| Gateway85 CID May 2022 Newsletter
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The word “improvement” is smack in the middle of our name, “Community Improvement District.” CIDs are focused on improving specific areas of a county through efforts like economic development, infrastructure updates, roadway and transit projects, beautification, security and more – all designed to increase property values. Gateway85 CID has never been busier in its 15-year history!
Last month, I touched on The Incredible Corridor project in my update. This is an effort to improve transit options for more than 40,000 workers who live along Jimmy Carter Boulevard and Mountain Industrial Boulevard. Gateway85 is working with the Tucker Summit CID and local government and transit authorities to consider several alternatives, including:
- Launching a local bus that connects Gwinnett County and MARTA bus services to improve connectivity through the corridor.
- An arterial bus rapid transit (BRT) that travels along high-frequency transit lines with transit priority treatments, or
- A coordinated on-demand employer shuttle that connects apartment complexes with employers.
Our goal is to launch a program this year, and we’ll keep you in the loop on how you can participate. For more information on the study to date, please click here.
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The results are in from yesterday's elections! The general election on Tuesday, November 8 will decide the following races:
- Governor Brian Kemp (R) vs. Stacy Abrams (D) - for Governor
- Raphael Warnock (D) vs. Herschel Walker (R) for U.S. Senate
- Lucy McBath (D) vs. either Michael Corbin (R) or Mark Gonsalves (R) fo U.S. House of Representatives - District 7
- Ben Ku vs. John Sabic for Gwinnett County Commission - District 2
As a point of fact, by May 10, more than 254,000 Georgians had voted early and nearly 14,000 voters made their selections early in Gwinnett County – with an almost even split of Republican and Democratic ballots. In addition, the County provided sample ballots in English, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese to support the area’s diverse population.
Prior to the election, the County went through a redistricting that increased Commissioner Kirkland Carden's representation in Gateway85 CID. Commissioner Carden is incredible and engaged, and we’re proud to have his increased representation in our district.
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On May 18, 2022, Gateway85 Community Improvement District (GW85 CID) held its Caucus of Electors as a part of its board meeting and elected Elliot Williams, vice president – Link Logistics Real Estate to Post 5 and re-elected two current board members to Posts 1 and 4, respectively, to serve a three-year term.
Williams will join eight other board members working to enhance the economic impact, mobility and accessibility of Gateway85 through projects and collaborative partnerships with organizations like the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) and the Georgia Infrastructure Bank (GTIB), the Georgia and Gwinnett Departments of Transportation and the Gwinnett County government. Tim Le, broker/owner, Atlanta Maxim Realty International, was re-elected to Post 1 and will continue to serve as Secretary and Ryan Hoyt, senior managing director with JLL, was re-elected to Post 4 and will continue as Vice Chairman on the Gateway85 Board of Directors.
Welcome, Elliot and thanks to our hardworking board of directors!
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As Vice President of Economic Development for Gwinnett Technical College, Melvin Everson’s job is to ensure that companies moving into Gwinnett County have access to the most highly trained graduates from Gwinnett Technical College. The College offers more than 140 associate degrees, diplomas, certificate programs, and hundreds of seminars, workshops and courses providing specialized training. It is one of Georgia’s largest technical colleges committed to delivering relevant knowledge to meet the workforce training needs of its community.
Affectionately known as Gwinnett Tech, for almost 40 years the goal of the institution has been to provide students with an education that leads to a rewarding career. The College houses the George Busbee International Center for Workforce Development, the D. Scott Hudgens, Jr. Early Education Center, a state-of-the-art Life Sciences Center, and in 2016 the campus expanded to North Fulton, where programs focus on Information Technology and Health Sciences.
Everson leads the College’s economic programming, including workforce development programs focused on training and education to grow businesses, and he oversees continuing education, career services (including a free job board for employers), English as a Second Language and the Launch Pointe Center for Career Experience with internships and apprenticeships. Everson noted that Gwinnett Tech also provides custom training for companies – be it forklift operators or leadership training. In fact, they recently conducted leadership training for Peach State Federal Credit Union, the Gwinnett Tax Commission, and Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources.
