What You Should Know Now

Wells Fargo + AT = SB12: Protect and Serve

{PHOTO} June Cover Preview: "Runway South"

Community Bankers Association of Georgia Selected for Study on the Impact of the Dodd-Frank Act on Community Banks

The Community Bankers Association of Georgia (CBA) - One of Four State Associations Selected For Nationwide Study on the Impact of the Dodd-Frank Act (DFA) on Community Banks

The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), an independent, legislative-branch agency, is examining the impact of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protections Act on community banks. The DFA is a massive bill which became law on July 21, 2010, and banking regulators have written or are currently writing regulations to implement the Act’s provisions, many of which will in the long run affect consumers. The GAO selected the CBA of Georgia as one of four state associations nationwide to participate in this community banking study.

Members of the CBA Executive Committee and staff provided input on a very detailed survey examining the potential benefits or challenges the DFA may directly or indirectly have on community banks and their ability to lend to small business. After the survey results were compiled by the CBA, representatives from the Association to include staff and bankers participated in a teleconference with four GAO analysts to provide additional feedback on various areas of the DFA. Several bankers on the teleconference were able to relate personal, individual bank experiences to illustrate issues they were having in their particular bank and their communities they serve.

The results of the study will be published by the GAO mid-September. CBA Executive Committee members are: Mark Stevens, State Bank and Trust, Macon; Dan Oliver, Vinings Bank, Smyrna; Charlie Curry, First State Bank of Randolph County, Cuthbert; Dales Morris, First National Bank of Coffee County, Douglas; Derek Williams, First Peoples Bank, Pine Mountain, and Ed Cooney, Affinity Bank, Atlanta.

Get Down to Business 2012: You Don't Want To Miss These Great Workshops

City of Atlanta Victorious in Appeal of Airport Concessions Contract Awards

On Tuesday, Procurement Appeals Hearing Officer George F. Maynard denied SSP America, Inc.’s protest of the award of five large food and beverage contracts to other companies. Hearing Officer Maynard issued a thorough, detailed and well-reasoned 25-page Order after three full days of hearing, during which he heard testimony from eleven witnesses and reviewed hundreds of pages of exhibits. He concluded: “The solicitation for the Large Food Packages was conducted in accordance with applicable law and the terms and conditions of the RFPs. . . . There is no evidence that the procurement process should be voided as ‘unfair, fraudulent, or corrupt,’ as alleged by [SSP America].”

Losing proponent SSP America has insistently argued, without a single shred of supporting evidence, that the airport concessions procurement process was flawed, and that contracts were awarded based upon political relationships, rather than merit. Hearing Officer Maynard expressly rejected SSP America’s unfounded accusations, concluding that “There was no evidence presented as to any specific wording in the RFPs (whether drafted by Mayor Reed or otherwise) that would work to the advantage of any given proponent over that of [SSP America]. .... None of the evidence, circumstantial or otherwise, established a link between a campaign contribution and a contract award, or how such a link would have operated to influence the Evaluation Panel, the OCC, the DOF and/or the DOP.” He specifically noted that, “There was absolutely no evidence presented which would support any allegations of a ‘pay to play’ culture in connection with this procurement.”

From the moment SSP America learned it would not be awarded a contract, it has continuously attempted to derail the airport concessions procurement process in both administrative and judicial arenas. Previously, Judge Cynthia Wright, Chief Judge of the Fulton County Superior Court, denied SSP America’s attempt to prevent the City from signing the concessions contracts, finding that the procurement process is “intended to be in the interest of the public, not that of an aggrieved, frustrated bidder.” Hearing Officer Maynard’s Order denies SSP America’s latest attempt to undermine the procurement process.

The City is hopeful that SSP America, having now lost three legal challenges to this procurement process in as many tries, will finally cease its litigious and wasteful efforts to overturn the fairest, most open and transparent procurement process in the City’s history. If it does not, however, the City will continue to respond as appropriate to any further challenges that may come.

The new Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal, complete with new food and beverage and retail concessions outlets, is scheduled to open on May 16, 2012. The City expects the airport to realize net annual revenue in the amount of $51.1 million as a result of the new food and beverage contracts. This represents an increase of over $23 million, annually. The new International Terminal will be a signature addition to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport - the world’s busiest airport and the number one economic engine in the City of Atlanta and surrounding metropolitan area.

NEW! May Issue Cover Preview: 2012 Young Executives Edition

Wells Fargo + AT= SB12: Atlanta Peach Movers

{Where You Should Be} Great Place to Work® Conference Now Underway in ATL

Great Place to Work®,  experts in creating workplace cultures that drive business results, is hosting its annual Great Place to Work® Conference in Atlanta, GA on March 28-29^th.  Featured speakers include CEOs of top companies such as John Mackey of Whole Foods Market, Dr. John Noseworthy of Mayo Clinic, Jeffrey Katzenberg of DreamWorks Animation, Clarence Otis of Darden Restaurants and Tom Folliard of CarMax.

Conference highlights include breakout sessions focused on employee engagement, workplace wellness initiatives, creating a high-trust environment, leadership development, and fostering innovation.

Conference goers may also upgrade the regular program to The Immersion Experience. This extended program includes a site visit to a Atlanta’s Holder Construction, a Best Company to Work For, a ready-made peer network for thought partnership, a personalized action plan for how to apply Conference learnings to areas of opportunity, and more. The Immersion Experience provides a more personal touch to those who wish to immediately begin implementing change at their workplace, and who want to walk away with practical tools and targeted connections in hand.

In concert with the Conference Great Place to Work® is hosting a video contest. Any US-based company with 25 or more employees is eligible to participate in the “We ♥ Our Workplace” Video Contest. 

The Grand Prize, a $5,000 donation to the winning company’s charity of choice, furnished by Sofitel, celebrates the growing role that corporate philanthropy and community involvement initiatives play in employee engagement and strong company cultures. 

Time & Place:

Great Place to Work® Conference

Wednesday March 28 to Thursday March 29

Hyatt Regency Atlanta on Peachtree Street

265 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30303

To register visit the Great Place to Work® Conference event page http://www.greatplacetowork-conference.com/home

ABOUT GREAT PLACE TO WORK®: Great Place to Work® Institute is a global human resources consulting, research and training firm specializing in organizational trust. The Great Place to Work® Model is built on 25 years of research and data collected through our Trust Index© Employee Survey, which is taken by over 10 million employees annually worldwide.

Great Place to Work® provides leadership coaching and culture consulting services to businesses, non-profits and government agencies in 45 countries on all six continents. In the United States, Great Place to Work® produces the annual FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® list and Great Place to Work® Best Small & Medium Workplaces list published by Entrepreneur.com.

http://www.greatplacetowork.com

Meet our 2012 Superwomen @ Spelman!

NEW POST! Wells Fargo + Atlanta Tribune = SB12: Maceo Brown and System 5 Electronics