“A couple of nights back, I was giving a bath to my 3-year-old son, Jack. He went into great detail to tell me how a toy turtle had climbed up on top of the water faucet. I listened to his story and then asked if he had helped his turtle. His response was, “Nope. He did it all by hisself”. That reminded me of one of my favorite legislators, Senator Jack Hill. Senator Hill would always say that if you are walking down a dirt road and come across a fence post with a turtle sitting on top, it’s safe to assume that the turtle didn’t get there on its own.

Working in Glynn County, I see a lot of turtles on fenceposts:

The Port of Brunswick is the second busiest auto port in the nation. The Brunswick Golden Isles Airport, our commercial airport, which is one of only four in the State with an 8,000+ runway. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, where over 30,000 LEO’s are trained every year. And of course, our great bridges and causeways that allow us to access our beautiful islands.

All these unique assets exist because of the vision of our forefathers, and we are fortunate that they stayed the course and saws their vision materialize. This is no time rest on our laurels; instead, this is a time to continue progress and to lead our community into the future.

Our hospital is in process on a $140 million expansion that will allow us to continue to provide the highest level of care for our citizens. We continue to invest in our airport, and it’s paying off with Delta’s announcement of additional flights. Our manufacturing sector continues to grow. Manufacturing jobs now pay $62,000 a year on avg. in our community. That wage is 40% more than the average. The Development Authority is investing in pad-ready sites, so a company has a place to expand and grow. We are also investing in our workforce. Not only the workforce of today or tomorrow but the workforce of 2045. We know that our future leaders aren’t yet in kindergarten. So, we are making sure that our children are prepared for, and understand, the workforce we need to Keep Glynn Running. The tourism industry in the Golden Isles remains strong, only second in the State to metro Atlanta. This growth across industries is a result of investment from both the public and private sectors.

To be successful, it will take many partnerships, and, support from our partners here in the Capitol. We ask for support for legislation that will assist brownfield redevelopment, for increased investment in transportation infrastructure, for dedicated funding for airport capital improvements, for investments in our educational system – in particular, technical education and early childhood education, and last but not least  support for the growth of the Port.

Thank you again for being a part of this great event, and for your tireless support. We recognize the sacrifice that you make by being away from home and family all to be here to work on our behalf. And we ask for your support so that future generations may see a few more turtles on fenceposts in our community.”