Governor Perdue Unveils Historic Music Trail Tourism Website

COLUMBUS, September 15, 2006 – Governor Sonny Perdue today unveiled a website that will provide information encouraging tourists to visit historical music venues across Georgia and the Southeast. He also announced the newly appointed members of the Georgia Tourism Foundation. Governor Perdue made these announcements at the annual Governor's Conference on Tourism in Columbus, Ga.
The website is one of the results of Governor Perdue's year-long chairmanship of the Southern Governors' Association (SGA), where he focused the efforts of the organization on developing strategies to showcase the South's rich and diverse cultural heritage.

'My goal as SGA chairman was twofold,' said Governor Sonny Perdue. 'First, I wanted to draw attention to the rich cultural heritage that the South offers tourists; and second, to cultivate economic development tools and strategies to support the region's governors as they work to build stronger economies.'

The website, www.SouloftheSouth.com, is an innovative tool designed to promote the South as the birthplace of a variety of music genres. The site serves as an interactive guide to state and local tourism information, promoting hundreds of musically related tourist activities and attractions through one central internet portal.

Another outcome of SGA's focus on heritage tourism was the development of the Guide to Best Practices in Southern Tourism and Destination Management, a comprehensive review of successful initiatives. The guide includes marketing strategies, advocacy and sustainable tourism programs and trails, roads and parkways partnerships, all of which have allowed Southern states to increase visitation and tax revenue. Communities and travel associations will be able to use the guide to develop tourism strategies and programs based on what has worked across the South.

'These new tools give us opportunities to promote our hospitable reputation and distinctive heritage that attracts people to South from across the country and around the world,' said Governor Perdue. 'Our heritage, our hospitality, our hometowns are our competitive advantage.'

Governor Perdue also announced today 12 appointments to the Georgia Tourism Foundation. The Foundation, created by Senate Bill 125 in 2005, creates a public-private foundation to maximize and consolidate Georgia's tourism marketing efforts, attract more visitors and increase the industry's economic impact throughout the state.

Today's 12 private sector appointees will join the statutory members of the board, which include the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), the commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the executive directors of the Jekyll Island State Park Authority, the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, the Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority, the North Georgia Mountains Authority, and the Southwest Georgia Railway Excursion Authority, as well as the directors of the five halls of fame in Georgia.

'The Georgia Tourism Foundation is pooling the state's tourism marketing resources and leveraging private sector support to grow the tourism industry statewide,' said GDEcD Commissioner Craig Lesser. 'These private sector members form a distinguished group and give us the industry expertise to make our programs more strategic and more effective.'

At the closing session of the conference, Governor Perdue hosted the 2006 Little League champions from North Columbus. Members of the team were presented with hats in their team color of light blue, complete with the Georgia logo. 'These young men represented our state not only with their great athletic talents, but also

with their incredible display of sportsmanship,' said Governor Perdue.

The newly appointed members of the Georgia Tourism Foundation and their bios are below:

Georgia Tourism Foundation

Joseph R. Bankoff, 60, Atlanta, GA – Bankoff is an attorney and partner at King & Spalding, LLP, and president and chief executive officer-elect of the Woodruff Arts Center, Inc. He serves as chairman of the board of directors of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and is the vice chairman of the board of directors for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He earned a bachelor's degree from Purdue University and a law degree from the University of Illinois. He and his wife, Lisa, have two children.

Kent Buescher, 52, Valdosta, GA – Buescher is president and chief executive officer of Adventure Parks Group. Adventure Parks Group operates two family-oriented theme parks: Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Ga. and Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, Fla. Buescher is a recipient of Ernst & Young's 'Entrepreneur of the Year' award. The Orlando Sentinel named him one of the 'Five Businessman to Watch in 2005' and the Valdosta & Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce awarded him the 2006 'Big Thinker' award. Buescher earned a bachelor's degree from Valdosta State University. He and his wife, Dawn, have one child.

Ed Clark, 51, Peachtree City, GA – Clark is the president and general manager of Atlanta Motor Speedway and executive vice president of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. He serves on the board of directors of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Atlanta Sports Council. He earned a bachelor's degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He and his wife, Teresa, have two children.

