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The Atlanta Regional Commission today announced Rosalind “Roz” Tucker as the agency’s new Chief Human Resources Officer. She reports to Executive Director & CEO Anna Roach and becomes a member of the Executive Leadership Team.

Tucker has been serving as interim CHRO since October. She previously served as Managing Director of ARC’s Mobility Services department, where she led a team of transportation demand management professionals focused on promoting commute alternatives, such as teleworking, carpooling, transit, and walking/bicycling.

“Roz is a dynamic, results-oriented leader who has an exceptional track record of innovation and success,” said Roach. “She has brought exceptional leadership to this position during her interim tenure, demonstrating a deep expertise in human capital development, strategic HR practices, and employee engagement. Roz’s contributions have been instrumental in strengthening our HR initiatives and fostering a supportive and inclusive workplace.”

Among her achievements at ARC, Tucker spearheaded efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic to help metro Atlanta employers establish or expand teleworking programs. This work included designing and implementing a groundbreaking initiative to compile teleworking data to provide business leaders with the data needed to manage through the crisis.

“I am honored to take on this new role,” Tucker said. “ARC is blessed with an incredibly talented staff who share a commitment to making our region a better place to live. It’s a truly inspiring place to work.”

Beyond her role at ARC, Roz extends her influence across professional organizations, serving as President for the Association for Commuter Transportation and as a member of the Society for Human Resources (SHRM).  She is also a graduate of Leadership Cobb and ARC’s Regional Leadership Institute.

With the New Year festivities out of the way, it’s time for us to settle down and get back to business.  For those in the political realm, that means it’s time for governing.  Much of the political press will be transfixed on the change of partisan power in the White House next week, but here at home, we have a new session of the Georgia General Assembly beginning.

All members of the Georgia House and Senate began their two year terms on Monday, January 13^th.  They’ll meet for forty business days of their choosing as is allowed under the Georgia Constitution.  

For those who want to get into the weeds of their schedule, check the General Assembly’s website for what is known as an “adjournment resolution”.  This is what the schedule the House and Senate agree upon for which days they’ll count towards their forty.  Sometimes they do this scheduling a week or so at a time.  

Last year they were able to agree on the path towards forty days pretty quickly.  For those of us that like some predictability of schedule for things like April vacation planning, let’s hope they’ll be able to do so again.  

When in doubt, look at the date of April 7^th. That’s the date for the first practice rounds at Augusta National for The Masters.  The General Assembly likes to have business finished before this event begins.  

It’s easy to chide politicians for appearing to have misplaced priorities for this, but the reason is deeper than wanting to watch the best golf in the world. This is one of the biggest economic development events that is hosted in Georgia. A lot of people with titles need their attention to be on future business, and not the myriad of bills that pile up for passage or failure the last couple of days of session.  

The Masters is a valid deadline.  But let’s hope for the end of March as a bogey.

The agenda is laid out during this first week.  On Tuesday, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual Eggs & Issues breakfast. The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House all get a speaking role, and typically use it to lay out their legislative priorities.  

We already know that Governor Kemp is interested in two major pieces of legislation.  At last year’s Eggs & Issues breakfast, the Governor indicated a major piece of tort reform legislation wasn’t quite ready for the heavy lift required for passage, but he wanted it done in the 2025 session.  And here we are.

He also recently outlined an overhaul of Georgia’s prison system. Hundreds of millions of dollars are needed for pay raises to increase employee retention, new facilities, and repair and reconfiguration of existing prisons.

House Speaker Jon Burns has indicated that another bite at the apple of K-12 scholarships – commonly called vouchers – may be needed, as there has been confusion between agencies as to which underperforming school districts have met the threshold of eligibility.   There is also discussion from both the Speaker and Lieutenant Governor about passing protections for In Vitro Fertilization procedures as a clarifying measure.

After Eggs & Issues, the Governor will get even more specific with his agenda at the State of the State address on Thursday, January 16^th.  Shortly thereafter, he’ll release his budget proposal for the next fiscal year.  That’s when the rubber meets the road, and the real work of the legislature begins.

