Staff

Lisa S. Collins, CEcD, EDFP, PCED

Executive Director

With over 28 years of community and economic development experience, Lisa has a strong, proven track record of success. She has worked in both large and small communities devising and developing economic development strategies and communicating them into clear, concise methodologies. Lisa is also proficient in building relationships with a broad range of stakeholders by identifying and aligning mutual interests to develop long-term partnerships and to further organizational goals.

In 2006, Lisa was enlisted by the Charles and Catherine B. Rice Foundation in Atlanta, GA to spearhead and implement a start-up comprehensive community and economic development revitalization plan in a small, southwest Georgia rural community. Called Early County 2055, over $50 million was infused into the economy in a 7-year period, and Collins was able to meet all of the goals of the program's first five-year strategy.

Prior to her work with the Rice Foundation, she was president and chief executive officer of UPtown Columbus, Inc., a non-profit organization in Columbus, GA, where she facilitated economic revitalization initiatives throughout the city's central business district, riverfront, and overall downtown area. She was also senior vice president of governmental affairs and transportation at the Greater Columbus GA Chamber of Commerce, working closely with governmental, business and community leaders on issues affecting economic development and quality of life in the region.

In June 2012, Collins was one of 30 people chosen from across the United States to attend the inaugural White House Rural Council's Regional Innovation in Rural America Forum in Washington, D.C. Participants were chosen based on their outstanding efforts to promote economic development strategies, and were invited to share their experiences with significant leadership within the Presidential Administration.

In 2017, Lisa was one of 40 people chosen from the United States to participate in the inaugural class of the Advanced Economic Development Leadership (AEDL) Program. The program was created through collaboration of four partner universities: The University of Alabama, Clemson University, the University of Southern Mississippi and Texas Christian University (TCU).

In January of 2021, Collins was one of 59 Georgians recognized in the January edition of Georgia Trend magazine as a “2021 Notable Georgian.” According to Georgia Trend, "these outstanding Georgians were selected exclusively by the Georgia Trend editorial staff based on the staff’s knowledge and observations of the state of Georgia’s power structure."

Locally, Collins serves on the South Regional Joint Development Authority, the Adel Downtown Development Authority, the Cook County Tourism Authority, the Cook County Tourism and Visitor’s Bureau, and is an ex-officio member of the Adel-Cook County Chamber of Commerce.

Lisa is a proficient instructor and speaks regularly on topics such as economic development strategic planning, conducting community assessments, and asset-based community and economic development. She is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), an Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP), a Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED), and is an active member of the International Economic Development Council, the Southern Economic Development Council, the GA Economic Developers Association, and Locate South Georgia.

Contact Lisa via email lisacollins@cookcountyedc.com or call her @ 229.308.3785.