Pro-active leadership in the business community makes or breaks economic development, education, transportation and quality of life. In Cobb County, trailblazers from Earnest Barrett to business leaders today have built a vibrant and enviable county in which many of us are lucky to live, work and play.
Standing on our forebears’ collective shoulders, we endeavor to continue this tradition of catalytic leadership. We have assembled a diverse group of leaders to form a grassroots organization called, simply, “Good for Cobb.”
Made up of engaged and geographically diverse leaders from education, business, public safety and the non-profit sectors, our mission is simple: Support a wide range of initiatives that ensure a bright future for Cobb as well as the region.
Good for Cobb will advocate for and support positive initiatives in economic development, public safety, education, recreation and transportation.
The organization’s first official vote was to support initiatives involved in the move of the Atlanta Braves to Cobb County in 2017. The move is an unparalleled economic development initiative that will pump billions into the community. Thousands of new jobs are being created from projects that result from this one transformative event.
The second official action will be to support endeavors beneficial for Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Cobb’s prized military asset and vital economic development and jobs partner.
Dobbins is the largest multi-service reserve-training base in the world. It supports more than 10,000 guardsmen and reservists from the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines and is home to the 94th Airlift Wing, the host unit. Tenant organizations including the 22nd Air Force headquarters and the Georgia Army National Guard. Nearly 50 aircraft are assigned to different flying units at Dobbins, and the base boasts of more than 7,000 monthly takeoffs and landings.
Too often, projects, developments and initiatives in Cobb fail to receive the grassroots support and input from the community they truly deserve. It’s been too easy for naysayers and those opposed to progress to garner media attention, while the 95 percent that want to keep Cobb moving forward remain silent.
While the Braves and Dobbins will be the group’s first focus, we will engage in future issues to include transportation, education and redevelopment and infrastructure measures we believe will benefit Cobb — just as the Braves move proved that a single investment can create immeasurable economic impact for the county and change the landscape for generations. We must be prepared for and open to future opportunities.
We want to allow Cobb businesses to show they too support the Braves move, Dobbins and other positive endeavors. Whether through posting storefront stickers or posting on social media, we want to create positive, pro-active and united voices that proudly show the region, the state and the Southeast that Cobb is a county constantly moving forward and planning for the future.
The Cobb Travel and Tourism Bureau refers to Cobb as “Atlanta’s sweet spot.” It is home to five cities and is bordered by five counties. The positive impact of what happens in our boundaries does not stop at the county lines. All in the region benefit from the trickle-down economics of the Braves investment, Dobbins ARB and the growth of businesses and institutions of higher education that call Cobb home.
The more we publicly display our business DNA in Cobb County, the sweeter the future will be.
John Loud and Justin O’Dell are co-chairmen of Good for Cobb.
