New economic development group launches in Columbus. Meet the president and CEO
Columbus 2025 announced Thursday a new organization focused on economic development in the greater Muscogee County region.
Choose Columbus is an organization promising to bring “fresh structure and renewed focus to job creation, capital investment, business recruitment and retention, as well as overall region prosperity,” according to the news release. Choose Columbus is a standalone organization, not housed in the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce or Columbus 2025.
“Choose Columbus is designed to specifically focus on attracting, growing and retaining businesses in our region, and will be supported by the Economic Development Committee of the chamber as well as the city of Columbus and the development authority as their representative on all things,” Pace Halter, chairman of Columbus 2025, said during the news conference.
Choose Columbus joins other local economic development organizations, such as the Development Authority, Columbus 2025, startUP Columbus, and the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce. Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson described this new venture as an “opportunity” for realignment.
“It’s a realignment of some organizations in this community as the acquisition of some really talented individuals that are going to be able to operate within this organization,” Henderson said. “I think you’re going to see a lot more opportunities for Columbus to be in the mix for some of these businesses.”
About Choose Columbus’ president and CEO
Missy Kendrick is the president and CEO of Choose Columbus. Before this role, Kendrick was president of the Rome-Floyd County Development Authority and is credited with bringing over 1,700 jobs and $3 billion in capital investment to Georgia communities, according to Choose Columbus’ news release.
Kendrick told the Ledger-Enquirer this role became available at a time she was not looking for a career move. But the momentum of opportunity in Columbus convinced her to jump in.
“I was not looking for a job when I came to Columbus,” Kendrick said. “I was very happy in Rome, doing a great job. But, upon talking to the leadership here, hearing the passion and seeing the opportunity and the momentum that we have right now, it’s hard not to say I want to be a part of that.”
Collaboration is key in the first six months of Kendrick’s tenure, she said. With the amount of economic development organizations, Kendrick emphasized the need for these organizations to streamline.
“The more people that you get together that are on the same page and have the same message or the same shared vision, the stronger that voice becomes,” Kendrick said. “The best way to move forward is collaboration.”
Kendrick said Choose Columbus will spearhead the mission of attracting new businesses to Columbus, while the Chamber of Commerce provides support for retention efforts. Collaboration efforts for other economic development initiatives, and their relationship with Choose Columbus, still are developing.
“You can’t have one without the other,” Kendrick said.
Kendrick also set ambitions for new industries to come to Columbus. Targeted industries include aerospace, robotics and defense. Kendrick said these industries match statewide economic growth.
Kendrick said she hopes to be an approachable leader of Choose Columbus. She emphasized the importance of open and frequent communication with community leaders and other economic organizations forlong-term success.
“The most important thing is that I’m reachable, and I want to engage with organizations,” Kendrick said. “I want to engage with people. I want your ideas.”