Cherokee Office of Economic Development President Misti Martin is being credited for helping the Georgia Economic Developers Association achieve "numerous accomplishments" over the past year.
The organization on Monday in a press release said Martin, who is the current chair for GEDA, has helped the organization see positive results in its three areas of focus: networking, professional development and public policy.
"Martin’s leadership, organizational skills, and vision have helped lead GEDA out of the recession and into their 50th anniversary celebration in 2013," said GEDA President Mike Pennington.
Some 2012 highlights include:
- Increasing its membership to 735, the highest it's been since 2008.
- Garnering the highest average attendance of all events this year since 2007.
- Adopting a new communications strategy.
- Awarding professional development scholarships to 15 people.
- creating the Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) exam, a study course for the industry certification exam.
- Succeeding in getting the Georgia General Assembly to address many of its 2012 legislative priorities, such as netting more than $120 million in new discretionary funding for economic development projects, eliminating sales and use tax on energy used in manufacturing, enhanced film industry tax credits and expanding the state's economic development incentive legislation.
“Misti has done a tremendous job this year ensuring the success of GEDA’s current programs and activities, while building tremendous momentum for what will be a huge year in 2013," GEDA’s Second Vice-Chair Angie Gheesling said. "Her steadfast leadership skills are evident and exactly what GEDA needed this year.”
A native of Cherokee County, Martin graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration in management from the University of Georgia. She earned her MBA from Troy State University.
She also graduated from the University of Oklahoma's Economic Development Institute and the Institute for Organization Management at the University of Georgia.
Martin worked for the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia and at the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce. She served as president and CEO of the Newton County Chamber of Commerce between 1998 and 2004.
In February 2004, she returned to Cherokee County and was named the executive director of the Development Authority of Cherokee County, which later changed its name to the Cherokee Office of Economic Development in early 2011.
Martin lives in Canton with her husband Jud and they have three children.