COVER STORY
Championing Home Rule
By Ben Young
For 75 years, the Georgia Municipal Association has been the chief advocate for cities large and small, helping them address changing needs and fighting off challenges to their well-being.
ABOUT THE COVER: Jennifer Stalcup photographed Georgia Municipal Association leaders, from left, Jim Higdon, Bill Floyd, Ken Steele and Ken Smith for Georgia Trend.
FEATURES
A New Direction For Georgia's DOT
By Jerry Grillo
Gena Abraham, a 39-year-old civil engineer with a PhD, is the first woman to head the Department of Transportation, traditionally a boys’ club. She and her staff face a statewide transportation infrastructure crisis, a massive backlogged roads program and a deep funding deficit.
The Science Of Business
Edited By Jerry Grillo
Robert Sumichrast, the new business school dean at UGA, is a frank, analytical realist with a fairly inflexible agenda. He plans to lead the Terry College into the upper echelon of business schools and, closely tied to that, raise $35 million for a new complex.
Recruiting Retirees
By Ed Lightsey
Georgia’s college towns are luring seniors who want access to cultural events and quality healthcare.
OUR STATE
Dublin/Laurens County: A New Image
Reinventing Neighborhoods
Plus,
Dublin/Laurens At-A-Glance
By Ed Lightsey
Paulding County: Air And Land
A new airport and plans for conservation
Plus,
Paulding County At-A-Glance
By Karen Kennedy
Franklin County: Fishing For Business
A Mega Boat Ramp And 1-85 Access
Plus,
Franklin County At-A-Glance
By Randy Southerland
DEPARTMENTS
Organizations: Georgia Urban Agriculture Council
By Shannon Wilder
The GreenRoom
By Ben Young
Political RoundUp
By Tom Crawford
Neely Young: The Economy’s “R” Word
Two prominent economists, Robert Sumichrast and Albert Niemi, predict, with some caveats, that Georgia’s above-average population growth and other factors will help shield us from a major downturn.
Business Casual: Courtesy, Civility, Payback
By Susan Percy
There’s a lot of waste involved in combating traffic and considerable harm done to the environment. But there’s also a loss of civility. And, occasionally, a little payback.
Trend Radar
By Ed Lightsey
State Of The Economy: Up In The Air - 2008
By Jeffrey Humphreys
Too many airlines still don’t make a profit on too many passengers. Essentially, low fares are filling up planes, but at a price that barely generates a profit, much less a normal rate of return.
Profile: Where The Art Is
By Patty Rasmussen
Bob Fisher is helping create a new $10-million arts center
Legends: Family Tradition
By Gene Asher
Three generations of the Rhino family have played for Georgia Tech
Art Of The Meal: Doing It Old-School
By Krista Reese
On the Georgia coast, Chef Jerome has a quirky but delicious way with fried seafood and barbecued ribs.
Politics:
By Tom Crawford
