Governor Nathan Deal cut the ribbon on the second building of the Georgia Cyber Center
on Thursday, January 10, 2019. The $100 million Cyber Center, located in Augusta,
Georgia, now totals 332,000 square feet and is the single largest investment in a
cybersecurity facility by a state government to date. The center aims to strengthen the
state of Georgia’s position as a national leader in cybersecurity through collaborative
innovation, training and research.
“I think there have been a lot of things we have been able to do that have planted very
deep roots in the red clay of Georgia,” Governor Deal said. “They will not be easily
disrupted, nor will the people of this state allow them to be destroyed. This is one of
those.”
The Shaffer MacCartney Building is named for Michael Shaffer and Teresa MacCartney,
who both played central roles in establishing the Georgia Cyber Center. Shaffer is
executive vice president of strategic partnerships and economic development for
Augusta University, and MacCartney is the state chief financial officer and director of the
Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget.
Speaking about the Cyber Center’s potential to shape the future of cybersecurity, Mr.
Shaffer noted, “The campus will serve as the proving ground for businesses and whole
industries that haven’t even been imagined yet.”
Ms. MacCartney added, “The Cyber Center is a symbol of the Governor’s leadership, and
a reminder of what people with great vision and principle can do when given the
opportunity.”
The Shaffer MacCartney Building will add in-demand Class A partner space for
companies looking to expand in or relocate to Georgia, according to Eric Toler, executive
director of the Georgia Cyber Center. “The Cyber Center’s combination of private sector
talent along with military, government and academia truly makes the center a hub for
collaborative cybersecurity innovation.”
The Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) oversaw construction and partner coordination
for the center. Design and construction partners include Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) as the
construction project management team, M. Arthur Gensler Jr. and Associates as the
architect, New South Construction as the general contractor, and Cranston Engineering
Group as the civil engineer.
Prior to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, there was a Capture the Flag Competition held in
the Center’s Hull McKnight Building, hosted by Parsons and featuring coding,
cryptography and other cyber challenges. The day also included a Cyber Lair Product
Pitch event where cybersecurity entrepreneurs made brief business presentations to a
group of potential investors.
Located on the Nathan Deal Campus for Innovation, the Georgia Cyber Center is a
unique public-private collaboration that includes Augusta University, Augusta Technical
College, the University System of Georgia’s (USG) research institutions, the Technical
College System of Georgia (TCSG), the City of Augusta, the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation (GBI), the Georgia Department of Defense and other state, federal and
private-sector partners. These groups will not only work together to strengthen cyber
defenses and combat the growing number and complexity of cyberattacks, but also to
meet the increasing need for cybersecurity talent in the state’s and the nation’s
workforce.
Read more, here.