Paul Clements, Atlanta, GA – Clements is the general manager of sales for AirTran Airways, based at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. He began his sales career with Trans World Airlines and organized the Papal visit of John Paul II to the United States aboard 'Shepherd One,' a special TWA 747 designed to accommodate the Papal party. He served on the Sister City Committee with New York, Cairo and Madrid and served as the director of the American-Egyptian Chamber of Commerce. Clements earned a bachelor's degree from Queen's University in Northern Ireland. He and his wife, Patricia, have three grown children.

Paula Deen, 59, Savannah, GA – Deen is the owner of The Lady and Sons restaurant and is the host of Food Network television shows Paula's Home Cooking and Paula's Party. She recently published her sixth cookbook. According to Curtis Distribution, Deen's magazine, Cooking with Paula Deen, was the most successful newsstand launch of 2005. She appeared in director Cameron Crowe's film Elizabethtown. Deen is married to Michael Groover and has two grown children and one grandchild.

Christopher 'Chris' P. Herschend, 34, Atlanta, GA – Herschend is the president of Ride the

Ducks, a division of Herschend Family Entertainment, the nation's largest privately-held family entertainment company. He is a member of the Herschend Family Entertainment board of directors, the Young Presidents Organization, and the 159 Group. He served on the board of trustees for the Atlanta Youth Academy. Herschend earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Emory University. He and his wife, Ashley, have four children.

Philip 'Phil' J. Hickey, 51, Atlanta, GA – Hickey is the chairman of the board and chief executive officer of RARE Hospitality International, Inc., an Atlanta-based restaurant company whose concepts include Longhorn Steakhouse, Bugaboo Creek Steak House and the Capital Grille. Hickey is co-founder of the Cooker Bar and Grille concept and H&M Restaurants, Inc. Hickey serves on the board of directors of the National Restaurant Association, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. He serves on the board of advisors for the hospitality programs at Georgia State University. He earned a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University. Hickey and his wife, Reedy, have two children and have been foster parents to thirty-one newborn babies.

David O. Lane, III, 57, Fort Valley, GA – Lane has worked for thirty years at Lane Packing Company, a fourth generation family farm operation that farms more than 2,500 acres of peach trees and 2,000 acres of pecan trees. He has been involved in all aspects of Lane Packing, including public relations and the development of the retail and agri-tourism divisions of the business. He is a member of the Georgia Peach Council and has participated in Southern Governors Association tourism conferences in Richmond, Va., and Greensboro, Ga. Lane attended Troy State University. He and his wife, Lynda, survive one child and have three grandchildren.

James 'Jamey' O. Loftin, 40, Athens, GA – Loftin is the founder, president and chief operating officer of Locos Franchise Company, Inc. He is also vice president of JHBB, Inc., a company that operates one Locos Grill & Pub restaurant in Athens. Loftin was nominated as 'Small Businessman of the Year' for Athens-Clarke County in 1995. He was named 'Young Entrepreneur of the Year' by the United States Small Business Administration in 1996. Loftin attended the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Laurel, have two children.

Beverly K. Olson, Macon, GA – Olson is the owner of Starcadia Entertainment Park and served as operator of the Macon Knights Arena 2 football team. She volunteers with the Children's Hospital, Red Cross Heroes campaign for local disaster relief and the Macon Rescue Mission. She is a member of the board of directors at Stratford Academy. She is married to Edmund Olson.

Mitesh 'Mit' Shah, 36, Atlanta, GA – Shah is the founder of Noble Investments, a privately held hotel ownership, management and development company. He serves on the board of trustees for Wake Forest University and the American Hotel and Lodging Association Educational Foundation. He is a member of the advisory board for Marriott International. He earned a bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University. He and his wife, Reshma, have two children.

Mark V. Smith, 50, Savannah, GA – Smith is the owner and managing hotel partner of Mulberry Inn and CEO of South Atlantic Utilities. Smith is the chairman of the Savannah International Convention Center and a member of the Historic Savannah Foundation board. He is past chairman of the Savannah Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and past trustee of the Coastal Heritage Society. Smith earned a bachelor's degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He and his wife, Kim, have two children.