Economic Development is a Team Sport

Are you on the field, sitting on the sidelines?

By J.R. Charles

Fall is my favorite time of year; sweltering summer days give way to crisp autumn nights, trees dance in brilliant colors of red and orange, and our favorite football teams hit their stride as their plans come together. 

In fact, fall football perfectly captures the spirit of economic development. When you watch a football game, you see the result of hard work from coaches, players, trainers, and analysts.  Every person contributes to the success of the program, and everyone has to put in countless hours of effort to create a culture of excellence. 

Economic development requires that same dedication to excellence. Our team includes the city and county governments, our business community, our education partners, the utility companies, and non-profits. Even though they play different roles, they all contribute to the success of our community. 

Our education partners are scouting talent that we pitch to new businesses, the city and county staffs coach the community in its growth, and our elected officials guide the mission and vision. The business community is out there every day, making big plays and scoring points that count for our success.  

I’d like to think that the Chamber of Commerce is the quarterback of the team; we may take the lead in calling the play or rallying the team, but we are only as valuable as the strength of the team. As we recruit new companies or assist our allied companies in their growth, we rely on the bench strength of the team to solve tough challenges.

And that begs the question: are you pushing the team forward or are you sitting on the sidelines?

Carroll County stands out as a vibrant community in West Georgia because our leaders rolled up their sleeves and built a better tomorrow. Countless hours of planning, hard work, and creative problem-solving brought us to where we are today, but we must continue that hard work to build a better tomorrow. 

Be it a 100% high school graduation rate, a job for every citizen in our community, or a vibrant creative culture, YOU have a role to play in the success of our community.