The Board of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development announces Cherokee County graduates from the 2015 Region 3, Multi-Day Training Program. Class participants represented a number of professional and non-professional economic development fields, including elected officials, public servants, business leaders, educators and social service providers from ten counties in metro Atlanta, Georgia. The Academy provided each of the graduates an opportunity to gain a unique understanding of the complexities of economic and community development on the local, regional and state levels.

Cherokee County graduates included: Erin Honea, Main Street Director, City of Holly Springs; Micah Fowler, Main Street Director, City of Canton; Sara Skeen, Office Manager, Cherokee Office of Economic Development.

The Academys multi-day program, taught one day a month over a four-month period, includes training in the basics of economic and community development, plus specialized segments on business recruitment and retention, tourism product development, downtown development, planning and other essentials for community success. In addition, the curriculum features specific leadership skills, such as consensus building, ethics in public service, collaborative leadership and other segments needed for effective community leadership in economic development.