Butler Snow attorneys Blake Sharpton and Jim Elliott will teach a virtual development authority training session at the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government in Athens, Georgia, on February 12, 2026. The course will cover the responsibilities of development authority board members and the role that development authorities serve within the local economic development process.
Click here to read more and register for the course.
The UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government informs, innovates, and inspires so that governments, large and small, can be more efficient and responsive, address current and emerging challenges, and serve the public with excellence. As an integral part of the University of Georgia’s public service and outreach mission, the Institute of Government’s faculty, staff, and students work every day to provide the highest quality educational programming, on-the-ground assistance, and innovative tools that equip government leaders, build stronger communities, inspire economic success, and improve quality of life throughout the state of Georgia.
Sharpton is the Assistant Practice Group Leader for Butler Snow’s Public Finance, Tax Incentives and Credit Markets Group. He focuses his practice on public finance, commercial lending and debt financing, and economic development projects. He represents school districts, cities, counties, development authorities, educational institutions, and underwriters across Georgia and other states. Sharpton has extensive experience serving as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, bank counsel, borrower’s counsel, and underwriter’s counsel on a wide variety of tax-exempt and taxable bond transactions. He focuses primarily on traditional municipal finance projects such as new educational and general municipal facilities. Sharpton also routinely works on economic impact projects and transactions such as sports stadiums, entertainment venues, multi-use developments, multi-family housing developments, retail developments, hotels, and airports.
Elliott is a member of the firm’s Public Finance, Tax Incentives and Credit Markets group. Before his time with Butler Snow, Elliott served 34 years as the city attorney for Warner Robins, Georgia. Since 2011, he has been recognized by BL Rankings, The Best Lawyers in America® in Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers. He was the recipient of the James H. Epps III Award for Longevity of Service to a Community in 2015 and was also recognized as Mercer University Law School’s 2017 Adjunct Faculty Member of the Year. Elliott is a graduate of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development and continues to teach courses through the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
