Tag Archives: Brad Lofton

History changes the closer you get to Valdosta?



Some people have expressed surprise to learn that Brad Lofton
was fired from his previous job in Effingham County.
The VLCIA’s own website may be part of the reason why they’re surprised.

According to

“In the News”
on the
the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA) web site:

“Lofton is currently the president and CEO of the Effingham County
Industrial Development Authority and the executive director of the
Effingham County Chamber of Commerce. Lofton brings a wide range of
experience to the position including time served as the executive
director of the Lee County Chamber of Commerce and the Lee County
Development Authority.”

You have to search or scroll way down in that page to find that passage,
and there’s no date on it.

However, it is almost a word-for-word copy of a paragraph by Kelli Hernandez
that appeared in the

Moultrie Observer 16 August 2006:

“Lofton’s most recent position was president and CEO of the Effingham
County Industrial Development Authority and the executive director of
the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce. Lofton brings a wide range
of experience to the position including time served as the executive
director of the Lee County Chamber of Commerce and the Lee County
Development Authority.”

See the difference? “Lofton’s most recent position was” in the
Moultrie article is “Lofton is currently the” on the VLCIA’s own web site.
So which was it?

Continue reading →

More from Myrtle Beach

Lorena Anderson writes in the SunNews more about Brad Lofton’s
new job, including a very interesting tidbit about how he left his previous job.

Georgia man tapped to bring businesses, jobs to Myrtle Beach area:
Lofton gets three-year deal to lead MB agency:



A Georgia native with experience attracting industries and jobs to his
home state has signed a three-year contract to lead the Myrtle Beach
Regional Economic Development Corporation.

Doug Wendel, EDC board president, said the board voted unanimously
Thursday afternoon to offer Brad Lofton the job. He will announce the
change to his current employer, the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial
Authority, on Tuesday, Wendel said.

Lofton will begin work on the Grand Strand on April 15, bringing to an
end the EDC’s search for a new chief executive, which began more than
a year ago.

The EDC will pay Lofton about $121,000 a year to bring new industry and
jobs to Horry County.

Look what else they mentioned:

Continue reading →

Movin’ on up!



Arrived via google alert for keyword “Valdosta”:

Those on the committee to hire a new EDC director seem so certain they
will offer Lofton the job that he is already making plans to announce
he’s leaving Georgia next week, and can start work here in mid-April.

Lofton?
Yes, that Lofton:

Brad Lofton, a Georgia native and moneymaker for the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority in his home state, is being introduced around Horry County today as the leading candidate for the executive director of the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation.

The story is

Economic development agency likely has new director,
by Lorena Anderson, in the Myrtle Beach SunNews.

Hm, somebody is counting at least one chicken that hasn’t hatched:



Lofton has been with the Valdosta group since 2006, and has brought
millions of dollars’ worth of business and jobs to that county, Wendel
said, including an energy plant that uses biomass and is now getting
federal renewable energy credits; ….

Also notice what they don’t list as a positive:
the solar plant.
Perhaps an indication of somebody’s priorities.

-jsq

“We welcome solar power to the City of Valdosta and Lowndes County”



After all the

protesters, police, and press,
representatives of

VLCIA,

Sterling Planet,

Hannah Solar,

Georgia Power,
and the

City of Valdosta
did finally break ground for

the Wiregrass Solar power plant.
I asked Col. Ricketts for a shovel, but he just snorted.
Here’s the

groundbreaking video:





Wiregrass Solar LLC groundbreaking, 21 Feb 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Continue reading →

Authority should listen to other sources –John S. Quarterman

This op-ed by me appeared in the VDT today, 24 Feb 2011.
On 15 Feb 2011 I spoke directly to the VLCIA board about the main points
and the next day I sent them the longer version,

Why “jobs, jobs, jobs” isn’t good enough for the public good and the general welfare,
which includes links to videos of the relevant speeches and to

VLCIA’s charter. -jsq



Everyone wants jobs for those who need them and jobs for
young people so they don’t have to go somewhere else to find one.
But what good is that if those jobs suck up all the water those people
need to drink?

At the Lake Park Chamber of Commerce annual dinner Brad Lofton gave
a speech which I liked, and I told him so afterwards, because it
was mostly about real industry with real jobs that that the
Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA) has brought
into the area.

But it had a problem:

Continue reading →

Biomass no, solar yes –Kathryn Grant




Kathryn Grant at the
groundbreaking for the

Wiregrass Solar LLC plant:

We’re here to oppose the biomass plant….
We want people to know we support solar energy
in hopes that that could be incorporated throughout the state.

Here’s

the video:





Wiregrass Solar LLC groundbreaking, 21 Feb 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

“Go solar! But no to biomass” –Dr. Michael Noll




Dr. Michael Noll at the
groundbreaking for the

Wiregrass Solar LLC plant:

We’re all for solar, go solar!
But no to biomass.

Here’s

the video:





Wiregrass Solar LLC groundbreaking, 21 Feb 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

More
Noll here.

-jsq

Georgia Power at Wiregrass Solar groundbreaking, 21 Feb 2011



It was good to see

Georgia Power assisting at the groundbreaking of the

Wiregrass Solar LLC plant, instead of just studying and demonstrating.
The speaker equated solar, biomass, and nuclear.
Hm, what’s that over their heads?
Why, biomass doesn’t seem to be as popular as solar!
I didn’t catch the speaker’s name, but he also recognized
Robbie Hastings, detail manager in Valdosta.
Here’s
the video:





Wiregrass Solar LLC groundbreaking, 21 Feb 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Georgia Power had several pages in the business section of the
Valdosta Daily Times (VDT) the previous Sunday, written up
on Monday as

Harnessing the sun’s rays:
Georgia Power kicks off 18-month solar power study,
by Karah-Leigh Hancock, about what Gapower is doing instead of actually deploying solar:

Continue reading →

“Olive branch or smokescreen?” –Patrick Davis

Patrick Davis

wonders from Macon:



Is this Brad Lofton-led ‘solar’ groundbreaking event by the
Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority an olive branch or
a smokescreen.for the community Or an example of ‘compassionate
consevratism’?

The solar plant has been part of the plan from the beginning,
which of course doesn’t quite answer Patrick Davis’ question.
VLCIA knows it can increase the size of the solar plant,
and they seem to think that could be a good idea.
They could also choose to forget the biomass plant,
but they refuse to do that.
Much more about Wiregrass Solar Power LLC.

Also please note that this blog is

On the LAKE Front,
where
LAKE is an acronym for the


Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange,
which is about

citizen dialog for transparent process
for all of Lowndes County and the general area, not just Valdosta.

-jsq

Hannah Solar at Wiregrass Solar groundbreaking, 21 Feb 2011


Actually installing the Wiregrass Solar LLC plant is

Hannah Solar.


Speaking

here is
Patrick T. O’Donnell, Managing Partner,
who talks about two other Hannah Solar people standing there,
Project Manager Dave Fisher,
and CEO Pete Marte.
Here’s the video.





Wiregrass Solar LLC groundbreaking, 21 Feb 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.



According to the VDT CEO Marte later said:

“Solar energy is definitely part of the solution for water issues
in Georgia, and it’s not being talked about. When the president of
Georgia Power is the chairman of the water commission and 52 percent of
water is being used for power generation, you’ve got the fox in the
henhouse,” said Pete Marte, chief executive officer of Hannah Solar.

According to VDT commenter Solar All The Way:

Continue reading →