InterCity Leadership Visit

Description

Join the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce as we convene a group of business, education, and elected leaders to head to Gainesville, FL for our third InterCity Leadership Visit.   

Participation in the InterCity Leadership Visit allows attendees to develop and grow relationships with civic leadership, not only with peers in the Athens business community, but also with the elected and appointed leadership of Athens-Clarke County. A primary focus of our 2022 Intercity Visit to Tuscaloosa, AL was Workforce Development, and the trip served as a catalyst for Athens Achieves, the Workforce Development strategic plan, which launched this year and continues to expand employment opportunities in our community. The strategic connections formed on InterCity Leadership Visits have long-term value as we work together to create a shared vision for the future of Athens. 

We will meet with leaders in Gainesville as we focus on several areas of interest: 

• Town and Gown Initiatives:
  • We will be seeking creative ways in which the University, business, local government and educators can work more collaboratively
• Innovation and Technology:
  • The University of Florida is recognized as one of the leaders in Innovation programming.  Colleagues from UGA will be coordinating this session to gauge what is applicable to Athens
• Workforce Development:
  • We will seek to learn other, creative means by which Gainesville is building a viable and valued workforce for today and tomorrow
• Regionalism:
  • Gainesville, like Athens, is a regional hub.   The Gainesville Chamber has taken steps to take on a much more regional approach to growth, services, and outlook.
• Healthcare and the Impact of Medical College:
  • With the announcement of the establishment of the medical school at UGA, we will focus on how that is expected to impact the local community.

Why Gainesville? 
With help from our friends at Georgia Power, we were able to compare many communities with similar demographic profiles to Athens. After examining those communities, we honed in on four primary areas of focus: town & gown, regionalism, innovation, and healthcare. Gainesville, FL boasts cutting-edge healthcare, thriving academic-community ties, and a fast-growing innovation ecosystem which has long been considered the aspirational model for Innovation Technology. 

During this visit, we will hear from leaders, visit cultural hubs such as the Harn Museum, San Felasco Tech City, Santa Fe College Blount Center, and more.