Why is it important to support rural Georgia?  Our neighbors in the state’s small communities are suffering.  Median household income keeps falling and concentrated poverty is rising.  Employment is down and job opportunities are drying up. Despite the Affordable Care Act, many must drive more than 50 miles to see a physician. Bright young people are leaving for the lure of big cities.
The United States provides economic help for people around the globe.  Rural Georgia should be seen as an emerging market worth supporting and investing in. 
That’s why my company, Frontier Communications, created the America’s Best Communities competition.  We at Frontier have served rural communities with communication services since 1899 and our philosophy has remained the same — if you live in rural America, you should have the exact same communications services as if you live in a large city. Now we have joined with CoBank, The Weather Channel and DISH in offering more than $10 million in prize money to revitalize rural communities.
The city of Statesboro was one of 50 finalists in the America’s Best Communities competition. The judges were impressed with Statesboro’s vision for the future. The city wants to invest in streetscape improvements, including new crosswalks, signage and greenery, that will make South Main Street more inviting for foot traffic.  This will attract new business. 
Statesboro residents also want a more suitable permanent home for its popular Farmer’s Market, currently located in an unattractive asphalt parking lot downtown.  More housing opportunities along with bike paths and walking trails are also under consideration.
Statesboro is dreaming big.  It has attracted the attention of Anixter, a global distributor of network systems, security products, wiring and infrastructure, which has agreed to “adopt” the town to help it move forward with its proposal.
The next step for Statesboro is, hopefully, to receive an additional $100,000 in January when the winners of the next stage of the competition are announced.  The city will then be in the running for millions of dollars in prize money that can be used to realize its plans.
We need to help cities like Statesboro that are faced with deteriorating infrastructure and limited affordable housing.  We want the city’s sons and daughters to move back to Statesboro after college and stop the brain drain. 
I hope when the finalists are announced in January that Statesboro will receive one of the $100,000 grants.  But whether or not the city is a winner in the America’s Best Communities competition what is important is that more people and businesses come forward and supports Statesboro’s dream of an attractive, thriving downtown. It will make all of Georgia stronger.
 
Jaclyn Cason serves as general manager for Frontier Communications in Statesboro, Georgia. She encouraged Statesboro leaders to apply for the America’s Best Communities competition. She previously worked as a Wealth Management Associate at BB&T, and she attended Georgia Southern University.  In 2012, Cason was awarded the Statesboro Herald 20 under 40 for her accomplishments in the Statesboro community.