George Awuku/Candidate for Gwinnett County Commission Chair
George Awuku is a longtime resident of Gwinnett County, a small business owner, and a family man. He has worked with Gwinnett officials on several projects as an outside Georgia State licensed Professional Civil Engineer, so he is aware of the many problems facing Gwinnett County concerning road, sewer, water and outdoor recreation improvement and development.
Laurie McClain/McClain & Company, P.C.
Laurie McClain, through McClain and Company, P.C., has been providing quality accounting, tax and financial advice to clients in the Atlanta metropolitan area for over thirty years.
Her success is a result of her commitment to finding and implementing cost effective strategies to help small business owners and high net worth individuals achieve their financial goals.
Laurie is valued and trusted as a leader who has served the county in a variety of ways. Besides volunteering for many different nonprofits, she has given her time to multiple ad hoc county committees. Laurie has also been active in the management of numerous homeowner associations, including her own.
Having operated her own small business in Gwinnett since 1996, Laurie also appreciates the value of every hard-earned dollar, especially when the money comes from taxpayers. Importantly, with a 35-year career in public accounting and a master’s degree in Taxation, she delivers the expertise to achieve big goals while balancing financial constraints.
Charlotte Nash/Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners
The Gwinnett County government provides high quality essential services for Gwinnett residents and as many other services as tax revenues allow. The county spends and accounts for tax dollars in a responsible manner, responds to needs and concerns of the citizens, and conducts business in an open and professional manner without favoritism.
The Board sets direction and formulates policies for the county government, adopts the budget, authorizes expenditures, and approves or disapproves specific actions, such as rezoning of private property.
Voters in each of four districts elect a part-time district commissioner. The full-time commission chairman is elected countywide. Terms are for four years, but staggered so the chairman and two commissioners are elected during one election cycle and two years later the other two commissioners are elected.
The Board holds official business meetings the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 2:00 PM. On those days, the Board conducts work sessions at 10:00 AM. The Board also holds a public hearing to consider zoning requests on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM. These meetings are held in the auditorium of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center.
Host Geoff Smith speaks with Frank Norton Jr., Chairman and CEO of The Norton Agency, on the growth dynamics of Metro Atlanta and the North Georgia regions.
Frank Norton, Jr. is the Chairman and CEO of The Norton Agency. In 1986, Frank Norton Jr., joined the Norton Agency to direct the Commercial and Residential Real Estate Divisions of the Agency. His expertise, combined with his energy and creative imagination, has thrust the company forward at a faster pace. He was elected President of the firm by the Board of Directors in 1997 and Chairman in 2004.
The Norton Commercial and Acreage Group provides clients extensive resources and services associated with the purchase or sale of commercial property and large acreage tracts for development. Investment counseling, corporate relocation, in-depth development services, territory market analysis and an unparalleled customer base give clients confidence as they invest in the community.
In the field of commercial real estate, The Norton Agency’s professionalism, service and knowledge are unmatched. Investors and corporations have a wide range of real estate needs. The Norton Agency specializes in site selection for restaurants, industrial parks, retail centers, neighborhoods, resorts, multi-family and single family developments. In addition, The Norton Agency offers brokerage services for industrial sites and buildings and industrial park development.
Since 1986, Frank has collected and interpreted community market research data through Norton Native Intelligence™ , and has developed consulting and strategic planning services for the firm. Norton Native Intelligence™ is a unique and powerful tool employed by Norton to power their client’s purchases, investments and portfolio strategies. This 30 year statistical database is sought out by relocating businesses, investors and developers alike. The material is modeled to strategically position banking, medical, retail, residential and industrial development and to provide a deeper understanding of ever-changing market dynamics.
Clients as diverse as Hall County School System, Valentine Farms, Northeast Georgia Medical Center, United Community Bank, Wendy’s, Walmart and Publix use the ever changing stream of data to secure strategic opportunities and better anticipate future growth directions.
“ATL Developments with Geoff Smith” covers all things economic development in the Atlanta Metro area. From everything inside the Beltline to Avalon and beyond, Geoff Smith interviews the movers and shakers making the ATL one of the best places to live, work and play. An archive of past episodes can be found here.
Geoff Smith is a mortgage banker with Assurance Financial working with Real Estate agents and homebuyers to help them get happily to their closing table. Geoff is an authority on the latest economic development trends shaping the Atlanta Metro area. His interviews reveal an inside perspective at how things get done in the ATL.
Geoff is an active member of his community serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, as well as holding the position of chairman for the Chamber’s Education Committee. He is also Secretary of the Roswell Youth Baseball Association and coaches his sons in football, baseball and basketball. Geoff enjoys golf, camping and traveling with his wife and two sons. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia.
