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COBB COUNTY A BUSTLING MARCH/APRIL 2017 PAGE 26 AN INSIDE VIEW INTO GEORGIA’S NEWS, POLITICS & CULTURE THE 2017 MOST INFLUENTIAL GEORGIA LOTTERY CORP. CEO ISSUE DEBBIE ALFORD COLUMNS BY KADE CULLEFER KAREN BREMER MAC McGREW CINDY MORLEY GARY REESE DANA RICKMAN LARRY WALKER The hallmark of the GWCCA Campus is CONNEE CTIVITY DEPARTMENTS Publisher’s Message 4 Floating Boats 6 FEATURES James’ 2017 Most Influential 8 JAMES 18 Saluting the James 2016 “Influentials” P.O. BOX 724787 ATLANTA, GEORGIA 31139 24 678 • 460 • 5410 Georgian of the Year, Debbie Alford Building A Proposed Contiguous Exhibition Facilityc Development on the Rise in Cobb County 26 PUBLISHED BY by Cindy Morley INTERNET NEWS AGENCY LLC 2017 Legislators of the Year 29 Building B CHAIRMAN MATTHEW TOWERY COLUMNS CEO & PUBLISHER PHIL KENT Future Conventtion Hotel [email protected] Language Matters: Building C How We Talk About Georgia Schools 21 CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER LOUIE HUNTER by Dr. Dana Rickman ASSOCIATE EDITOR GARY REESE ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES Georgia’s Legal Environment on a PATTI PEACH [email protected] Consistent Downward Trend 23 by Kade Cullefer The connections between Georggia World Congress Center venues, the hotel MARKETING DIRECTOR MELANIE DOBBINS district, and the world’world s busiest aairporirport are key differentiaferentiatorsators in Atlanta’Atlanta’s ability to [email protected] Georgia Restaurants Deliver compete for in-demand conventions and tradeshows. CIRCULATION PATRICK HICKEY [email protected] Significant Economic Impact 31 by Karen Bremer CONTRIBUTING WRITERS A fixed gateway between the exhibit halls in Buildings B & C would solidify KADE CULLEFER 33 Atlanta’s place as the world’s premier convention destination. KAREN BREMER Spring Forward Financially MAC McGREW by Mac McGrew CINDY MORLEY GARY REESE This gateway could generate an estimated $632 million in economic impacct. DANA RICKMAN 6th Congressional Race: LARRY WALKER Litmus for Georgia’s Political Future 35 by Gary Reese VISIT INSIDERADVANTAGE.COM SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DAILY INTERNET NEWS SERVICE Georgia’s Most Influential Citizen, Ever? 37 $17.50/MONTH & RECEIVE JAMES FOR FREE by Larry Walker Convention, Sports CHECK OUT OUR SISTER PUBLICATION: and Entertainment SOUTHERNPOLITICALREPORT.COM Destination in the WWoorld DESIGN & LAYOUT BURTCH HUNTER DESIGN gwccaa.org Sttatewide Presence, Sttatewide Solutions. PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE With offices around the state of Georgia, Hall Booth Smith, Government Affffairs is a well- connected team of lawyers and professional lobbyists who understand your ffeederal, state IT’S INFLUENTIAL LISTINGS TIME, AGAIN. andd local legislative and reggulatory objectives WE’VE DONE IT AGAIN. This year our staff has added this year’s recipients: state Rep. Earl Ehrhart, state even more influential individuals in their fields of Rep. Calvin Smyre and state Sen. John Kennedy. endeavor for our “Most Influential” edition. As you go Overall, this roll call of accomplished men and AATTHHHENSHENNSS over our listings, perhaps you’ll discover the addition women who are the guiding lights of our state’s busi- of some of these first-timers who have “risen through ness, political, legal and media circles is a good snap- AATTTLLAANNTTTAA the ranks” to influence public policy and impact our shot in time. Their ideas and actions impact all quality of life. And, of course, you’ll see a lot of familiar Georgians. That’s why we inform you about them. names and faces that have been around— some for Also, a heads-up: The next James is the “Political quite awhile. and Law” issue and we’re continuing a popular fea- COLCCOLUUMMBBUUS Yes, our list is incomplete. We fear that we have ture that debuted last year. Check the website of our left out some important people in various parts of the parent company www.insideradvantage.com for a fun Peach State who wield significant overt or covert influ- “Top 20” exercise. Click on the “Vote HERE” icon to TIFTTOONN ence that we don’t know about. However, just as has select your favorite metro Atlanta restaurants that are ALBALBAAALBANLBALBANANYNYY been the case in years past, readers will remind us of hot spots for politicos and political conversations. BBRRUNSNSSWICKSWICKCKK omissions and submit their names for consideration for We’d also like you to share your favorite memories or next year’s James. stories from your favorite spots around Georgia’s capi- As for our “Georgian of the Year,” we believe tal city. The Top 20 vote-getters will be featured in our Georgia Lottery Corp. CEO Debbie Alford is an espe- next magazine. And we are especially excited to be Offfices also located in: Charleston, SC, Charlotte, NC, cially appropriate choice. Former Gov. Zell Miller’s partnering with Taste of Atlanta, the city’s premiere Naashville & Memphis, TN and NN. Pallm BeachBeach, FL . vision of a lottery to fund the