WorkSmart director Carla Hall was one of six Tift County graduates from the Georgia Academy for Economic Development, which provides a unique understanding of the complexities of economic and community development on the local, regional and state levels. Carla is the Director of Occupational Medicine for WorkSmart and is incoming chairperson for the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce for 2011.

Created in 1993 by then-Governor Zell Miller’s Development Council, the Academy assembles a cross section of professionals to provide training in the basics of economic and community development, plus specialized segments on business recruitment and retention, tourism product development, downtown development, quality planning, redevelopment and other essentials for community success. In addition, the curriculum features specific leadership skills such as consensus building, ethics in public service, collaborative leadership and other segments needed for effective community leadership in economic development.