The Certified Downtown Professional program, created and developed in partnership with the Georgia Downtown Association and Georgia Power, provides downtown professionals with the knowledge and skills to effectively and responsibly foster growth, development, revitalization, and preservation of downtown districts.
The CDP program empowers downtown development professionals to gain objective and credible recognitions for their knowledge and dedication; provides downtown development professionals a respected education program with clear expectations and a high level of partner confidence and credibility among elected officials and local leaders; and serves as the capstone achievement for downtown professionals as economic developers.
The Certified Downtown Professional Program:
Provides downtown development professionals with the knowledge and skills they need to effectively and responsibly foster growth, development, revitalization and preservation of downtown districts.
Empowers downtown development professionals to gain objective and credible recognitions for their knowledge and dedication.
Provides downtown development professionals a respected education program with clear expectations and a high level of partner confidence and credibility among elected officials and local leaders.
Serves as the capstone achievement for downtown professionals as economic developers.
Cost: $250 per class
|
Month |
Topics Available |
Hours |
Registration information |
|---|---|---|---|
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November 13 & 14, 2023 Americus |
Day 1: Fundamentals of Organizational Development & Management; Downtown Development Authority Law
Day 2: Preservation & Design; Role of a Downtown Professional |
12 |
Registration is closed. |
|
March 5 & 6, 2024 Brunswick |
Day 1: Funding, Resources, & Tools I; Preservation & Design
Day 2: Downtown Development Authority Law; Event Planning, Implementation & Marketing |
12 |
Registration is closed. |
|
June 17 & 18, 2024 Atlanta |
Day 1: Event Planning, Implementation & Marketing; Planning & Land Use for Downtowns
Day 2: Funding, Resources, & Tools I; Ethics & Inclusive Programming |
12 |
|
|
August 26, 2024 |
Day 1: Business Development & Support; Strategic & Master Planning |
|
|
All classes in the program are 6 hours.
This class will provide an overview of the downtown professional role and help empower downtown development professionals to gain objective and credible recognitions for their dedication and knowledge. Participants will delve into how to provide a program with clear expectations, a high level of partner confidence and credibility among elected officials and local leaders.
This class will provide a high-level overview of the foundational components that make up good organizational development. Participants will learn the importance and role that each component plays in good organizational practices.
Participants in this class will learn about the creation of Downtown Development Authorities (DDA), the relationship between DDAs and the local government, geographic and functional boundaries of the DDA, organizational and operational structure of the DDA, along with ethical and legal implications.
This class will help the downtown development professional gain a working knowledge of historic preservation objectives and benefits; basic methodology and best management practices; and tools utilized for guiding context-based decisions.
This class will provide downtown development professionals with a working knowledge of the powers and programs available to either facilitate development by the authority or to incentivize development by the private sector.
This class will provide an overview of the benefits of various types of events; how to effectively plan events and use social media to market downtown; and understand the economic impact of events in downtowns while learning from practitioners with real life examples.
The purpose of this class is to acquaint downtown development professionals with Georgia’s comprehensive planning requirement and the basics of zoning ordinances. Downtown professionals will be able to participate in the city’s planning process, ensure downtown has appropriate zoning, and focus on implementing the comprehensive plan for downtown.
This class will teach downtown development professionals the value of partnerships, how to identify gaps in support, and how, by working together with the board and local government, they can grow impactful community engagement. By the end of this session, downtown development professionals will have the skills to grow relationships, lead confidently, and build partnerships, knowing that working together will accomplish more than working alone.
This class will examine the importance of ethical conduct in the administration of a downtown development professional’s public duties and discuss ethical dilemmas that often confront them. Participants will gain knowledge, understanding, and skills to communicate and cooperate effectively across cultural barriers as well as build programming that is inclusive to everyone in a community.
This class will facilitate a deeper understanding of how market analysis can be used to enhance business development, identify critical components of a business plan for greatest success, and how to guide prospective entrepreneurs to community and regional resources.
Downtown development professionals will learn a system for establishing a common direction for their organization to help guide future activity. This class will introduce the principles and methods of strategic planning for downtown development authorities and master planning for downtown districts.
This class will demonstrate how to maintain positive workplace relationships by improving specific interpersonal, group, and organizational communication skills. Participants will take part in practical and interactive exercises that will give them the opportunity to reflect on communication skills and learn how to become more effective communicators at work. Downtown development professionals will learn how to develop presentation content, how to deliver an effective presentation, and how to better convey their messages when speaking to groups and presenting ideas, concepts, projects, recommendations and reports.
This class will demonstrate and discuss the types of downtown development projects and best practices for anticipating and overcoming barriers that may occur in these projects. Downtown development professionals will become equipped to facilitate economic development projects from start to finish.
This class will provide downtown development professionals with an in-depth understanding of how to use funding, resources, and tools for a variety of development projects.
