Center Operations at Ascension; Jeff Goldberg, Chief Operations Officer at Resurgens Orthopaedics; Jeff McPherson, MBA, FACMPE, Market President – East TN at Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance; Laura Dalton, DO, MBA, Chief Medical Operating Officer at Planned Parenthood Mar Monte; and Kimble Jenkins, Chief Executive Officer at OrthoSouth.

The CAB will regularly convene via virtual and in-person meetings throughout the year. Relatient will draw on the Board’s experiences and expertise to improve operational excellence and inform future innovation as the organization expands its footprint in more areas of specialty healthcare.

“Patient access will continue to play a key role in digital transformation for healthcare organizations, no matter what their specialty,” said Tanner Sloan, COO of Texas Orthopedics. “It’s exciting to work with a partner like Relatient who not only recognizes this, but also proactively seeks the feedback of its customers to continue to remain relevant in a quickly changing market. I’m grateful for the opportunity to sit on the CAB and help improve Relatient’s offerings, which will make a difference at Texas Orthopedics, and at healthcare organizations throughout the country.”

Newly certified members of the cohort include:

• Armor Industrial Services
• BGMart Construction
• Carter Construction Partners Inc.
• Empire Contracting, LLC
• Lead with Coach Jeimy, LLC
• LPZ Construction LLC
• Pampa Bay Landscape
• Simply HR Inc.
• The Edge Agency
• Wandaful Herbs
• Westbridge Solutions, LLC

The expedited success of these minority-owned businesses is a direct result of the Gwinnett Chamber Foundation’s targeted support, strategic marketing efforts, and comprehensive resources. By providing individualized coaching and guidance, the Foundation’s team ensured the businesses crafted relevant messaging and had the essential translation services to complete requirements on time and with excellence. This collaborative effort was made possible through a technical assistance grant from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and JPMorgan Chase.

“We are committed to empowering minority, veteran, and women-owned businesses with the resources they need to succeed,” said Deirdra Cox, Executive Director of the Gwinnett Chamber Foundation. “Achieving these certifications in just 60 days is a testament to the dedication of our team and the businesses in our cohort. This accomplishment aligns perfectly with our mission and highlights the importance of tailored support in navigating complex certification processes.”

Nick Masino, President & CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber, added, “The success of this cohort underscores the impact of targeted assistance and strategic partnerships. By achieving MBE or WOSB certification in record time, these businesses are now better positioned to compete in the marketplace, further contributing to the economic vitality of our community.”