In two months we will again assemble for our semi-annual education conference in Atlanta, GA. If you haven’t spent much time in the Georgia state capital, you are in for a real treat!

Atlanta, with all of its southern charm, offers so many unique places to visit and some of the finest restaurants in the South. The CNN News Center and Underground Atlanta are only a few blocks away from our hotel and are a must-see while there. I’ve also taken the liberty (for those of you who might love baseball) to check on the Braves schedule while we are in town. If you happen to be a Brewers or Pirates fan, you’re in luck. The Brewers play a day game on Sunday at 1:35pm and the Pirates are in town Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday. One last note about Atlanta--they have an excellent mass transit system and it’s very convenient and easy to access from the airport to downtown and the most popular sites.

As always, we, in the Education Committee are excited about our program this June and are in tune with the state of the economy as it affects our members. You will notice on the recent Conference email you received that no classes are being offered on Sunday. Our team did our best to lay out the curriculum to allow new members, as well as those seeking continuing education, several options. Two new courses are being rolled out, one for our Main Street members (Course #112, Marketing), a very essential course for new members starting out in our profession, or for those of us who have fallen into a rut and may need a refresher course to refocus us on the basics during this very difficult economic period; the second new course is M&A level (Course #360, M&A Manufacturing), with case study examples that will be extremely valuable for the next manufacturing engagement you manage.

In closing, I would like to elaborate on something that I truly believe with all my heart. Ask yourself why it is that you choose a certain individual or company when you have a choice and are in need of their services. What is it that assists you in making that decision? Is it a single item or numerous ones that influence you? How do you become that person someone would choose? I say you do it by sharpening your all-around skills through education. You and I have access to the best educational program in the world with IBBA and the M&A Source. Another bonus, our conferences provide the opportunity to network with some of the finest minds in our industry: fellow members who are willing to share their time and knowledge with you in class, at lunch or at an evening happy hour. With your enhanced knowledge and your professional skill level, it will be very difficult to compete with you in your marketplace.

by Jerry Cofield, CBI, BCI, M&AMI
Corporate Investment International of North Florida, Jacksonville FL
Vice Chair Education