Imagine, Inspire, Impact - Partnerships for successful Georgia cities.
Georgia City Solutions, Inc. (GCS) is a 501(c)(3) organization created by the Georgia Municipal Association in 2018 to establish and support new and innovative programs, solutions, and research aimed at building vibrant, economically prosperous, and well-managed cities and improving the quality of life of municipal residents in Georgia. GCS provides GMA with a tremendous tool which can attract funding to create and support a wide range of programs that will make a positive impact on the economic vitality and quality of life in cities and enhance the operation of municipal governments.
For Georgia cities to reach their full potential, significant challenges much be addressed. These challenges include, but are not limited to, building future leadership capacity and improving levels of civic engagement; addressing systemic conditions and policies that foster racial inequities and perpetuate the outcomes of intergenerational poverty, such as low academic achievement and lack of a trained workforce, substandard housing and blighted neighborhoods, substance abuse, crime and a myriad of physical health problems; and creating a pipeline of qualified workers to fill critical municipal government positions.
The major challenges which are holding cities back cannot be solved by municipal leaders alone. Collaborative efforts must be undertaken which require the active involvement of local government officials, as well as the private sector and non-profit sectors, the philanthropic community, academia, and individual citizens impacted by the challenges.
Governed by a 12-member Board of Directors, GCS works in three pillars of focus: youth leadership development; workforce & economic development; and equity & inclusion.