Boaters Day at the Capitol
A coalition of outdoor recreation organizations will host Boaters Day at the Georgia State Capitol on Feb. 12 to raise awareness among lawmakers about public access to the state’s rivers and streams.
The event is organized by the Freedom to Float Coalition, which includes Georgia Rivers, the Georgia Canoeing Association, the Tennessee Valley Canoe Club, American Whitewater and the American Canoe Association. The groups represent recreational boaters across the state and region.
Boaters Day will begin at 7 a.m. with a breakfast meet-and-greet for participants and legislators. At 8:30 a.m., attendees will receive a briefing on legal and policy issues related to river access, followed by meetings with state senators and representatives from 9 a.m. until noon.
The event is intended to provide legislators with information about Georgia’s outdoor recreation economy and the legal framework governing public passage on waterways. The coalition points to ongoing disputes between landowners and recreational users over whether members of the public may float through certain streams.
Georgia lawmakers have considered river access issues in recent legislative sessions. In 2023, legislation signed by Gov. Brian Kemp affirmed public rights to boat, fish and hunt on navigable streams. Advocacy groups argue that long-standing legal precedent supports public passage on any stream capable of floating a vessel, regardless of streambed ownership.
Similar policies recognizing public floating rights exist in neighboring states, including Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. Click here for more information.
— Derek Prall
City of Atlanta and Park Pride launch Love Your Park 2026, aim to engage 1,000 volunteers citywide
The City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation and Park Pride have launched Love Your Park 2026, a month-long volunteer initiative scheduled throughout February that organizers say is intended to expand community stewardship of city parks.
Now in its third year, the program aims to engage 1,000 volunteers across all City Council districts. Residents can participate individually or through organized groups such as families, youth organizations, schools, corporate teams and community groups.
Planned projects include low-cost maintenance and beautification work, such as litter cleanups, mulching and weeding garden beds, invasive plant removal, habitat restoration and other park improvements. Volunteer days will be hosted by park conservancies, Friends of the Park groups, nonprofit partners and community organizations.
City officials and Park Pride leaders said the initiative is designed to support Atlanta’s green spaces while encouraging ongoing volunteerism and neighborhood involvement. Organizers also said the program is intended to help strengthen long-term park stewardship by connecting residents with local park partners.
Volunteer opportunities and project details are available now, and public registration is open. Additional projects are expected to be added during the month as more community partners commit to hosting volunteer days.
More information and registration are available here.
— Derek Prall
Multigenerational leaders and the Georgia Research Alliance
For the first time ever, the Georgia Research Alliance welcomed a third-generation leader to its board of trustees.
At GRA’s Jan. 29 quarterly board meeting, Larry “LG” Gellerstedt, IV was elected to the board. “LG” Gellerstedt is a partner and Atlanta market leader of the commercial real estate company Foundry Commercial. Gellerstedt IV founded the real estate brokerage Southsource, which ultimately merged with Foundry.
L.G.’s father, Larry Gellerstedt III, served as chair of GRA’s board. He also became an emeritus trustee on Jan 29, along with Tommy Holder, Bill Linginfelter, Pete McTier and David Ratcliffe.
More interestingly, the late Larry Gellerstedt Jr. was one of GRA’s co-founders in 1990 when the state and its research institutions found a way to collaborate and improve the state’s economic competitiveness.
GRA also elective three other new trustees at its January board meeting:
- Bird Blitch, founding partner of Ogeechee Ventures, a growth-stage investment firm focused on healthcare, fintech and outdoor recreation.
- Jack Draughon, founder and owner of Family Hospice, a hospice care organization serving Georgia and South Carolina; and
- Lynn Hedrick, GRA’s eminent scholar at Augusta University and co-founder of the Immunology Center of Georgia. An ex-officio GRA trustee, Hedrick is the designated representative of GRA’s Academy of Scholars.
— Maria Saporta
GRA welcomes two new eminent scholars
The Georgia Research Alliance, the public-private partnership dedicated to making the state a leading center of technology, research and development, has been adding to its roster of eminent scholars.
Charles Noussair is an experimental economist from the University of Arizona’s where he has been director of its Economic Science Laboratory. He will be relocating his lab to Georgia State on Aug. 1.
As an eminent scholar, Noussair will serve as the Noah Langdale Jr. Chair in Economics and as director of the GSU’s Experimental Economics Center. Noussair has broken new ground in understanding how and why people make economic and social choices. His work blends theory, data and real laboratory tests with human participants.
Sriram Vishwanath was recruited in 2025 by Georgia Tech to serve as a GRA eminent scholar in telecommunications.
Vishwanath is one of the most prominent information theorists, innovating across three interconnected realms: artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and wireless systems.
Before coming to Georgia Tech, Vishwanath was at the University of Texas at Austin, where he built a 21-year career researching wireless networks. His research sits at the intersection of AI and blockchain, and he has become a leading architect in the crypto ecosystem.
— Maria Saporta
CP Group unveils redevelopment plan for Piedmont Center in Buckhead
CP Group has unveiled a master plan and rebrand for Piedmont Center, a 2.2 million-square-foot, 14-building office campus on roughly 46 acres in Atlanta’s Buckhead business district. Renovations are expected to begin in 2026, with plans to reposition the long-standing office complex into a mixed-use destination anchored by expanded dining and retail.
The plan calls for a walkable, street-level corridor along Piedmont Road featuring at least six restaurant concepts along with upscale retail offerings. CP Group is working with Atlanta-based design firms Smallwood and ASD|SKY and placemaking strategist Of Place.
— Derek Prall
Council for Quality Growth announces 2026 board of directors
The Council for Quality Growth announced its 2026 board of directors and officers, naming Gerald McDowell, executive director of the ATL Airport Community Improvement Districts, as chair for the organization’s 41st year.
The board was ratified during the Council’s 40th Annual Meeting and Legislative Reception on Dec. 18, 2025, at Cherokee Town Club in Atlanta. The event drew more than 350 members, state legislators and local elected officials, according to the organization. Remarks were delivered by Council President-Elect Marci Collier Overstreet and State Rep. Matthew Gambill. The Council said proclamations recognizing its 40-year milestone were presented from Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
The annual meeting also highlighted the organization’s 2025 activity under outgoing chair Clyde Higgs, president and CEO of the Atlanta Beltline. The Council said it recorded membership and program attendance highs and cited policy work that included involvement in the City of Atlanta’s Tree Protection Ordinance and discussions related to Forsyth County impact fees and Cobb County stormwater utility fees.
— Derek Prall
