A Year In Review from Ryan Moore, President & CEO

2020 will not soon be forgotten. Despite pandemic and tragedy, I have been incredibly proud of our community’s ability to set aside differences and work for a better-shared future. We are fortunate to live in a community filled with talented, knowledgeable, and engaged residents and businesses. I am thankful to the volunteers who serve as leaders on the Golden Isles Development Authority (GIDA) Board of Governors for their leadership. Their wisdom will continue to guide us towards the community’s Shared Vision of making the Golden Isles exceptional.

 

This past year, GIDA was steadfast on our mission of creating prosperity in the Golden Isles. The annual report shares our team’s accomplishments, programs, and initiatives as we work towards that mission. As you read the report, you will learn more about how we supported industry large and small by committing our time to grow our local economy. In cooperation with our partners, we created a cohesive message for the business community as we all manage the COVID-19 pandemic. We remained good stewards of public funding while generating additional revenues from Foreign Trade Zone activities, interest, and lease arrangements. Through bond issuances, we provided interest rate savings to Glynn County and our educational partners. We met with our existing industry more than ever before, increased our outreach efforts, rebranded, and increased our digital reach. We’ve invested in small businesses through our Share the Future Initiative, and announced industrial expansions. It has been a busy year! 

 

GIDA will continue to invest in our community. In particular, we are improving our industrial sites and making investments in our entrepreneurs. By growing industry and entrepreneurship, we will have a more diverse economy that is resilient in adversity. Not only are we building a more diverse economy, but we committed to more inclusion in our community and our businesses. Our economy is stronger and more robust when new ideas, new backgrounds, and new people are empowered.

 

As we turn the corner on the pandemic, we have great expectations for next year. Our roots are strong, and we have laid the foundation to build upon our region’s assets. GIDA encourages the community to join us as we move forward together!

A special thank you to the businesses and community partners that shared their stories and helped us curate this year’s report.

We also want to express our gratitude to the creatives in our community that contributed to this year’s annual report and helped enhance our message through their design and talent.