“ATL Developments with Geoff Smith” is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®, located inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with approximately $12.9 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
Andrew Carnes/Partnership Gwinnett
Partnership Gwinnett is a public-private initiative dedicated to bringing new jobs and capital investment to Gwinnett County, GA. Since 2007, Partnership Gwinnett has worked with its local partners to attract and retain jobs, cultivate capital investment, support educational institutions, foster workforce development, and contribute to the exceptional quality of life found in Gwinnett. Every day, a team of dedicated professionals work to drive the mission of Partnership Gwinnett to strengthen the economic vitality of the community.
Mark Toro /Revel & North American Properties
Founded in 1954, North American Properties is a privately held, multi-regional real estate operating and development company that has acquired, developed and managed more than $7 billion of mixed-use, retail, multifamily and office properties across the United States. Rooted in its purpose-driven approach to development, North American Properties is creating great places that connect people to each other; cities to their souls; partners to opportunities; and individuals to experiences that move them.
Headquartered in Cincinnati, with offices in Atlanta, Dallas and Fort Myers, FL, the company has developed 22 million square feet of commercial space and 19,000 residential units in 15 states and 67 cities. In the past three years, North American Properties has launched 36 projects totaling $2.2 billion in total capitalization.
In metro Atlanta, North American Properties led the turnaround of Atlantic Station and the ground up development of Avalon. Currently, the team’s $5 billion mixed-use project pipeline includes: Colony Square in Midtown Atlanta; Revel in Gwinnett County, GA; High Street in Dunwoody, GA; and Riverton in the New York metro area.
Greg Cantrell and Paige Havens join Rick for a discussion on how the March 19, 2019 transit referendum gives Gwinnett a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in their future. Greg and Paige are residents, business owners, and community leaders that are voluntarily serving on the GO Gwinnett Advocacy Committee. GO Gwinnett is a ballot committee registered with the Gwinnett County Board of Elections and the Georgia Government Transparency & Campaign Finance Commission with a mission to seek passage of the March 19, 2019 transit referendum.
The Gwinnett transit referendum on March 19, 2019 is about one thing – guaranteeing the future success of Gwinnett County. Gwinnett County has seen impressive growth over the last 30 years and it is time to build a transportation system that matches it. Constant traffic and gridlock are jeopardizing the long-term vitality of Gwinnett.
Expanding access to transit and offering new transit options are essential to making Gwinnett County a better place to live, work, and raise a family. It will make lives easier, ensure smarter growth, and make Gwinnett more competitive with other counties in attracting high-wage jobs. It will offer more independence and inclusion for seniors and disabled residents. It will offer greater access to education and entertainment which helps keep millennials in Gwinnett.
Geoff Smith, Host of ATL Developments with Geoff Smith
Geoff Smith is the host of “ATL Developments with Geoff Smith” and a mortgage banker with Assurance Financial. Possessed with a strong passion for helping his community, Geoff works closely with people and their families so they may live comfortably in fantastic homes and neighborhoods in the booming Atlanta area.
Geoff is an active member of his community serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, as well as holding the position of chairman for the Chamber’s Education Committee. He is also Secretary of the Roswell Youth Baseball Association and coaches his sons in football, baseball and basketball. Geoff enjoys golf, camping and traveling with his wife and two sons. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia.
Al Nash, Development Authority of Fulton County
Al Nash is the Executive Director of the Development Authority of Fulton County.
Nash’s more than 40 years of experience in real estate, business growth, job creation and public policy concerning economic development brings additional expertise to the North Fulton CID. Nash also serves on the board of directors for the Council of Quality Growth and previously served as the executive director for Progress Partners, an economic development initiative by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. Nash is currently a board member of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, and the North Fulton Community Improvement District.
Phil Houston, Realty Associates of Atlanta
Phil Houston is an associate broker with Realty Associates of Atlanta. I served as the managing broker for RE/MAX Executives for twelve years, from 1991 – 2003. Originally licensed in 1979, I was affiliated with Walter Scott Realty, Buckhead Brokers and RE/MAX Executives before joining Realty Associates of Atlanta.
As a member of the DeKalb Association of Realtors, Phil is a Life Member of the Pinnacle Club, a top ten agent in several years, most recently 2009, and a Gold Phoenix Award winner. Phil holds CRS, CRB and E-Pro 500 designations from the National Association of Realtors and was a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame and the 100% Club during his affiliation with RE/MAX Executives. He has also served on several committees for the DeKalb Association of Realtors.
Nick Masino/Partnership Gwinnett
Partnership Gwinnett is a public-private initiative dedicated to bringing new jobs and capital investment to Gwinnett County, Georgia. Since 2007, Partnership Gwinnett has worked with its local partners to attract and retain jobs, cultivate capital investment, support educational institutions, foster workforce development, and contribute to the exceptional quality of life found in Gwinnett. Every day, a team of dedicated professionals work to drive the mission of Partnership Gwinnett to strengthen the economic vitality of the community.