“Gwinnett Tech and Gateway85 CID have had a great partnership for many years, but we also have an opportunity to work more closely together for greater economic impact and help make the district more economically viable. With economic empowerment comes economic freedom and independence and increased viability for the community. We can’t afford to wait,” said Everson.
Everson brings more than 30 years of leadership and economic development in the public and private sectors and most recently served as the College’s Director of Business and Industry Training. Prior to joining the College, he served as the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development and Executive Director of the Georgia Commission of Equal Opportunity. Everson also served as a Georgia State Representative for House District 106, on the Snellville City Council and in the United States Army.
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If you’re an employer looking to save money and provide your employees with added perks, then visit the Georgia Commute Options website to sign up qualifying employees for Try Transit passes that include MARTA, Xpress and GCT passes to help ease their commutes.
You can also explore ways to avoid traffic and reduce the number of single-occupant vehicles on our region’s roads and improve air quality. The best part is that you and your employees can earn cash and prizes for logging clean commutes. Fill out this form to find out if you or your employees qualify.
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The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) launched in January 2022 after six years of planning and gathering support from Dr. Charan Shikh – a “doctorpreneur” and philanthropist. The IACC is a network of diverse businesses and professionals working to build a healthy economy and improve the community’s quality of life.
The IACC’s goal is to connect small- and medium-size Indian businesses with American businesses, including Fortune 1000 companies, to increase success. After multiple trips to India, speaking with business owners and more, Dr. Shikh devised a new international chamber focused on local diversity in the community and in business.
In a short time, the IACC has done amazing work to promote Indo-American businesses, trade and economic relations. In fact, Gateway85 CID’s board president, Shiv Aggarwal, was recently honored with the IACC Humanitarian Award for his continuous community work during the COVID-19 pandemic - fundraising and donating 18,000 meals. Congratulations Shiv! We are fortunate to work alongside a highly respected business professional!
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Curiosity Lab, the 5G-enabled intelligent mobility and smart city living laboratory in Peachtree Corners, recently announced a game-changing partnership with the Israeli startup ACiiST – Smart Networks (ACiiST), a manufacturer of SD-LAN network solutions specifically designed for connecting outdoor cameras and sensors through a robust networking system.
According to a recent press release, “This partnership provides Peachtree Corners with linked infrastructure network solutions via fiber that allow various mobility technologies on Peachtree Corners’ smart city streets to communicate with minimal digging, saving the city and residents time and money.”
The first of its kind to be implemented in a U.S. city, ACiiST’s technology spans across a half-mile of Peachtree Corners’ “city street of the future” – Technology Parkway. Content is streamed directly to the Curiosity Lab’s IoT (Internet of Things) Control Room. To read more about this spectacular progression, click here.
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Select & Build Gwinnett Event Was A Success!
On April 21, Gwinnett County’s CIDs co-hosted the first “Select & Build Gwinnett” event inviting brokers and developers to learn about leasing and redevelopment opportunities throughout Evermore, Gateway85, Gwinnett Place, Lilburn and Sugarloaf Community Improvement Districts.
The event featured a brief program from Gwinnett County leadership, including Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson, Gwinnett County Economic Development Director Roman Dakare, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Nick Masino and Partnership Gwinnett’s Vice President of Economic Development Andrew Carnes. A video showcased each CIDs catalyst sites and can be seen here.
Following the program and Q&A session, guests enjoyed beverages from Eagle Rock Distributing Company and a variety of great prizes. The CIDs hope to make this an annual event – stay tuned!
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GLOW: Leading with Emotional Intelligence Workshop
Friday, June 10, 2022, 11:30 AM – 1 PM EST
Emotional Intelligence separates the most successful leaders from the average. It's time to grab other women leaders and join the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce for Leading with Emotional Intelligence Workshop hosted by Dr. Laura Crawley.
Location: University of Georgia Gwinnett Campus
2530 Sever Road Room #165
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
Lunch will be provided.
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Talent Talk, hosted by Gwinnett Chamber Small Business Series
Did you know the average cost of losing an employee is a staggering 33% of their annual salary? The Great Resignation witnessed the exit of nearly 40 million American employees from the workforce – posing a problem for your pipeline and bottom line. This segment of Talent Talk will focus on employee retention with an insightful panel discussion on retention trends that will enable your company to be more competitive in the marketplace.
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