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Having financial resources in place to market communities and incentives to close deals is an integral part of effective economic development efforts. Through Development Authority Training, board members and elected officials gain insights into the roles and responsibilities of boards and their contributions to advancing local economic development.

Development Authority Training

We offer a two-level Development Authority Training program—Basic and Advanced. The Basic training provides the statutorily mandated training required for all development authority board members, while the Advanced training provides more in-depth instruction on how to secure the resources and incentives needed to market your community and close the deal. Course participants receive a certificate for each course completed.

All sessions meet the statutorily mandated training requirement for development authority board members

Development Authority Training-Basic

Participants discuss their responsibilities as members of development authority boards and the role that development authorities serve within the local economic development process.

Topics include:

  • legal issues

  • ethics

  • conflicts of interest

  • open records and open meetings requirements

  • the basics of financing development authority operations

  • incentives

  • bonds

  • strategic planning in community development

  • project development and management

  • emerging issues that affect development authorities

Registration Fee: $250 per person

For course information and registration, click here.

Development Authority Training-Advanced

Building on the foundational knowledge provided by Basic Training, this course allows board members, elected officials and economic development professionals to refine their skills and create a plan of action for their community.

The work of development authorities is crucial for the ability for local government to create a legacy of sustained prosperity and requires strong leadership from board members, staff, and elected officials.  Due to rapidly changing economic landscapes, community leaders must work collaboratively with stakeholders to bring the most promising opportunities to citizens.  This course is designed to provide development authority officials with guidance on important topics such as effective board governance, partnership building, organization administration, and project development in addition to serving as an overview on how to remain dynamic and competitive. 

Participants will explore the following:

  • finance and deal structuring

  • collaboration and partnership building

  • skills and best practices for effective board governance

  • community assets to leverage economic development strategies

Leave this course ready to secure the resources and incentives needed to effectively market your community and close the deal. 

Registration Fee: $250 development authority board members

For course information and registration, click here.

 

Customized Basic or Advanced Board Member Training

This training is available upon request. We can customize on-site training for your specific community or region. For more information on customized training, email Jennifer Nelson.

 

Board members may also benefit from courses offered through the Georgia Certified Economic Developer (GCED) program.

The GCED program, created in partnership with the Georgia Economic Developers Association, offers economic development professionals Georgia-specific training on practical topics that can be immediately applied within your community to achieve economic success. Find out more information on the program.

 

Looking for information on Downtown Development Authority Training?

Basic and Advanced Downtown Development Authority Training is designed for those who serve on downtown development authorities, but it is also open to all city officials.

Find out more information on Downtown Development Authority Training.


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