Meet Walt Farrell, a seasoned economic development professional with over a decade of experience attracting and facilitating business investments in the state of Georgia. Walt's expertise lies in supporting the facilitation of site-selection, start-up, and expansions of businesses investing in Georgia. He has experience in providing market evaluation and engineering assistance, hosting companies on their visits to the state, and serving as liaison between the companies and governmental agencies. Walt has worked with a range of industries, and his specialty lies in the automotive, aerospace, and defense sectors.

Walt joined Georgia Power in 2015 and has since held several positions, including Business Recruitment Strategy Director, Senior Project Manager - Economic Development, and Manager-Statewide Economic Development. In his previous role as the Director of the Advanced Manufacturing team at the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), Walt was responsible for recruiting domestic and international companies to Georgia, leading tax incentive negotiations on Georgia’s behalf, and generating new industrial leads statewide. He is also responsible for the Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) Program, the state’s industrial site certification process, while working at the state agency.

Walt's educational background is impressive. He studied at the Clemson University - College of Business and Behavioral Science, where he obtained a BS in Marketing and Finance. He also holds a Master of Business Administration in Management from Auburn University.

Walt is an active member of several professional organizations: the Georgia Economic Developers Association, NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association, and the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC) Volunteer Service Committee. He is also a graduate of the 2015 Leadership Georgia class. Walt currently serves as the sitting Chair on the Georgia Lottery Corporation’s Board of Directors.

Walt's specialties include Advanced Manufacturing, Automotive, Aerospace, Defense Business Development/ Economic Development, Business Incentives, Tax Credits, State and Local Tax, and Site Selection.