My name is Parrish Walton, and Georgia@Work is my new professional home.

I’m the communications specialist tasked with highlighting all of the amazing things the Workforce Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) can do for you, my fellow Georgians.

Before we get into what exactly I hope the Georgia@Work blog achieves, I figured it makes sense to introduce myself. I’m going to be the main voice of this blog so it seems fair for you to get to know me.

I was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, but I’ve been in the Atlanta metro area since 1996. While I’m not a native Georgian, I feel as though this is where I’ve grown up and I most definitely associate with being a Southerner. I’m a product of Georgia public schools for both high school and college (Go Dawgs!) and I will crush a glass of sweet tea with the best of them (speaking of which, we need to admit there’s an epidemic of awful sweet tea in the South and it needs to be addressed).

I live south of Atlanta with my wife, two young children, a lovably annoying cat, and my Newfoundland, Husker (I was born in Nebraska, remember?). I cheer for (and inevitably am let down by) the Bulldogs and Falcons. No, I don’t want to talk about the game. In fact I don’t even know what game you’re talking about. I’m a big soccer fan who cannot wait for Georgia’s own Major League Soccer team to start its inaugural season next month.

In my spare time I enjoy hanging out with my family, cooking, embarrassing myself on the golf course, and trying to remember what it was like to sleep in past 7:00 in the morning. You can find me on Instagram if you’re so inclined. Overall I’m a decent guy.

As for the blog itself, the goal is to highlight all of the great things going on in the state related to its workforce. What is the state’s workforce, you ask? Well, it’s you. It’s the people who go to work every day in hopes of making themselves and their communities better.

As part of GDEcD, the Workforce Division gets to hand out federal funds (you know, money!) to various organizations and businesses around the state to help ensure the local workforce is the best it can possibly be.

We’re often divided when it comes to anything related to politics, but one thing everyone can agree on is having the best trained workforce will make Georgia an even better place to live and work. That’s what the Workforce Division wants to do, and that’s what this blog hopes to highlight over time.

I want the Georgia@Work blog to be the go-to place for those interested in how the Workforce Programs work, how they can best utilize them, as well as to get a feel for the overall vibe of the Georgia economy. Which companies are coming to the state? What industries are booming and need capable workers? These are the questions I want this blog to answer in a fun, compelling way. 

This is a new endeavor for both GDEcD and Georgia Public Broadcasting. We’re going to make mistakes and/or change things up from time to time, but that’s okay. It’s going to be a fun ride, and one I hope you will enjoy with me as we hope to highlight all of the great things the Workforce Division does to help make Georgia the best of these United States.

But seriously… I don’t ever again want to talk about the Super Bowl.