Jamesan Inside View Into Georgia’S News, Politics & Culture
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MARCH/APRIL2015 JAMESAN INSIDE VIEW INTO GEORGIA’S NEWS, POLITICS & CULTURE 2015 JAMES’ MOST INFLUENTIAL COLUMNS BY JOSH BELINFANTE // RANDY EVANS // MAC McGREW // WAYNE OLIVER // DR. DANA RICKMAN JAVIER RODRIGUEZ // MATT TOWERY // LARRY WALKER Y E A R S OF 100championing & job ECONOMIC GROWTH creation, increasing the quality of life for all Georgians, supporting tax, regulatory and legal policies to help your business grow, RAISING EDUCATION STANDARDS because those kids are going to be running our companies, promoting a career-ready, GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE WORKFORCE, advocating for policies that enhance our BUSINESS CLIMATE from the mountains to the coast, building the ENSURING INFRASTRUCTURE, to health care, and transportation system we need, ACCESS partnering with ELECTED OFFICIALS, local and regional chambers and business leaders and WORKING TOGETHER. CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF LEADERSHIP With the support of thousands of members and investors statewide, the Georgia Chamber is proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past 100 years to create a better state of business. Join and lead today at gachamber.com. DEPARTMENTS ON THE COVER 4 James’ 2015 “Georgians of the Year” PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE Jeffrey Sprecher and Kelly Loeffler FLOATING BOATS of Intercontinental Exchange. 6 FEATURES JAMES 2015JAMES’ MOST INFLUENTIAL 18 P.O. BOX 724787 ATLANTA, GEORGIA 31139 404 • 233 • 3710 33 PUBLISHED BY INTERNET NEWS AGENCY LLC 35 CHAIRMAN MATTHEW TOWERY COLUMNS CEO & PUBLISHER PHIL KENT [email protected] WHEN LOYALTY WINS OUT CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER LOUIE HUNTER by Matt Towery ASSOCIATE EDITOR GARY REESE 8 ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES SCOTT BARD A Good Political Name is Rather to be Had [email protected] by Larry Walker CIRCULATION PATRICK HICKEY 11 [email protected] INTERN WILLIAM STOWERS Transportation Legislation: Fix it Plus by Randy Evans 12 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JOSH BELINFANTE RANDY EVANS On the midnight train to Sine Die MAC McGREW by Josh Belinfante WAYNE OLIVER 15 DR. DANA RICKMAN JAVIER RODRIGUEZ Solve Georgia’s Transportation Funding Crisis MATT TOWERY LARRY WALKER by Javier Rodriguez 16 EARLY LEARNING AS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE TO SUBSCIBE: VISIT INSIDERADVANTAGE.COM by Dr. Dana Rickman 37 FOR OUR DAILY INTERNET NEWS SERVICE AND RECEIVE JAMES FOR FREE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE OUR SISTER PUBLICATION: SOUTHERNPOLITICALREPORT.COM by Wayne Oliver 38 DESIGN & LAYOUT BUSINESS TRANSITION: BURTCH HUNTER DESIGN PLAN EARLY, COMMUNICATE OFTEN by Mac McGrew 39 PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE This issue of James featuring Georgia’s “Most Influential” is perhaps my favorite issue of the year because, starting after college graduation as an editorial writer and later as editorial page editor for The Augusta Chronicle, I was able to interact with many well-known and not-so-well-known Georgia movers-and-shakers. I continue to appreciate meeting new “influential” Georgians as my journalism and business career continues with James and its parent company InsiderAdvantage. But who is someone “most influential”? As you review our entire array of these accom- Someone who is highly influential in his profession, plished men and women in their various professions, or in various fields of endeavor, is one who the late poet remember that it is impossible to be “great” unless you E. Merrill Root said “seeks not the unformed marble of work hard and stand for great things. mere existence, but who senses and seeks always with- We hope you appreciate our list, which is surely in the yet-unshaped marble the potential statue.” incomplete. But it is a good snapshot, we feel, of the Consider the married “power couple” of Jeff influential people are who, for better or worse, are the Sprecher and Kelly Loeffler, featured on our cover. Jeff guiding lights of the Peach State’s political, business, dreamed big dreams, worked hard and developed rela- legal and media circles. Many of their ideas and actions tionships which translated into his small Georgia-based impact, in some way or another, all Georgians. company becoming a powerhouse which one day was able to purchase the famed New York Stock Exchange. Kelly has a similar story of hard work and success, and you can read about both of them in our feature inter- view. Indeed, as a man or woman finds the great mean- ing which he or she must serve, and as they consecrate themselves to its service, they are never “bored.” They P.S. Many readers have asked about InsiderAdvantage’s are busy making time live. polling operation and its new association with Opinion Also consider this year’s top Georgia state legisla- Savvy. Opinion Savvy was created by Matthew Towery, tors: House Majority leader Larry