"Georgia is blessed to have such talented and committed individuals working to promote tourism in every corner of the state," said Cannon. "Because of this, we are pleased to present a new group of tourism awards this year -- the Tourism Champion Awards -- in addition to the four we traditionally present each year. The winners of these awards have gone to great lengths to support the state's second largest industry."

The Tourism Champion Awards were created to acknowledge the support and guidance given to the tourism division of GDITT in support of the state's tourism industry. The awards, given in four main categories, recognize individuals and organizations that have taken leadership roles in developing tourism opportunities in communities across the state.

Private Sector Tourism Champion
Phil Jacobs, president of Georgia operations for BellSouth and honorary chairman of the Governor's Conference on Tourism, was named the Private Sector Tourism Champion for 2003. As founder of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce's tourism committee, Jacobs has long been a proponent of the state's tourism industry as a viable, promising tool for economic development.

Partner Agency Tourism Champion
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) was named the Partner Agency Tourism Champion for 2003. Through the work of Commissioner Harold Linnenkohl and board member Billy Langdale, the GDOT has partnered successfully with GDITT on many occasions to increase visitation and tourism expenditures in Georgia. Most recently, the GDOT provided the official state maps for distribution at Georgia's Visitor Information Centers (VICs).

Product Development Tourism Champion
Nancy Cobb, executive director of the OneGeorgia Authority, was named the Product Development Tourism Champion for 2003. Through her involvement in the OneGeorgia Authority, Cobb leverages the state's tobacco settlement funds to attract capital investments for tourism projects in the state's rural areas.

Legislative Tourism Champion
Reps. Mickey Channell (D-Greensboro) and Ron Stephens (R-Garden City) were named the Legislative Tourism Champions for 2003. Both are active on several legislative committees central to the development of the state's tourism industry, and Channell currently serves as chair of the House Tourism and Sports Marketing Study Committee.

Additionally, four other awards were presented to recognize individuals from around the state for their personal contributions to the state's tourism industry.

Paul Broun Award for Marketing Initiatives
The Paul Broun Award for Marketing Initiatives, given in memory of Sen. Paul Broun of Athens, went to Mark Valentine. In addition to serving as general manager of the Tanger Factory Outlet Centers in Commerce, Valentine is also president of the Northeast Georgia Mountains Travel Association. As such, he has secured grant funding for co-operative advertising to promote Banks Crossing and Northeast Georgia and recently chaired a Beautification Project Celebration for the Banks Crossing area.

Larry Allen Award for Excellence in Tourism
This year's recipient of the Larry Allen Award for Excellence in Tourism, given in memory of Larry Allen, general manager of Stone Mountain, is Dan Rowe. Rowe began his career in tourism at Callaway Gardens and today is chief executive officer of Banyan Tree Consulting Group. With more than 18 years of experience in resort management, marketing and tourism consulting, Rowe works with numerous tourism and non-profit organizations to advance tourism opportunities in communities across Georgia.

Al Burris Award for Creative Expression
The Al Burris Award for Creative Expression, named after Rep. Al Burris of Marietta, was given to Bill Marshall, chairman of the Trenton Downtown Development Authority. Upon retiring to Trenton, Dade County in 1986, Marshall undertook several innovative initiatives to promote tourism in the area, from founding a recycling program and hanging Christmas lights to raising funds for the first Dade Welcome Center. Today, Marshall is spearheading the drive to turn an 1888 Queen Ann house on Main Street into a town center featuring an Internet cafe and saddle museum.

Tourism Lifetime Achievement Award
The 2003 Tourism Lifetime Achievement Award went to Louis Griffith. Griffith has worked with the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau for more than 25 years to promote Georgia's Classic City and Historic Heartland travel region. He was instrumental in establishing a co-operative advertising budget for the region and today is driving the initiative to develop Highway 441 as a cultural tourism artery.

The Georgia Department of Industry, Trade & Tourism is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, promoting the state as a location for film and video projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development.