You can register online here.

RiverWay South Summit 2009

Program Highlights

Take advantage of this great opportunity to join over 60 counties and their representatives as we explore ways to connect our communities using the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, Flint (ACF) River system as a transportation route. 

It’s all happening March 5th and 6th at the RiverWay South Summit 2009 with speakers from Georgia, Alabama and Florida who will cover a variety of  the watershed’s most urgent issues. All are committed to the preservation, protection and promotion of the ACF watershed and also come with experience and extensive knowledge of tourism, cultural heritage, natural resources, preservation, grant writing and community economic development.

Schedule at a Glance

First day events begin at 9:00 AM EST March 5th, with registration and coffee. All summit sessions and meals will be located in the Lake Blackshear Resort Conference Center. 

Afternoon tour locations and times will be available in the conference registration packet. Signups are on a first come, first served basis for Guided Boat Tours, Hydro Plant Tours, and other local tours at the 9:00 AM registration. 

Sessions begin at 10:00 AM Thursday morning and are designed to keep you on your toes the entire conference.  If you’re attending to get good, sound advice on how to strengthen age old connections with the ACF and revitalizing your local community, you won’t be disappointed.

Former Director of the WC Bradley Foundation, Peggy Theus, opens the conference by providing a blueprint for cities that wish to grow without destroying their unique heritage and environment. Mrs. Theus, who was largely responsible for the original RiverWay South vision, also chaired the original River Front Development Committee for the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and ultimately led to the phenomenal Columbus RiverWalk Project.

Susan Peacock, Senior Community Economic Development Consultant, Georgia Electric Membership Corporation, is back again with ACF economic development success stories and to make certain we’re all in place for door prizes and introductions. She’ll also guide workshop participants as they describe their community’s most magnificent attractions. 

Alabama Dept. of Tourism’s Grey Brennan examines tourism from a marketing perspective.  Grey is a former broadcaster and life long resident of Alabama and has worked for the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel since 2001. Brennan has a keen eye for tourism challenges and rewards throughout the ACF…especially in the diverse and unique environments so typical of our ACF watershed. Brennan is Marketing Manager and Supervisor of the Marketing and Group Travel Division, International Liaison and Regional Director for the Metropolitan Tourism Region. 

Morning sessions conclude with lunch at 12:30 PM and your registration includes lunch and dinner prepared by the outstanding culinary and service teams of the Lake Blackshear resort…regionally renowned for its fine cuisine.  

Don’t miss the afternoon keynote by Bruce Means who takes us on a virtual eco-tour of a National Biodiversity Hotspot as he explores the wonders of the coastal and marine ecosystems of Florida. Dr. Means is Executive Director of Coastal Plains Institute and Adjunct Professor, Biology at Florida State University.

Additionally, Thursday afternoon’s sessions feature University of Georgia’s Fanning Institute and Danny Bivens who outlines Project RiverWay and three years of outstanding achievements along the Chattahoochee and Apalachicola River towns.  This year’s Summer Studio Project takes off in Chattahoochee/Sneads FL and includes the confluence of the Apalachicola, Flint and Chattahoochee rivers. It will be the first time we’ve explored all three rivers in the same study. Find out how your community can become involved. 

If you still need to figure out how to fund those dreams and goals for your small town, United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Specialist, Patricia Simmons will show you how to get the money you need to complete your community projects and fulfill dreams of renewed economic success and sustainability. She’ll have you writing your own grants in no time.

Around 4:30 PM, take the opportunity to participate in a variety of afternoon activities including local tours, golf, river recreation, turkey hunting, fishing, and a nature trail which is easily accessed and well marked. Information and signup sheets will be available at the registration desk. 

Friday, March 6th begins at 8:30 AM with a continental breakfast and opportunity to meet Wade Harrison from the Nature Conservancy who will provide insight into Preservation and Protection of the environment. Learn how the conservancy and RiverWay South strive to protect, promote and preserve the ACF and how your community can be involved. Wade will also explore how to meet the challenges of sprawling, uncontrolled growth. 

Friday morning is jam-packed with essential information vital to the protection of our heritage …both natural and cultural. National cultural heritage expert, Fred Fussell examines why we need to protect our cultural heritage. Fred reminds us of the wealth of cultural resources that exists throughout the ACF watershed. From the obvious to the often overlooked, our communities are rich in regionally distinctive attributes. He’ll help you recognize the amazing cultural treasures we have right here in our own backyards (including the ones you're sometimes a bit hesitant to claim).

To present yet another crucial component of quality community growth, Carol Couch, Georgia Environmental Protection Department (GPD) Director addresses water concerns that seem to be driving so many of our state decisions. Carol is scheduled for our final Friday keynote and the timing couldn’t be better as Georgia, Alabama and Florida continue to sit and wait on judges’ and courts’ decisions on how to interpret our water flow rates, water usage and the fate of our watershed.

The Summit will adjourn at 12:30 PM Friday.

You can register online here.

You can also mail in your registration. Send your registration to RiverWay South using the form included here.

For questions or more information, e-mail Carole Rutland (crutland@knology.net) or call 706.566.5257.