Georgia Foreign-Trade Zone, Inc. Board of Directors
Gerald McDowell, Chairman
Executive Director, ATL Airport Community Improvement Districts
Gerald McDowell uses more than 30 years of professional experience to provide a strong, safe, attractive, and vibrant community for South Metro Atlanta as Executive Director of the ATL Airport Community Improvement Districts. McDowell first joined AACIDs in 2015 prior to the merger of Airport West CID and Airport South CID to become the Aerotropolis Atlanta CIDs. Under McDowell’s leadership, the Aerotropolis CIDs have received more than $100 million in grants and project funding. He manages the operations and development of both Airport West and Airport South CIDs, and he is responsible for an operational budget of $3.5 million.
Earlier in his career, McDowell served the Gwinnett Village CID (now Gateway 85 CID) and Gwinnett Village Community Alliance where he served as a Director of Community Development for four years. He successfully signed and engaged more than 250 commercial property owners, generating over $700 million in property value. He was also instrumental in creating the Gwinnett Village Merchant’s Association. He later served as executive director of the Lilburn Community Improvement District where he was instrumental in securing over $2 million in grant funding.
McDowell is a graduate of DeVry University in Atlanta, where he received his B.S. in Computer Information Systems in 1987. Before his career in economic development, McDowell worked for 18 years in the IT industry, effectively managing over 75 projects, roughly 120 employees, in more than 40 states and 12 countries. He currently serves on the boards for the Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance, Council for Quality Growth, Georgia Foreign Trade Zone, New Life Community Alliance, Project ReStart and the Georgia Titan 100.
Misti Martin, Secretary & Treasurer
Deputy Commissioner of Global Commerce at the Georgia Department of Economic Development
Misti Martin is the Deputy Commissioner of Global Commerce at the Georgia Department of Economic Development, leading efforts to attract jobs and investment to Georgia through new business recruitment and expansion. Nearing 30 years of experience in business development, she has played a key role in driving growth across the state.
Prior to joining GDEcD, Misti served as President and CEO of the Cherokee Office of Economic Development for over two decades. She also led the Covington-Newton County Chamber of Commerce and held positions with the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. Misti is a certified economic developer and has held leadership roles on multiple state economic development boards, including serving as Chair of the Georgia Economic Developers Association in 2012.
A Georgia native, Misti earned her degree from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia and her MBA from Troy University. Misti is married and has three sons.
Gregg Simon
Senior Vice President of Project and Partner Development, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
Gregg Simon is the Senior Vice President of Project and Partner Development at the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC). He develops relationships with economic development partners across the 29-county metro Atlanta region and encourages private sector investment in new or expanded operations, resulting in job creation.
Gregg joined MAC in 2011 and has served in various economic development roles. He brings more than 30 years of economic development experience to MAC. Before joining MAC, he was the Manager of Business Engagement for Invest Atlanta, where he helped existing businesses and attracted new ones to the city of Atlanta. Before coming to Atlanta, he was the Director of Business Services for MassEcon, a private non-profit economic development organization dedicated to business growth in Massachusetts. He also worked for Empire State Development, New York State’s economic development agency, focusing on business retention and expansion in the Buffalo regional office.
Gregg’s work in Georgia, Massachusetts, and New York have included the administration of tax and financial incentive programs, business retention and attraction marketing initiatives, economic development policy creation and implementation, and special event planning. He has worked with businesses such as BlackRock, Microsoft, Target, General Motors, 3M, and many others to support business expansions resulting in job retention and creation.
He graduated from the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York, and lives in Atlanta with his wife and three children.
David Luckie
Executive Director, Griffin-Spalding Development Authority
David serves as Executive Director of the Griffin-Spalding County Development Authority and has held this position since 1993. His education background includes Auburn University, Georgia Southern University (BBA Accounting), and Mercer University (MLS Public Relations). He is a Certified Economic Developer, Economic Development Finance Professional, and a Certified Public Accountant.
David is a member of the Georgia Economic Developers Association where he served as President during 2000-2001. In addition, he serves on a number of State and local boards and also serves as a faculty member for economic development and leadership courses for both the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech. He received the 2013 GEDA Rip Wiley Award for Professional Excellence and the 2014 University of Georgia Award for Exemplary Leadership and Service.
Richard Sargent
Chairman and CEO, Wilana Holdings LLC
Rick Sargent, an entrepreneur with four decades of experience in the chemical and textile industries, is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Wilana Holdings LLC, which owns Wilana Chemical LLC, Oswego Energy Texas LLC, and Oswego Energy Georgia and Alabama. The holding company was established in 2015 just after the sale of Peach State Labs Inc., a global technology and specialty chemical manufacturer founded by Rick in 1987. Rick also founded SOYMET ENERGY LLC, which manufactured, marketed, and sold biodiesel fuel under his leadership to the United States military, Southern Company, and the state governments of South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. In Rick’s early career, he worked for Trend Mills Inc., a large carpet producer, and Sandoz Corp., a Swiss pharma company which eventually became Clariant and Novartis.
Rick is the past chairman of the Georgia Association of Manufacturers and a current members of its executive committee. He also serves on the executive committee of the Georgia Foreign-Trade Zone’s board of directors.
