Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- May 8, 2009

'Think Small’ technology can make Georgia as big as California

Nanotechnology could do for Georgia what Silicon Valley did for California.  It can be our ticket to jobs of the future.  The essence of nanotechnology is to “think small” – not in inches, not in millimeters, not in pin heads, not even in hairs, but in atoms.

As Chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee, I serve as liaison between the House of Representatives and Georgia Tech’s scientific business community.  I have been invited by the President of Georgia Tech to attend the dedication of the Marcus Nanotechnology Research Center (MNRC) on the Tech campus.  With the MNRC, Georgia has the largest facility in the Southeast and the most modern in the country.

The Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) has also invited me to this year's entrepreneurs’ showcase.  This is an event where the State's premier science and technology incubator, the ATDC, celebrates the entrepreneurial success of its members and graduates.  With the help of ATDC, we are getting more Georgia start-up companies to stay in Georgia.

Next week, I’ll be attending the 2009 BIO International Convention at The World Congress Center.  More than 20,000 biotech representatives from all over the world will be in attendance.  One of the main functions of the convention is to deliver the partnering tools, licensing tips, and other industry resources needed to meet current economic challenges in biotech businesses of the future.

As a member of the House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee as well as the Science and Technology Committee, I continue to work with the Development Authorities in Forsyth, Lumpkin, and Dawson Counties and NGCSU to bring fiber-optic technology to our area.

As you can see, all of these efforts are designed to make Georgia the BioTech center of the Southeast with students capable of filling those jobs.  Those higher paying high-tech jobs pay an average of two times that of low-tech jobs.

Governor Perdue signed HB 280 last week.  HB 280 will provide additional compensation for math and science teachers.  Its purpose is to encourage more teachers to major in these fields. During the signing ceremony, the Governor commented that last year Georgia had produced over 1200 early childhood teachers, but only 1 physics teacher, 9 chemistry teachers, and 140 math teachers.

I want to thank Lumpkin County School Superintendant Dewey Moye for writing an excellent article on the editorial page of April 29 The Dahlonega Nugget.  It was entitled "A strong dose of responsibility and hard work."  If you haven't read it, please do.  Dewey really got it right.  Dewey is also starting his campaign to encourage all Lumpkin County voters to vote on June 16 to extend the Education SPLOST when it expires in 2011.  You may have seen some of the signs posted around the county and some of the informational brochures that describe the ESPLOST in greater detail.  Voting yes will help continue to pay off the debt on the current high school, pay for reconfiguring the old high school into a middle school complex, and other badly needed projects.  It is not an additional tax.  It merely extends the existing tax.

Thanks go to Clint Smith and the Dawson County Republican Party for inviting me to speak at their April meeting.  I gave an end-of-session update covering four topics - taxes, transportation, teaching (education), and trauma care.  I will be giving a similar talk to the Dahlonega Lions Club at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 28 during their regular meeting at the NGCSU dining facility.

The once every 10-year State Reapportionment starts again next year and continues during the 2011-2012 Legislative term.  The Speaker of the House has asked me to be part of a small group of House leaders deciding how Georgia will be subdivided into House Districts and Senate Districts.  He has encouraged me to run for a sixth consecutive term as your State Representative to help him in the reapportionment process.

I will, therefore, be asking for your vote again in the July 2010 Republican Primary and the November 2010 General Election.  We need to insure that Lumpkin, Dawson, and Forsyth Counties are well represented by experienced legislators when reapportionment takes place.  It is expected that North Georgia will get an additional congressman and there will be a shift in representation within the General Assembly to match the population growth in North Georgia.

Between legislative sessions, I can be reached at 689 N. Chestatee Street, Dahlonega, Georgia 30533; 706/864-6589; e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Or you can contact Gerald Lewy, my Communications Director, at 706/344-7788.  He’ll know how to get your message to me.  Remember, the secret of good government is a well-informed electorate.

For more information contact:                  
Gerald Lewy                                 
Communications Director
House District 9 – Amerson
471 Cloudland Road
Dahlonega, Georgia 30533
Phone/fax: 706/864-4613
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it