Our Work in Georgia In partnership with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, ARC is supporting 16 projects in Georgia totaling $6.3 million in fiscal year 2022. These investments have been matched by $4.8 million in Georgia. They are also benefiting the 3.3 million residents in Georgia’s 37 Appalachian counties.

Sworn in as Georgia’s 83rd Governor on January 14, 2019, Brian Kemp began his political career as a Georgia State Senator in 2003. In 2010, Kemp was appointed to serve as Georgia’s 27th Secretary of State, a position he held until 2018. Before entering politics, Kemp was an entrepreneur, founding…

Christopher Nunn was appointed Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) in 2017. He leads the State’s community development efforts to support local leaders in their efforts to build strong, vibrant communities. Prior to DCA, Commissioner Nunn led a regional professional services firm as Chief Operating Officer and…

For over 20 years, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE) has empowered entrepreneurship in Appalachian Georgia through small business loans to candidates who might otherwise be overlooked. ACE’s founder, Grace Fricks, is a former social worker, who made it the organization’s mission to target support to women, people of…

TJ Kaikobad and his wife, Danielle, of Cyra’s Simple Goodness Restaurant in Dalton, Georgia, recently received ACE’s Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year Award.Photo courtesy of Erik Voss With ARC support, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE) in Cleveland, Georgia, is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) providing access to capital and business…

In 2018, the River District across from the Oostanaula River in Rome, Georgia was designated as an Opportunity Zone to spur investment and economic development through tax incentives. Today, the River District is poised for development but does not have adequate infrastructure making this project crucial for meeting future development…