Atlanta Forward: Regional economy

Today's moderator: Rick Badie

Rick Badie joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as an education reporter in 1997. A South Georgia native, he's covered the region's immigrant communities, was a feature obituary writer and opinion columnist for the AJC's Gwinnett edition.

In 2013, Georgia was the nations' 11th-largest exporting state, based on the dollar value of its products. An economic development official  writes about the significance of our state's export market and announces a new trade representative for Colombia. Meanwhile, a consumer expert examines  the notion of cash-only purchases in light of recent credit card breaches at major retailers.