Gwinnett County District 4 Commissioner Marlene Fosque recently graduated from the Georgia Academy for Economic Development 2019 Region 3 Multi-Day Training Program, where she learned about the complexities of economic and community development on local, regional, and state levels.

“The academy helped me to better understand principles of community planning, economic development ecosystems, and the importance of building a skilled workforce with strong leadership, Fosque said. “The knowledge I gained will allow me to understand economic life cycles as I represent the residents of District 4 more effectively.”

The academy’s multi-day program, taught one day a month over a four-month period, includes the basics of economic and community development, plus specialized segments on business recruitment and retention, tourism product development, downtown development, planning, and other essential elements of community success.

The curriculum also features leadership skills such as consensus building, ethics, collaborative leadership, and other topics needed for effective community leadership in economic development. Local elected officials may receive certification training credits through the Association County Commissioners of Georgia and the Georgia Municipal Association for completion of this program.

Georgia EMC and Georgia Power supply facilitators and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs provides staff for the program.

Other Gwinnett graduates were Alexandra Bastian, Phoebe Coquerel, Glenn Kruse, and Dave Emanuel.