Future Savannah leaders learn from visit to Rome, applaud cooperation

Article in the Rome News-Tribune by Doug Walker. A spirit of cooperation in Rome made quite an impression on several members of the Leadership Savannah class, which visited Rome this week. “I especially appreciate the collaboration that exists between the business and education community and local government, which allows for the entire city to flourish,” said Alfred McGuire, a high school principal from Savannah. Bea Wray, the executive director of The Creative Coast — an entrepreneur development organization in Savannah — said she came away from the brief visit to Rome impressed with what she called, “creative thinking and collaboration, which is really important to entrepreneurship.” Wray said that after the tour of Rome’s Clock Tower she “almost knocked people down” racing down the stairs to visit the Makervillage across Second Street. “What you are doing there is really impressive for the size of your community,” Wray said. The group also spent some time talking with Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce President Al Hodge about the impact of tourism on the local economy. Wray was interested in how the impact is gauged. “Tourism can be phenomenal, but it can also increase service costs,” she said. “It can also increase police costs, and it can decrease the pay of the typical job.” On Tuesday, the 48-member delegation toured Berry College, getting an update on the Rome Floyd 20/20 plan from its president, Stephen Briggs. Then a tour of Suhner Manufacturing, which makes components used on the Mars Rover and International Space Station, preceded a dinner at Coosa Country Club. In addition to the Clock Tower tour Wednesday, the group visited historic Myrtle Hill Cemetery, rode through South Rome and heard about redevelopment plans in that community before a tour of the Darlington School campus. McGuire said that one of the things he enjoyed the most was standing on top of Rome’s various hills. “A lot of times when you go to a city you only see a certain segment, or a certain piece, but being able to stand up on top of those hills gives you a great view of what is taking place in the city,” he said. “You can contrast that to what you hear and be able to get a large-scale picture of what is really taking place.” McGuire said opportunities such as the visit to Rome help him understand what is really happening in communities across the state. It calls him to help create a better learning environment that will provide his students with even greater opportunities for the future, he said. This has been a News Recap by The Creative Coast! Here we provide our news mentions and bi-weekly columns… just in case you missed them. Source: Rome News-Tribune]]>