Georgia State M.P.P. Alum is an Economy Influencer

ATLANTA — When Site Selection magazine published its first rankings of “America’s Best Counties by Total (Economic Development) Projects” in 2023, Samir Abdullahi (M.P.P. ’10) was thrilled to learn that Fulton County, Ga., tied for No. 11 out of the top 20 counties in the nation, and No. 1 in the Southeast.

Abdullahi leads Select Fulton, the economic and workforce development unit of Fulton County government, as director of economic development for the county.

“I like having a lasting impact in the communities my team and I are able to serve,” he said. “It helps me sleep well.”

Abdullahi, a Sandy Springs, Ga., native and graduate of North Springs High, holds an undergraduate degree in international relations from the University of Georgia. Interested in pursuing a career with a major nongovernmental organization, he learned about the field of economic development while working in construction management and teaching English in Korea.

“I realized that another means to empower people is through economic empowerment,” he said. “And economic development seems to me to be more of the cutting-edge side of government. You’re not sitting in a cubicle, you’re out investing in communities, working with them to put together strategies, helping them work on their brand identities.”

After his stint in Korea, he applied to the Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) program in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies (AYSPS). The college was building on its economic development track with Cathy Yang Liu, who joined the faculty in 2008.

“The AYSPS rankings caught my attention, and the college boasts both respected academic programs and faculty well-known in their respective fields,” Abdullahi said. “But what really sealed the deal for me was the new MPP program the college had just rolled out. It’s a more analytical, statistical and policy-driven degree than an MPA.”

Abdullahi held an internship at the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, where he gained experience as a research associate and technology project manager in economic development. From there, he worked as economic development manager for the City of Alpharetta, helping to support transformational projects like the mixed-use developments at Avalon and Alpharetta City Center along with major corporate relocations and expansions such as Fiserv, Halyard Health and EY.

Abdullahi joined Fulton County as an economic development administrator in 2016 to establish a new office of economic development, Select Fulton, rising to become deputy director of economic development when it merged with WorkSource Fulton, Fulton’s workforce development agency. He has spent the past six years building out the organization as the single point of contact for economic development and the 15 cities in Fulton County. Promoted to director in 2022, he now manages 15 people: four in economic development and 11 in workforce development.

“In our economic development role, we are ombudsmen for businesses making a decision to relocate to or expand in the county,” he said. “When they make that decision, Select Fulton works with them on site selection, and with the city or county on tax credits, incentives, regulatory information, community socialization — the business services side.”

To bolster the county’s workforce, Select Fulton uses $3 million in federal funding to upskill low-income individuals for middle wage employment, often in high-demand industries. It creatively works with partners like Goodwill of North Georgia on rapid response digital literacy training and assists with funding for technical college and certification programs. Both paths aid these individuals in reentering the workforce at a higher income level.

“Many people lack the digital skills required for modern employment,” Abdullahi said. “Our work to upskill individuals helps make lower-level workers technically able to support Microsoft and other businesses that need skilled employees.”

Abdullahi’s work has not gone unnoticed. To date, he’s been named a 40 Under 40 honoree by Georgia Trend (2023) and the Atlanta Business Chronicle (2022), and among Georgia Trend’s Georgia 500 (2023) in economic development. Per Georgia Trend: “Over his 10-year career, (Abdullahi) has spearheaded efforts that have created thousands of jobs in Georgia — and hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment.”

Abdullahi feels being honored with these awards is beneficial because of the attention they bring to his organization. He gives back to AYSPS, too. He has lectured students on economic development policy and now makes time to meet them for informational interviews. He also focuses on Georgia State students and alums when he has open internships and jobs.

“Going to the Andrew Young School was great for policy skill development,” he said. “That’s where I learned how to think through policy, justify policies, and write memos and statements. I was a graduate assistant for Dr. Liu, who gave me confidence I could have an impact and held me to a standard of professionalism that I really appreciate, especially now.”

To learn more about Georgia State’s M.P.P. program, click HERE.