• Understand current demographic trends in Georgia, including population growth, age distribution, and migration patterns. Discuss how these trends impact urban and rural development.
• Explore how changing demographics influence housing needs, including the demand for affordable housing, multi-generational living spaces, and senior housing.
• Assess the impact of demographic changes on transportation systems and infrastructure.
• Investigate how demographic shifts affect economic development, job creation, and the labor market.

How you'll do more business:

• Actively engage with industry leaders and stakeholders during the networking session
• Foster collaborations with hundreds of other attendees that can propel your organizations and initiatives forward
• Identify new avenues for growth in Georgia's evolving landscape

Who you'll meet:

• Architects
• Engineers
• Contractors
• Policy Makers
• Industry Experts
• Marketers and Business Developers in the A/E/C Industry
• Providers of Materials and Services to the Built Environment
  
  

This is one of the largest gatherings for the AEC Industry with a Who’s Who of Attendees from 5 different industry organizations. You don’t want to miss out on the networking and information that will be shared!

agenda

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM  - Registration & Exhibit Hall
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM - Luncheon & Networking

12:00 PM – 12:15 PM - Keynote Presentation

12:15 PM – 1:30 PM - Panel Discussion / Q&A

CPSM CEUs:  1.5 hours
Domains:  1 - Marketing Research, 3 - Business Development 

All disciplines will need to self-report their continuing education hours. 

Mike Carnathan is the Manager of the Research & Analytics Department at the Atlanta Regional Commission and is one of the founders of Neighborhood Nexus, which is a community intelligence system for the Atlanta region, providing data, tools and expertise as a catalyst to create opportunity for all of the region’s citizens.  The goal is to foster a data-driven decision-making culture in the Atlanta region and beyond.  Mike oversees the compilation of thousands of variables and indicators that tell the data story about the Atlanta region. And story-telling is key. One of Mike’s chief challenges is to help community groups tell their story better through a data-driven approach.  

Mike has worked with numerous community groups, including the Annie E Casey Foundation, Families First, United Way, The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, along with a host of statewide and local education agencies and other community groups to help them better understand the neighborhoods in which they work.

In addition to being a data geek, Mike has a varied background that includes public relations and journalism. This experiences comes in handy as one of the critical uses of data is to tell the right story about our community to help community leaders make better decisions.

A native of Georgia, Mike holds degrees in History and Journalism, along with a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Georgia.

Pam Burnett is the Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP). GAWP is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational association, serving more than 4,000 individual members and over 200 utilities and corporate members.  GAWP is focused on training and education for water professionals in Georgia, and promotion of sound water and environmental policies.

Pam joined GAWP in 2012, continuing her career in water management, primarily serving water utilities.  Prior to GAWP, she worked for the Corps of Engineers, the National Weather Service, state and local government agencies, and 25 years as an engineering consultant.  Key consulting assignments addressed long-term water supply plans, water conservation, wastewater and stormwater management for counties and cities in Georgia.         

She has an undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota and a graduate degree from the University of Wisconsin. She is a graduate of the 2013 Gwinnett Senior Leadership Class, a 2010 graduate of the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership (IGEL), and a graduate of the 2008 class of Leadership Cobb.  She served for 3 years as the Chair of the Advisory Board for Georgia Southern University’s College of Engineering and Information Technology, and the advisory board for the Kennesaw State University Master of Public Administration degree program.  She served on the Board of Directors for the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership (IGEL) and is currently serving on the board of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District. 

Tabatha Carlton, PE is the Transportation Department Manager at Lowe Engineers. She has over 32 years of transportation design and project management experience. Tabatha’s professional background includes a broad range of projects including resurfacing, road widening, new alignments, trails, safety enhancements, and ADA improvements for both state and local agencies through Georgia and Florida. Having spent the first 10 years of her career in Georgia and then 20 years in Florida, Tabatha is back in Georgia to help improve the area she plans to retire in. 

Tabatha believes in giving back to the community and her industry.  She has been an active member of the ACEC and Florida Engineering Society for 23 years; and has served of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, MathCounts Chair, Awards Chair, Charter & Bylaws Chair, and the Tampa Bay Supersession Chair. She participated in the Hillsborough County Great American Teach-In for over 14 years to promote engineering across all grade levels. She also worked with Girl Scouts of West Central Florida and several local PTA organizations. Currently, Tabatha is the ASHE Chairperson for the Winter Workshop held jointly with ITE in February. 

Last by not least, Tabatha is a wife and a proud mother of three daughters. She is excited to be back in Georgia to share her heritage with her daughters and to spend time with her extended family and friends.

Justin Farquhar joined SEDA in January 2024 as RISE Vice President of RISE, which stands for Regional Industry Support Enterprise. He is responsible for working to implement the recently released workforce study.

He previously served as Senior Vice President of the Development Authority of Bryan County (DABC). He joined DABC in 2016 as a Project Manager. He is currently serving his second term as a member of the Georgia Economic Developers’ Association board of directors and has previously served as the organization’s Sponsorship Committee Chair.

Sharon D. Guest is a Principal of Radiant Development Partners, a real estate development company focusing on developing obtainable and equitable diverse housing options. She has been working in the affordable housing arena for more than 25 years and has been directly involved in the financing and development of more than 50 housing projects totaling nearly $850MM in total development costs. In her various roles, Sharon has partnered with churches, non-profits, and public housing authorities. She has worked in partnership with local municipalities, community development departments, housing finance agencies, as well as local community groups in and around metro Atlanta, other areas of Georgia and the Southeast. She has led the structuring and closing of complex developments, that include Low Income Housing tax credits, tax exempt bonds, TAD, various bonds and grants, local and state HOME, RAD, FHA and conventional financing and various local and federal rental subsidies. 

Sharon began her work in the affordable housing industry at the Atlanta Development Authority and later joined the Department of Community Affairs. She is a 2020 ULI Center for Leadership graduate. She has been recognized as the Atlanta Business League 2021 Women of Influence, as well ULI's Atlanta WLI 2021 Class of Leaders. She is a member of ULI, WAHN and serves on the Board of Directors for Vanguard Leadership Academy and Historic Hills CDC. She has served on many affordable housing panels sharing her knowledge in vast areas of affordable housing development.  Sharon is a native of Atlanta and has served as a C.A.S.A for Fulton County. She spends much of her time mentoring others who wish to expand their careers in affordable housing.

• ABC Georgia
• ACEC Georgia
• AGC Georgia
• SAME Atlanta Post
• SMPS Atlanta