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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.