Next week the General Assembly meets for budget hearings. House Appropriations Chairman Matt Hatchett of Dublin and Senate Appropriations Chairman Blake Tillery of Vidalia host a joint committee to hear from Commissioners and agency heads regarding budget proposals.  

Passing a balanced budget is the sole constitutional requirement of the legislature each session. While the budget hearings don’t usually count toward the 40 official working days, they are among the most significant.  It’s when and where the Governor’s budget proposal meets the priorities of the House and Senate.  

Much of the remaining 40 days involves a high level negotiation between both Chambers and with the Governor’s office to get to the final passage of the next budget. There is also the matter of amending the current budget with supplemental spending and/or cuts as revenues and priorities dictate.

And with that, we’re off for another year under the Gold Dome. I’ll do my best to update from time to time on specific issues as they develop and become relevant to those not able to watch the progress at the Capitol in real time.

For more information visit galogisticssummit.com/

President & CEO of the Westside Future Fund John Ahmann discusses their mission to helping revitalize Historic Westside neighborhoods and how companies like AT&T are making this possible.

Canada Sends Waterbombers Equipment and Personnel to Fight California Fires

Canadian Waterbombers Helping California’s Fire Crisis The latest California fires have raised the cost of poor forest and land management practices by the Newsome Democrat government to heights no one could foresee. The Golden State is being humbled by extreme weather conditions and poor land management. The origin of these deadly fires is believed to…

York Region Automated Speed Enforcement

York Region Radar Cameras Outrage Over Capricious Use of Photo Radar System for Revenue Generation York Region is in financial trouble. In the midst of challenging financial times for tax payers, York Region’s board of directors and councillors are making life really tough for constituents. Spending as we see below is out of control, not…

Parkland Residential announces land development is underway at Sugarloaf Crest, a 5.2-acre Gwinnett County build-to-rent (BTR) community featuring 67 stacked townhomes. The community is located at 3535 Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville, Georgia. 

“The site is cleared, and development is underway with townhome construction starting in July 2025,” Parkland Residential President Jim Jacobi said. “This community is located across the street from our actively leasing BTR community Sugarloaf Landing consisting of 114 units, and it is also located next to Cedar Hill Elementary and Richards Middle schools so children can easily walk to school.”

The rear-entry stacked townhomes have one-car garages and either two or three bedrooms with two-and-a-half baths, including oversized, private owner’s suites with huge walk-in closets, stylish baths with dual vanities, and all appliances (including washer and dryer). The spacious, open floor plans feature sizable kitchens that open into oversized family rooms. The covered outdoor living areas overlook community greenspace and are perfect for entertaining guests or social gatherings with neighbors. 

The three-bedroom townhome offers a loft with 1,950 square feet of total living space, while the two-bedroom townhome has 1,600 square feet of total living space.

In this all-inclusive, build-to-rent community, renters enjoy a maintenance-free lifestyle with all the conveniences of homeownership but enjoy the flexibility associated with renting. This unique community offers an ideal solution for renters who prioritize having the freedom to travel and ease of living without the commitment of owning a home.

Residents will enjoy a community green, dog park, play field and playground. Additionally, an abundance of shopping and restaurants are within a short walk from the community. 

Sugarloaf Crest and Sugarloaf Landing are managed by Prim Properties. For more information about Prim Properties, visit www.primprop.com or contact Brett Forney at brett@primprop.com. For more information on Parkland Communities, visit www.ParklandCo.com. 

Aprio, the 25^th largest business advisory and accounting firm in the U.S., proudly announces the promotion of 13 professionals to the partnership, effective Jan. 1. 2025.

Welcoming these partners underscores Aprio’s unwavering dedication to developing top talent and empowering the next generation of leaders within the firm. With diverse industry experience and a shared commitment to Aprio’s people-first approach, these new partners are poised to deliver meaningful results and shape the firm’s continued success.

“I’m excited about our 2025 partner class which includes professionals who live our values, commitment to innovation, and leadership that define Aprio. As we continue to build the firm of the future, I am confident this group will drive our firm’s strategic growth forward and advance our commitment to exceptional client service” said Richard Kopelman, CEO of Aprio.