O’Neal, Senate Jr. whose past educational training and prior experi- Majority Leader Bill Cowsert and House Speaker Pro ence came together to form a brilliant new cutting edge Tem Jan Jones. They are part-time elected represen- opinion research firm. Like his father, he also goes by tatives, yet they have a passion for public service. The Matt. But Matt Sr. believes his son’s new techniques of bottom line is that these lawmakers, as well as the polling are the future of opinion research and we decid- other elected officials we have listed regardless of ed it best to team up with his company for all of our their political party, all “influence” public policy and future polling and research efforts. We invite you to visit believe in helping people. www.opinionsavvy.com to learn more. 4 JAMES FLOATING• BOATS WHO’S RISING AND WHO’S SINKING IN GEORGIA BUSINESS AND POLITICS What’s a Hala Moddelmog? After more than enough Ministries, will see if the story’s success on paper can trans- time to put her own imprint on the Metro Atlanta Chamber, late to the big screen. Starring Hayden Christensen and Kate President Hala Moddelmog remains an enigma to many. Bosworth, the film began production on January 26 in Longtime staffers were reportedly shown the door in a not so Atlanta. Its ship is definitely...RISING friendly way when she took over and many GOP officials feel the Chamber has taken a decidedly less friendly attitude Home Depot will receive $200 million in bond money from toward many things Republican under her leadership. Has Cobb County in exchange for agreeing to keep its corporate Moddelmog managed to make people yearn for the days of headquarters, which hosts some 7,000 workers, in the coun- Sam Williams? Oh Hala we hardly know ye… Drifting ty. The home improvement giant will also receive tax breaks for the next 10 years. Good to see the company staying put, Once again UGA football legend Vince Dooley has but that’s one hefty price-tag. Until we see how Home Depot added to his portfolio as coach, horticulturalist, and Civil War reinvests in the area, the ship for Cobb is… Drifting expert with his recent article in the Georgia Historical Quarterly about the year Athens was home to arguably the Amidst the great transportation debate, MARTA rider- two best football teams in America. The Bulldogs of that year ship was up across the board in 2014, with both bus and won the Rose Bowl and finished as number one in many heavy rail seeing near 3 percent increases. Good news for polls. But right down the road a coach named Paul “Bear” a system that looks to further expand into Clayton and Bryant coached the Naval Pre-Flight’s own football squad. beyond in upcoming years. For MARTA and the increasing The full story deserves a read but let’s just say Bryant’s number of Atlantans who use it, the ship is...RISING squad just might have eclipsed the Dawgs had they been in collegiate competition that year. Here’s to Dooley, who never After months of testimony, the state finished its case in stops learning or teaching. He is…RISING the test cheating trial against 12 former members of the Atlanta Public School system. Since the trial began in Former State Rep. Jay Neal of Lafayette continues to September, the Fulton County District Attorney’s office has play not only a leading role in Georgia’s criminal justice produced more than 130 witnesses against the defendants. reform process as executive director of the Governor’s The defendants, as we go to press, have made their case. Office of Transition, Support and Re-entry, but he has now But it looks as if their ship is…SINKING been appointed to the prestigious national panel of The Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections, a con- As an attempt to relieve “range anxiety,” the Georgia gressionally formed task force studying the federal criminal Power Co. will spend $12 million on about 50 new public justice system. Neal has been on a meteoric rise since he vehicle charging stations across the state as well as offer- led Georgia’s reform movement started by Gov. Nathan ing up to $250 rebates to install their own personal home Deal. Both Neal and Georgia are being recognized for their chargers. Atlanta is already second in the nation for electric contributions to the national conversation about sentenc- vehicle sales, and with an ally like Georgia Power at the ing laws and reducing prison populations! This boat con- forefront of expanding the industry the ship is...RISING tinues to be…RISING When the Atlanta Hawks beat the Milwaukee Bucks in File this under the “Least Surprising” category: late December, no one could have imagined that they Operations for downtown Atlanta’s shiny new streetcar would not lose another game until February 2. The 19-game will cost $4.8 million, up from the $3.2 million projected by winning streak, which included a perfect record in the city officials. Ridership numbers have been lower than month of January, left the Hawks tied with the 6th longest expected, though maybe expectations should have been low- winning streak in NBA history.