April 23,2014
Lisa S. Collins began her job as director of economic development for the Cook County Economic Development Commission in October 2013.
"I am just as excited today as I was when I started," stated Ms. Collins. "Cook County has a tremendous product to sell - its location is fabulous and its leadership is extremely visionary for such a small community," she said.
Since joining the Cook County EDC team, Georgia Trend magazine has featured Ms. Collins in three different articles about Cook County.
In the articles, she has touted the $5+ million airport improvement project that extended the airport runway and added a new terminal building where the EDC office is now located. "The airport project is a great example of the community's visionary leadership," Ms. Collins stated. "By leveraging funds (approximately one half million dollars in grant money, and the remainder in SPLOST and hotel/motel tax), Cook County has a facility that rivals any other in the state," Ms. Collins said. She added, "Twenty-six aircraft hangers and the capability to purchase jet fuel and AV gas will be in place by mid-summer, all which will bring more corporate and business professionals, tourists and other visitors into the community." "The upgraded airport has already received rave reviews from state leaders such as Georgia Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Gretchen Corbin, and Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Chris Carr," said Ms. Collins.
In other articles, Ms. Collins discussed that over one million dollars in infrastructure improvements are presently being made in the county’s industrial park, and she also shared information about the county's 3,000 plus acre supersite that runs parallel to I-75 (with 350 acres “ready to develop”). Ms. Collins said, "The key to the success of Cook County over the last 11 years has been its remarkable ability to form partnerships. Having three entities (City, County, Adel Industrial Development Authority) willing to cooperate, and be at the same table, is a huge shot in the arm for growing the community." Ms. Collins has more than 18 years of experience in community and economic development.
Before coming to Cook County, Ms. Collins was recruited by the Charles and Catherine B. Rice Foundation in Atlanta, GA, to spearhead and implement a 50 year comprehensive community and economic development revitalization plan in Blakely, Early County, GA.
Called Early County 2055, since the program's inception, over $50 million has been infused into the economy, and Ms. 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 the president and chief executive officer of UPtown Columbus, Inc., a non-profit organization in Columbus, GA, where she facilitated the economic revitalization initiatives throughout the city's central business district, riverfront, and overall uptown 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 the economic development and quality of life in the region.
In June, 2012, Ms. Collins was one of 30 people chosen from across the United States
to attend the 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.
For the past three years, Ms. Collins has been a distinguished lecturer on Economic Development Strategic Planning at Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute's annual Basic Economic Development Course.
In April, 2014, she taught a course at the Association County Commissioners of Georgia's (ACCG) annual conference in Savannah entitled Understanding Local Economic Development Assets.
Ms. Collins is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) and an Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP).
She is a member of the International Economic Development Council, the Southern Economic Development Council, the GA Economic Developers Association, and the Council of Development Finance Agencies.
Locally, Ms. Collins is a member of the Adel-Cook County Tourism Authority, the Adel-Cook County Chamber of Commerce, the City of Adel Downtown Development Authority, and the South Regional Joint Development Authority.
Ms. Collins has two children: Fran (Stephen), Columbus, Georgia, a church pianist and elementary school teacher; and Samuel (Christy), a graduate student at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland (UK).
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