George named new chair of EDC board

ALBANY — The Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission board elected Cynthia George as its new chairwoman during its annual shareholders meeting Wednesday. The EDC board also approved a new contract for President/CEO Justin Strickland.

George, the CEO of Horizons Community Solutions, succeeds Jay Smith, area manager of Georgia Power, as the organization’s chairperson. Smith has represented one of the three EDC partner entities — the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce — on the EDC board for the past 12 years, serving as chairman for the past 8 1/2 years. The other partners are the city of Albany and the Dougherty County.

“In my more than eight years as chairman, I’ve been honored to support the recruitment, retention, expansion and marketing efforts of the EDC,” Smith said. “Also, I’m very proud of the recent announcements of impactful projects like Georgia-Pacific Lumber and Webstaurant Store, as well as expansions at many of our existing industries. I look forward to continuing to serve the EDC as a board member.”

George has previously served on the Economic Development Commission board in her capacity as 2013 chairwoman of the chamber.

“I’m thrilled to support the efforts of the EDC as the organization’s incoming chair,” George said. “This is an exciting time for growth and development in Albany and Dougherty County, especially through the EDC’s new strategic planning venture. I’m honored by the opportunity to help spur business investment and job creation in our community during my time as chair.”

Strickland, who has served as president/CEO of the EDC since 2014, was one of the keys in helping bring Georgia-Pacific, Webstaurant and the Pretoria Fields Brewery to the region, as well as expansion projects at existing industries such as Coats & Clark, Procter & Gamble, and Mars Chocolate. Those projects collectively are responsible for 1,000 new and retained jobs in the region and $400 million in investment.

During Strickland’s tenure, the EDC has also been part of award-winning marketing campaigns “There’s Only One Albany, Georgia,” and “#MadeInAlbanyGA.”

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