These new partners bring leadership and vision to build upon Aprio’s success, driving growth in key industries such as technology, manufacturing and distribution, real estate, and government contracting and expanding service capabilities and markets. As Aprio continues to expand its geographic presence and capabilities, these new leaders will play an instrumental role. 

The newly promoted 2025 partners include:

Madeleine Batson, Wealth Management, Tax             

Gary Bedsole, Transaction Advisory Services, Tax 

Carl Budenski, International, Tax     

Emily Cheshire, Technology, Managed Services         

Stacy Cullen, Nonprofit, Tax                     

Chelsea Dorfeld, Professional Services, Tax             

Jacelyn Ferriell, Government Contracting, Managed Services     

Sarah Garcia, Private Client Services, Tax             

Grant Gooding, Real Estate | Affordable Housing, Audit             

Chris Henderson, Manufacturing & Distribution, Tax                 

Kevin O’Brien, Private Client Services, Tax             

Marcus Oglesby, Insurance, Audit             

Casey O’Keefe, Technology, Audit     

Did you know there is a channel available that can strengthen a rural hospital’s financial health, improve patient care and optimize resources, all at once?

That channel is the 340B Drug Pricing Program, a non-taxpayer-funded, federal program that allows eligible hospitals and clinics to purchase drugs at significantly reduced prices. While the criterion for eligibility is detailed, two key factors include not-for-profit hospitals that serve a disproportionate share of uninsured or under-insured patients and federal funded clinics. The intent of the program is to help the hospitals and clinics as well as help the patients who need care in those areas. 

Ways It Can Strengthen Facilities

The 340B program has the potential to make a significant difference for healthcare facilities and the communities they serve. It enables eligible hospitals and clinics to offer increased financial support to underserved communities by controlling the escalating costs of prescription drugs. 

Through 340B, pharmaceutical manufacturers who participate in Medicaid must offer discounted prices on outpatient drugs to qualified health organizations serving uninsured and low-income patients. The savings on prescription drug costs allow these clinics and hospitals to reinvest funds into essential resources, preserving their ability to care for patients.

For instance, a rural hospital might be able to purchase new equipment or offer enhanced services, which means patients no longer are forced to look elsewhere for care. A different facility might use the cost savings to help recruit clinicians to their rural area by offering more competitive salaries. In a world where money is often tight, the additional funds via 340B can be critical.

Why Facilities Hesitate

Despite recognizing the potential benefits, many rural healthcare leaders hesitate to participate in the 340B Program or maximize its potential, due to the complexities, effort and maintenance involved. Specifically, they have concerns about tasking their already-stretched-too-thin pharmacy staff with the additional burden of 340B ordering, compliance and reporting. Beyond this, there are other apprehensions that may be looming, such as questions related to integrating 340B with existing technology systems.

The good news is that facilities and pharmacy staff don’t have to go it alone. PharmD On Demand, a company focused on pharmacy solutions for hospitals and clinics, has deep knowledge related to 340B, along with a framework just for applying, starting up, and implementing the program, and can help eligible hospitals capitalize on the full advantages of the program.

PharmD: 340B Experience + Custom Solutions

PharmD’s 18 years’ experience allows its team to serve as trusted guides, becoming an extension of a pharmacy team already in place. 

They begin by helping determine if a hospital qualifies and from there, customize their services and technology to what is best for an organization. Here are just some of the reasons facilities choose to partner with PharmD On Demand to gain benefits from 340B:

• EMR Integration Support: The PharmD On Demand team has in-depth knowledge of 340B regulations and software, helping ensure a pharmacy remains compliant. They will help ensure an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system communicates effectively with the 340B software—a crucial first step, as most hospital and clinic pharmacies do not segregate 340B drugs from non-340B drugs, making accurate communication between systems essential.

• Drug Ordering and Optimization: PharmD On Demand can oversee the purchasing process, helping to ensure that drugs are ordered in compliance with the program. They also can review all prescription ordering, to optimize the use of the 340B account and determine if there are any missed opportunities.

