{"633710":{"#nid":"633710","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Gov. Kemp taps Center for Economic Development Research director for coronavirus task force","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELooking to anticipate and blunt the effects of the COVID-19\/coronavirus pandemic on Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp has convened a coronavirus task force that looks at the economic, health, emergency response and preparedness, and housing implications of the deadly disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe 66-member task force is comprised of four subcommittees, including one focused on economic impact. That subcommittee includes Alfie Meek, economist and director of the Enterprise Innovation Institute\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;Center for Economic Development Research (CEDR)\u0026nbsp;at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The role of the Economic Impact Subcommittee is to help predict the economic effects on the state of Georgia from COVID19 and make recommendations,\u0026rdquo; Meek said. \u0026ldquo;We\u0026lsquo;re also being asked to brainstorm policies that might be implemented to help ease the economic pain from this event.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMeek has more than 25 years of experience in economic\/fiscal impact analysis and community-based research. He leads the five-member CEDR staff, which works with its clients \u0026mdash; economic developers, community leaders, and industry \u0026mdash; to help them understand the opportunities and challenges in fostering local and regional economic development.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMeek is one of three economists selected to serve on the governor\u0026rsquo;s task force subcommittee. The others are Jeffrey Dorfman, the state fiscal economist who is the subcommittee chairman, and Thomas Cunningham the Metro Atlanta Chamber\u0026rsquo;s chief economist.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe full subcommittee met for the first time on March 19 in a virtual conference call.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;One clear goal is to represent the many different facets of Georgia\u0026rsquo;s economy that we think will be economically vulnerable at this time,\u0026rdquo; Meek said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Dorfman, Cunningham, and Meek, the Economic Impact Subcommittee members include:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EAllan Adams, State Director UGA Small Business Development Center\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003ENick Ayers, Managing Partner AFH Capital\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EWill Bentley, Georgia Agribusiness Council\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EDonna Bowman, Office of the State Treasurer\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003ELabor Commissioner Mark Butler\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EPeter Carter, Delta Air Lines Chief Legal Officer (and Chair, Metro Chamber)\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EBill Douglas, Athens First Bank \u0026amp; Trust\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EGeorgia State Sen. Frank Ginn\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EWalter Kemmsies, economic consultant to Georgia Ports Authority\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003ESteve McCoy, Chief Investment Officer, Office of the State Treasurer\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003ERichard McPhail, Chief Financial Officer, Home Depot\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EGeorgia House Rep. Clay Pirkle\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EJoe W. Rogers, III, Waffle House\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EJessica Simmons, Department of Revenue Deputy Commissioner\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EJim Sprouse, Executive Director Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EWill Wade, Georgia Student Finance Commission\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Alfie Meek is one of three economists to serve on the task force."}],"uid":"28137","created_gmt":"2020-03-22 16:10:02","changed_gmt":"2020-03-22 16:18:50","author":"P\u00e9ralte Paul","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-03-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-03-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"633711":{"id":"633711","type":"image","title":"Alfie Meek","body":null,"created":"1584893548","gmt_created":"2020-03-22 16:12:28","changed":"1585082095","gmt_changed":"2020-03-24 20:34:55","alt":"Alfie Meek","file":{"fid":"241139","name":"Alfie - head shot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Alfie%20-%20head%20shot.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Alfie%20-%20head%20shot.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":701285,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Alfie%20-%20head%20shot.jpg?itok=QM3LyiSO"}}},"media_ids":["633711"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/cedr.gatech.edu","title":"Center for Economic Development Research"},{"url":"https:\/\/gov.georgia.gov\/press-releases\/2020-03-20\/kemp-names-coronavirus-task-force-committees","title":"Kemp Names Coronavirus Task Force Committees"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"}],"keywords":[{"id":"184289","name":"covid-19"},{"id":"183843","name":"coronavirus"},{"id":"184292","name":"alfie meek"},{"id":"178214","name":"Brian Kemp"},{"id":"815","name":"economic development"},{"id":"6607","name":"economist"},{"id":"184293","name":"CEDR"},{"id":"184294","name":"Center for Economic Development Research"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EP\u0026eacute;ralte C. Paul\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404.316.1210\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:peralte.paul@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eperalte.paul@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["peralte.paul@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}