Thomasville was honored to be the host city for the 2024 Annual Georgia Downtown Association Conference. The Georgia Downtown Conference, held in Thomasville, Georgia, August 26-29 was the first time it has been held in South Georgia in over ten years. One major highlight of the annual conference is the awards ceremony where Thomasville received not one, but two awards. They were honored with the Best Placemaking Project Award for African Americans and the Arts, as well as the Award of Excellence - Premier Partner with Thomasville Center for the Arts. These awards acknowledge the city's exceptional efforts in enhancing a public area within Thomasville’s historic district, celebrating the organization’s commitment to creating attractive and harmonious improvements that enrich the downtown environment and preserve its historic character.
The Best Placemaking Project Award is presented to downtown organizations that have successfully implemented projects transforming public spaces into vibrant, welcoming areas for the community and visitors. Thomasville’s project, African Americans and the Arts was recognized for its hand-painted circle signs expressing empowerment, celebrating diversity, and reflecting humanity. This project greatly contributed to the revitalization of Thomasville’s historic district and Black History.
The Premier Partner Award recognized the City of Thomasville’s achievements in collaborating with Thomasville Center for the Arts to see artwork come to life and connect to Thomasville’s Downtown Art District. This award highlights the city’s exemplary collaboration with its partners, demonstrating the powerful impact of public and private partnerships in revitalizing and enhancing downtown areas.
April Norton, Managing Director of Marketing and Communications with the City of Thomasville and Board of Director for the Georgia Downtown Association, expressed her gratitude, stating “To host this year’s conference, following being named Georgia’s Downtown of the Year in 2023 truly allowed Thomasville to showcase and celebrate the best examples of community collaboration and partnership.” Norton added that downtown developers from across the State of Georgia attended the conference and while training was a key element of the conference, designated time was set for shopping and dining in downtown and exploring all the surrounding attractions and tours offered that are truly special to Thomasville.
Darlene Crosby Taylor, Public Art Director with Thomasville Center for the Arts added, “Our organization provides an opportunity for all citizens of Thomasville and our visitors to experience the arts including the physicality of its beauty in Downtown Thomasville, Georgia.” Welcoming local artists and providing them with an opportunity to display their works and to be awarded for their outstanding efforts truly embodies the impact of the partnerships here in Thomasville.
The Georgia Downtown Conference is a premier gathering for downtown development professionals, offering a platform for sharing innovative ideas, strategies, and success stories. The Best Placemaking Project Award and Premier Partner Award are highlights of the conference, celebrating projects that enhance the visual appeal, functionality, and overall experience of downtown areas. The award ceremony took place on August 28 in Thomasville, where the city was recognized for its vision, creativity, and the positive impact of partnerships, African Americans, and the Arts. These awards underscore the importance of thoughtful and inclusive design in creating vibrant public spaces that honor the past while embracing the future.
Mrs. Lucinda Brown, City Councilmember, and committee member lead of the Thomasville Black History Committee, expressed her gratitude to the community and the City of Thomasville for this recognition, stating: "This award is well deserved as the committee, volunteers, and staff have accomplished so much in serving our community. Our committee members appreciate all the community support. This award and the impact made shows that working together, we can make a positive difference!"
The City of Thomasville proudly claimed this year’s conference to be “record-breaking”, with Brandy Avery, Main Street Director, stating, “This week’s conference goes down in the books as record-breaking for the number of attendees, sponsors, and revenue for the GDA program. For this conference to not have been held in South Georgia in over ten years, we had 377 registered and in attendance! The economic impact this event brought to Thomasville is invaluable.”
City Manager Chris White stated, "I sincerely believe our city is thriving due to the partnership between our team and the community, working together to ensure that Thomasville remains an attractive destination!”
About the Georgia Downtown Association: The Georgia Downtown Association (GDA) is a non-profit statewide organization that connects communities and professionals committed to downtown vitality. GDA provides accredited training programs for downtown development professionals, advocates for Georgia’s downtowns, and educates private and public sectors on the economic benefits of a thriving downtown. GDA also hosts the annual Georgia Downtown Conference to offer top-notch educational training and networking opportunities.