(ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE) -- Metro Atlanta leaders will seek to grow the region's global business opportunities through a new initiative kicked off Wednesday by JP Morgan Chase and the Brookings Institution.

The Global Cities Initiative, which is part of a five-year, $10 million multi-city effort ultimately will forge new city-to-city partnerships to create trade and economic relationships to prosper from the growing urbanization of the world's population. 

Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed said the initiative takes advantage of growing businesses through exporting and by recognizing that the "Made in USA" brand is becoming increasingly valuable in the world. 

The two-day conference, held at the Academy of Medicine on the Georgia Tech Campus, will lead to a new Metropolitan Export Plan for Atlanta. 

ATLANTA -- Bank of America Corp. reported Wednesday it hit its target of hiring more that 1,000 small business bankers in 2012, including 35 in Metro Atlanta.

The Charlotte, N.C.-based bank said it extended $280.2 million in credit to Georgia small businesses and $8.7 billion nationally last year. The $8.7 billion was an increase of 28 percent over 2011.

It recently reported net income of $2.8 billion for 2012. It also saw its head count shrink by about 5,000 employees to 267,190 in the fourth quarter, evidence that BofA is still trimming staff levels as it works to lower its expenses. Branches also continued to close, with BofA reporting 5,478 banking centers across its U.S. franchise at the end of the year, down from 5,702 centers a year earlier. 

Bank of America is the third-largest bank in metro Atlanta with 145 local branches and $20.4 billion in area deposits for a market share of 17 percent. 

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- Just a few months ago, DeKalb County's School Board was cutting millions from its budget and eliminating jobs.

Now some are wondering how they can approve raises for 4 top school administrators, especially with very little public notice.

"We didn't even have a full board to even vote on the decision to give those particular people raises," DeKalb County parent Cheryl Miller told 11Alive News.

The community school activist accuses the school system of pulling a fast one.

They only gave a few hours notice that the salary hikes would be on the agenda for a Monday meeting attended by only five of nine board members.

At the request of new Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson, the board voted 3-to-2 to give higher salaries to four of her top administrators, ranging from $3,400 to $4,000 a year more.