WWALS Ambassador Dave Hetzel will speak about the Alapaha River Water Trail (now looking to place signs) and the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (Committee just formed and looking for more members) at the Southern Georgia Regional Commission Council meeting 11AM July 23rd in Pearson, GA 31642.

Update 2015-07-23: Civic Center, 786 Austin Ave. East, Pearson, GA

According to New Georgia Encyclopedia,

Role of Regional Commissions

Georgia’s RCs are involved in a broad range of activities related to coordinated and comprehensive planning, land-use development, historic preservation, aging services, revolving loan funds, business retention and development, affordable housing, tourism, workforce development, coordinated transportation, geographic information systems, and disaster-mitigation planning….

Staff members in each RC serve as resources for their respective local governments, area businesses, and communities. They provide expertise in federal and state programs and grants-in-aid, public policy and fiscal accountability, and technical assistance to local and state agencies. In many ways the RCs exist as extensions of every city hall and courthouse in the state, offering specialized staff assistance and services unavailable on a local level.

Valdosta and Lowndes County hired their own planning staff, but most of the other city and county governments in WWALS watersheds use the SGRC, one of twelve Regional Commissions, for planning and grant-writing. All the counties and one city from each county in the SGRC’s region (which is the same as the Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Council region) appoint members to the SGRC Council, along with some state government appointees. That Council currently consists of:

Atkinson County

Lace Futch – County Rep
Bettye Drayton-Williams – Municipal Rep
Janice McKinnon – Private Sector Rep

Bacon County

Andy Hutto – County Rep
Peggy Murphy – Municipal Rep
Lisa Coley – Private SectorRep

Ben Hill County

Philip Jay – County Rep
Mark Massee – Municipal Rep
Stephen Pair – Private Sector Rep

Berrien County

Doc Sumner – County Rep
Travis Harper – Municipal Rep
Janet Studstill – Private Sector Rep

Brantley County

Charlie Summerlin – County Rep
Jeffery Lee – Municipal Rep
Richard Thornton – Private Sector Rep

Brooks County

Myra Exum – County Rep
James Brown – Municipal Rep
Vacant – Private Sector Rep

Charlton County

James Everett – County Rep
Lee Gowen – Municipal Rep
Dawn Malin – Private Sector Rep

Clinch County

Roger Metts – County Rep
Tom Kennedy – Municipal Rep
Willie Hardee, Jr- Private Sector Rep

Coffee County

Jimmy Kitchens – County Rep
James Dennis – Municipal Rep
Adam Smith – Private SectorRep

Cook County

Michael Dinnerman – County Rep
Buddy Duke – Municipal Rep
Jerry Connell – Private Sector Rep

Echols County

Jim Carter – County Rep
Vacant – Municipal Rep
Willie Collier – Private Sector Rep

Irwin County

Joey Whitley – County Rep
Tyrone Smith – Municipal Rep
Mona Paulk – Private Sector Rep

Lanier County

Dennis Fender – County Rep
Bill Darsey – Municipal Rep
Sandy Sanders – Private Sector Rep

Lowndes County

Joyce Evans – County Rep
Sonny Vickers – Municipal Rep
Anthony Payton – Private Sector Rep

Pierce County

Neal Bennett – County Rep
Mary Lott Walker – Municipal Rep.
Andy Brannen- Private SectorRep

Tift County

Grady Thompson – County Rep
Jamie Carter – Municipal Rep
Brian Marlowe – Private SectorRep

Turner County

Sam McCard – County Rep
Sedric Carithers – Municipal Rep
Stevi Thompson – Private Sector Rep

Ware County

Carlos Nelson – County Rep
Clarence Billups – Municipal Rep
Barbara King – Private Sector Rep

Governor’s Office

Vacant
Gary Strickland
Wes Taylor

Lt. Governor’s Office

Keith Stone
Speakers Office
Dr. William McKinney

Hm, now that Dr. McKinney has left VSU and the region, who will be appointed?

-jsq

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