• Risk Management: PharmD utilizes a robust auditing methodology to minimize the risk of non-compliance, provide transparency into a program, and help hospitals and clinics understand and manage compliance risks effectively. 

Peace of Mind—and Cost Savings

Ongoing support means a hospital gains peace of mind knowing they will be able to reap the full benefits from the program while allowing their pharmacy staff to stay focused on patient care.

With every client PharmD serves, they gain new insights. They then take that knowledge and use it to continually improve and streamline their technology and services. That means hospitals receive all the benefits of a full-time 340B account manager (and then some) for a fraction of the cost.

Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 34 million small businesses, announced that small businesses received more than $183 billion in prime contracts from the federal government – 28.8% of all federal contracting dollars – in fiscal year 2024, which ended Sept. 30, 2024. Prime contracts are awarded to small businesses to work directly with the government. These prime contracting awards once again exceed the federal government’s 23% small business contracting goal and broke last year’s record of $178 billion in prime contracts going to small businesses.

“Four straight years of increased small business contracting opportunities reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to leveling the playing field for small businesses looking to do business with the federal government – the world’s largest buyer of goods and services,” said SBA Administrator Guzman. “While there is more work to be done to ensure more entrepreneurs can share in this growth, the SBA celebrates the record levels of small business contracting achieved over the course of this historic presidential administration.”

Along with the record-breaking totals, the preliminary prime contracting numbers reveal small, disadvantaged businesses received $78.1 billion, another record again surpassing FY23. Additionally, service-disabled veteran owned small businesses received the highest amount ever at $32.8 billion. Nearly all categories tracked continued to see a year-over-year increase in federal contracts for goods and services.

Dollars and Percent of Prime Contracts Awarded (rounded) 

 In alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals, SBA Administrator Guzman has led a multi-year commitment to expand small businesses’ access to federal contracting and modernize the customer experience so they can better compete for government contracts which can help boost their revenue and growth. Under her leadership, the SBA made transformational reforms to its trainings, certifications, and regulations to better position small businesses to bid and win contracts to take advantage of the more than $630 billion in federal contracting opportunities.

 Recent actions include the launch of two new online tools to assist small businesses with securing federal contracts:

1. MySBA Certifications, a streamlined federal contracting certification tool that launched in late 2024 and allows small business owners to apply for multiple federal contracting certifications through one secure login and with a single application. It built on and enhanced the agency’s successful launch of VetCert in 2023, which was a streamlined application system for veterans and service-disabled veterans. Previously, SBA’s small business certification programs ran through four separate systems and different teams with distinct applications, compliance, and review procedures. Prior to launching MySBA Certifications, SBA cleared a backlog of applications to certify 18,219 small businesses – a single-year record and a nearly 40% increase over FY23.
2. GovCon Match, which helps small businesses find federal government agencies that might be interested in buying the small business’ products or services. Developed in cooperation with the University of Virginia’s School of Data Science, GovCon Match uses a custom algorithm to find agencies most likely to contract with the small business. 

Seeking to create more contracting opportunities for small businesses, SBA recently proposed regulatory changes to increase small-business participation on multiple-award contracts and in subcontracting. These follow regulatory updates to the Historically Underutilized Business Zone program for businesses that operate in HUBZones. 

SBA also launched two new innovative in-person cohort style training programs for small, disadvantaged businesses and Veteran Owned 8(a) firms through the Empower to Grow Program, a virtual and in-person coaching and training program to help disadvantaged small businesses grow in the federal marketplace. 

As a follow-on to the FY24 data, the SBA also has released FY25 agency contracting goals for federal agencies detailing how much of their contracting dollars should be awarded to small businesses. In setting these goals, the agency continued to press forward for reaching President Biden’s goal of 15% for small, disadvantaged businesses by 2025. Each agency has individual prime contracting and subcontracting small business goals which may differ from government-wide goals.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the SBA also began releasing disaggregated data tracking the federal government’s contracting with small and minority-owned firms broken down across several racial and ethnic categories – a move advocated by Administrator Guzman to promote transparency and accountability in contracting. 

 Dollars and Percent of Prime Contracts Awarded (rounded); Dept. of Energy M&O data not included