GHCC's annual Transportation forum is Thursday

GAINESVILLE - The Greater Hall Chamber's Annual Transportation Forum is Thursday from 11:30-1:00 at the University of North Georgia/Gainesville Continuing Education Building.

This lunch forum is open to the public and creates discussion with transportation officials, Chamber members, business professionals and community leaders. Speakers will include officials from the Georgia Department of Transportation as well as representatives from the Gainesville-Hall County Metropolitan Planning Organization (GHMPO).

Longtime Georgia Department of Transportation executive Russell McMurry, a former head of the GDOT office in Gainesville, who is now Commissioner of the Transportation Department, will be guest speaker. Also on the program is Cumming native Brent Cook, GDOT District 1 Engineer. Cook now is in charge of the Gainesville office oversees the 21 counties in northeast Georgia that makeup District 1, which includes Hall County.

The GHMPO is the intergovernmental transportation planning body for Hall County and a portion of western Jackson County. The GHMPO conducts the federally mandated transportation planning process for the Gainesville Urbanized Area and portions of the Atlanta Urbanized Area, as identified in the 2010 U.S. Census. Srikanth Yamala, GHMPO Director, will also speak at Thursday's forum.

The cost to attend is $15 for chamber members and $20 for non-members, and includes a boxed lunch.

Presenting sponsors for the forum are: the Independence Bank of Georgia and Rochester & Associates. Additional sponsors are Coca-Cola of Gainesville, Highland Mountain Beverage, McDonald's, AccessNorthGa.com and The Times.