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Clayton County is moving with intent. Not incremental growth, but coordinated, measurable progress—and the region is starting to respond.

On May 1, the Delta Flight Museum set the stage for the Development Authority of Clayton County’s 2nd Annual State of the Development Authority (SODA). The room carried weight. Elected officials, municipal leadership, developers, and corporate decision-makers showed up—not for optics, but for clarity on where Clayton is headed next. The message was direct. Clayton County is no longer positioning itself for growth. It is executing.

The audience reflected that shift. Gail Hambrick, Tashe Allen, Demont Davis, and Levon Allen were joined by mayors and representatives from Lovejoy, Riverdale, Jonesboro, and Forest Park. Add in regional developers, infrastructure stakeholders, and executives across metro Atlanta, and the composition of the room said everything: Clayton County is firmly in the conversation.

At the center of the evening was C.H. Braddy. His address didn’t lean on projections. It leaned on results.

Unemployment has dropped to 3.1%, down from 4.5% year over year. That’s not just a statistic—it’s a signal of labor market stabilization and increased economic participation. Through the Momentum 500 initiative, more than $330,000 has already been deployed directly into small businesses. Workforce development has seen nearly $600,000 in targeted investment, reinforcing the pipeline between training and employment. This is what alignment looks like when it starts to produce outcomes.

Braddy framed it clearly: Clayton County is operating from a position of strength. But the strategy isn’t growth for growth’s sake. It’s disciplined expansion, anchored in one question—what does the return look like for Clayton?

That question came into sharper focus when he addressed one of the most closely watched developments in the county: a proposed data center project tied to a $950 million bond inducement. The upside is significant, with projections exceeding $100 million in tax revenue over the next decade. But the tone from leadership was measured. No blank checks. No one-sided deals.

Any incentive structure, Braddy made clear, must deliver tangible value back to the community. Infrastructure, jobs, long-term tax base—those are the benchmarks. The county isn’t chasing investment. It’s structuring it.

That same discipline is shaping the Authority’s approach to small business. The phrase “Clayton First” wasn’t just rhetoric—it’s becoming policy direction. The goal is straightforward: scale support to reach 500 local businesses over time. That means capital access, technical support, and a clearer pathway for local entrepreneurs to participate in the county’s growth cycle. Because sustained economic development doesn’t come from outside alone. It compounds from within.

One of the more forward-looking announcements of the evening pointed to how Clayton plans to operationalize that growth. The Authority is developing an Economic Integrated Technology App—a centralized platform designed to give developers, investors, and business owners real-time access to key data. Land availability, zoning, incentives, development pipelines—streamlined into one system. It’s a shift toward transparency and speed. And in this market, both matter.

What stood out across the program wasn’t just the individual initiatives, but how they connect. Workforce development tied to business growth. Infrastructure aligned with investment strategy. Public and private sectors operating in coordination, not isolation. That level of alignment is where real scale happens.

The Authority also used the evening to recognize leadership shaping Clayton County’s broader ecosystem. Ela Lena, Shannon James, Georj Lewis, Danielle Smith, and Ricky Smith were all acknowledged for their role in driving regional progress.

Each represents a different pillar—healthcare, infrastructure, education, public service, global connectivity. Together, they form the framework Clayton is building on. And that framework is expanding.

The most consequential announcement of the night came with the introduction of the Authority’s next phase of leadership. Maceo Rogers has been selected as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the Development Authority of Clayton County. This isn’t a ceremonial transition. It’s a strategic move.

Rogers brings a track record in economic development that aligns with where Clayton is headed—data-driven, partnership-focused, and execution-oriented. His role will be to take the momentum already in motion and convert it into sustained deal flow, business retention, and long-term investment strategy. Because momentum, as Braddy noted, isn’t passive. It’s built—and then it’s managed.

Clayton County’s geographic advantage remains one of its strongest assets. Anchored by proximity to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the county sits at a global intersection of logistics, travel, and commerce. That access, paired with ongoing infrastructure investment and increasing regional alignment, positions Clayton as a serious contender in Georgia’s next wave of economic expansion. But what’s changing now is perception.

For years, Clayton has been discussed in terms of potential. That conversation is shifting toward performance. The data is starting to support it. The leadership is aligned. The strategy is tightening. And the market is watching.

The takeaway from SODA was clear. Clayton County is not waiting for opportunity to arrive. It’s structuring the conditions to attract it—and putting systems in place to sustain it. This is what a county looks like when it moves from planning to execution. And from where things stand, Clayton isn’t building momentum anymore. It’s converting it.

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