expansion of educational food and drink festival that attracts foodies from opportunities for all Georgians is a legacy that will last across the Southeast, as well as with the Georgia generations. With Mrs. Alford’s leadership since 2010, Restaurant Association, the state’s premiere advocate Halll Booth Smith, PP..C. is a fuull service law firm coupled with her team’s hard work, this legacy is for the restaurant industry. with over 20 years of experience. At HBS, we being effectively fostered. You can gain insights on Of course, don’t forget to read our “regular” attribute our growth and success to the hard one of the nation’s best-run lotteries with our exclusive columnists ranging from Larry Walker to Dr. Dana question-and-answer interview with the CEO. Rickman. Finally, we have a special report on what’s work and allegiance of fulfilling our promise: Longtime readers know that James annually salutes happening in the bustling Cumberland/SunTrust “Serving to Achieve EExxcellence” in all we do. state “Legislators of the Year” for their exceptional pub- Stadium area of Cobb County where the Atlanta lic service. In recent years we have honored such titans Braves have a new home. Check out staff writer Cindy as House Speaker David Ralston, Senate President Pro Morley’s article on page 26. Tem David Shafer, Senate Majority Leader Bill Cowsert, former House Majority leader Larry O’Neal, House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones and House Minority Caucus Chair Stacey Evans. We commend to readers PHIL KENT CEO & PUBLISHER FLOATING BOATS WHO’S RISING AND SINKING IN GEORGIA BUSINESS AND POLITICS The Peach State’s newest team, Major League Soccer fran- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta plans for a new hospi- chise Atlanta United FC, kicked off its season on March 5 tal in Brookhaven, and it’s going to be a big one. The $1 bil- at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium. The team will play lion facility will replace the current Egleston Hospital at there until its permanent home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Emory, and will form the centerpiece of the new North is ready later in the summer. The team’s raucous season Druid Hills medical area that will also feature the Atlanta opener was sold out and it was obvious that metro Atlanta Hawks’ training facilities. A new world-class hospital has has caught soccer fever. For the team and owner Arthur the state’s heathcare community… RISING Blank, their ships are… RISING Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed adamantly denies any Atlanta’s Pinewood Studios has become a big name in involvement in the bribery case at city hall where two film-making in recent years, but it never has hosted any- contractors have already pleaded guilty to paying millions thing quite this big. An unnamed movie (Marvel’s of dollars in exchange for government contracts. Reed Avengers: Infinity Wars) that has been filming at the stu- produced 1.4 million paper pages of public records pertain- dio is the world’s most expensive production EVER, with a ing to the case for investigators to pore over in a show of budget reaching a staggering $1 billion. That’s well over good faith. But after that the city’s procurement officer twice as much as the next most expensive film, James was hastily fired, and it appears the federal probe is Cameron’s Avatar in 2009. Pinewood Atlanta co-owner, widening. This ugly scandal has the mayor’s legacy and (and Chick-fil-A CEO) Dan Cathy boasted the news at a the reputation of city hall… SINKING March event, and his ship along with Pinewood’s and the state they both call home is… RISING New Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields declared at her first press conference that she is committed “to clean up The much-ballyhooed state Senate Bill B 79 authored by this violent crime.” She is referring to the fact that in 2016 Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, and its House compan- Atlanta’s murder rate soared to be the deadliest in a decade. ion bill by Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, which would The city recorded 111 murders— and that number is a 39 have allowed for a pair of “destination resort” casinos to be percent increase from when Mayor Kasim Reed took office built in Georgia, died early March in the General Assembly. in 2009. In fact, Atlanta’s homicide rate has jumped 17 per- The legislation— a constitutional amendment that has to cent since 2015. “We’re developing new strategies to deal be coupled with an enabling bill— will undoubtedly be with the rise in murders, carjackings… crimes that shake the back in 2018, but the first real attempt at legalizing casinos public’s confidence,” the mayor says. Shields so far has been in Georgia… SANK short on details, so the city’s crime fight is… Drifting According to INRIX Inc., a transportation analytics firm, Computer hacking has been a hot topic in the national Atlanta ranks 4th in the U.S.
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