A native of Georgia and a graduate of Newberry College, Rick played for a short time in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams.
Scott McMurray
Assistant Commissioner/COO, Georgia Quick Start
Scott McMurray serves as the Assistant Commissioner/COO of Georgia Quick Start. Previously, he was Deputy Commissioner, Global Commerce for the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). In this role, he led Georgia’s team focused on job creation and investment through locating new and expanding businesses, as well as growing small businesses.
Earlier in his career, he held management positions with Warehouse California Corp. and Overseas Operations Export Management in Los Angeles. From 1988 until 1993, Scott worked as both a public high school English teacher and college instructor in Miyazaki, Japan. From 1993 until 1996, he held a position as an import manager for a retail store chain in southwestern Japan.
Mr. McMurray serves on the board of directors of the Georgia Foreign Trade Zone and the Japan-America Society of Georgia.
A native of North Andover, MA, Scott holds bachelor’s degrees in English Literature and in Economics as well as M.A. in English Literature from Emory University. Mr. McMurray also holds an associate’s degree in the Japanese Language from Southern Japan International College in Miyazaki, Japan.
Stacy Watson
Director, Economic & Industrial Development, Georgia Ports Ports Authority Designee
Stacy joined the Georgia Ports Authority in 1992.
Stacy has held numerous positions within the Georgia Ports. Prior to becoming the Director of Economic & Industrial Development Stacy held various management positions to include Marketing, Container Operations and Ship Operations.
Stacy is a graduate of Leadership Savannah and Leadership Georgia.
Stacy serves on several board of directors to include, the Atlanta Foreign Trade Zone, the Georgia Forestry Association, Savannah Technical College Foundation, and the Georgia Economic Developers Association. He is also a member of the Propeller Club of Savannah, the Transportation Club of Savannah and the Richmond Hill Rotary.
Stacy earned his A.S. in Business Administration from Middle Georgia College in Cochran, Georgia. He then received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing with an emphasis in Logistics and Intermodal Transportation from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia in August 1992. In 2004, Stacy also earned a Master of Business Administration from Webster University in Savannah, GA.
Bob Kosek
Division Director for Global Commerce, Georgia Department of Economic Development
Bob Kosek is the Division Director of Global Commerce at the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Bob joined GDEcD in April of 2021, as Director of the LEAF team and transitioned to lead the Industrial team in January of 2022. In 2014, Bob started his career in economic development at the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Following the chamber, Bob joined the team at Invest Atlanta, the City of Atlanta’s Development Authority, leading business recruitment activities and assisting with economic equity initiatives.
Bob is a is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and is a proud alumnus of Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, sitting on their alumni board. In his free time, Bob is a Big Brother for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, a member of the Georgia Economic Developers Association, and lives in Atlanta with his wife, daughter, and two rescue dogs.
Myrna White
Managing Principal, Everest Global Engagement
Myrna White is the Managing Principal of Everest Global Engagement. She was previously Assistant General Manager, Office of Public and International Affairs, at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport – the world’s busiest airport. Her oversight included Media Relations, International Affairs, Public Relations, Government Affairs, Conferences/Special Events and Community Affairs. Before being named Director of Public Affairs, she managed the Airport’s legislative agenda on the local, state and congressional levels.
White, who is fervent about youth development, established the Airport’s Partners in Education program, now Aviation Education, which has introduced thousands of youth to careers in aviation.
Her leadership in the community earned her commendation resolutions from both the Georgia Senate and the House of Representatives. She currently serves as Chair of the Clayton State University Women in Leadership Advisory Council and is Chair-elect for the ATL Airport Chamber Board of Directors. A past chair of the Airports Council International Marketing & Communications Committee North American region, she also has served as a board member of several local chambers of commerce and civic organizations.
White is a graduate of the rigorous Airport Management Professional Accreditation Program, an executive development program for airport executives worldwide. A graduate of Leadership Fayette, Leadership Clayton and the Regional Leadership Institute, she has received numerous honors and awards, including the 2021 Legacy Award for Excellence in Creativity from Airports Council International and the 2021 Pinnacle Leadership Award from the Airport Minority Advisory Council Foundation.
She is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Journalism and successfully completed the Emory University Executive Education Management Development Program.
Joseph R. “Joe” Bankoff, J.D.
In Memoriam
Professor of the Practice and former Chair, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology
Joe Bankoff was appointed chair of The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs in spring 2012 following six years as President & CEO of The Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta and 32 years as a senior partner at the Atlanta-based law firm of King & Spalding. Mr. Bankoff’s association with Georgia Tech spanned more than a decade and had been primarily focused on his work as the head of the law firm’s Intellectual Property and Technology practice group. His expertise ranged across law and policy, economic development, government legislation, fiscal planning, and global issues.
Mr. Bankoff served as the Chair of the Board of Georgia Foreign-Trade Zone and the Midtown Alliance in Atlanta. His previous civic and professional board engagements included the Boards of both the Georgia and Metropolitan Atlanta Chambers of Commerce, the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, the Atlanta Speech School (Chair), the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (Vice Chair), the Georgia Center for Advanced Telecommunications Technology, the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (Chair), the Atlanta Legal Aid Society (Chair), the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts and Culture Coalition, Leadership Atlanta and the Georgia First Amendment Foundation.