Board of Directors
Chris Clark
President
Chris Clark is the executive director of the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA). GEFA serves as the state bank by providing financing for water and sewer infrastructure projects, reservoirs, weatherization, state fuel tanks, recycling and solid waste projects. GEFA is home to Con... Read more
Pat Topping
1st Vice President
Pat has been in the economic development industry since 1991. He has served as president of chambers in Milledgeville/Baldwin County from 1991 – 1993 and Cumming/Forsyth County from 1996-1999. Currently he serves as the Senior Vice President for the Macon Economic Development Commission (MEDC).... Read more
Bob White
2nd Vice President
Bob White is celebrating his 22st year in economic development, and his 13th year as executive director of the Henry County Development Authority. Bob joined the Development Authority in 1995, following 15 years with the Atlanta Gas Light Company where he served as Assistant Director of Economic ... Read more
Misti Martin
Secretary-Treasurer
Misti Martin is a native of Georgia and has been in the Chamber and Economic Development field since the end of 1990. In February 2004, she was named as the Executive Director of the Development Authority of Cherokee County. Martin worked with the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce & Developme... Read more
Todd Greene
Immediate Past President
Todd Greene is the Assistant Vice President for Community and Economic Development at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. In this role, Greene is responsible for leading a team devoted to identifying significant community and economic development issues and for planning a full-cycle approach to... Read more
Gretchen Corbin
Gretchen Corbin is the Division Director for International Operations. Gretchen’s responsibilities are to lead Georgia’s International Offices, Trade Division, Office of Protocol, International Business Outreach and the Global Georgia initiative in its work towards marketing Georgia to the world... Read more
Tim Evans
Tim Evans is the Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director of the Gainesville-Hall Economic Development Council. He also serves as the staff for the Gainesville & Hall County Development Authority. He is responsible for managing busin... Read more
Hans Gant
Hans Gant currently serves the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce as Senior Vice President of Economic Development. In this capacity he oversees marketing the 28-county metro Atlanta region around the world focused attracting companies, jobs, and investment to Atlanta. Hans led the Chamber’s "... Read more
Angie Gheesling
Angie is the executive director for the Development Authority of the City of Milledgeville and Baldwin County. She has served in this capacity since June 1, 2005. She previously served as the Assistant Director of the Regional Economic Development Program for the Georgia Department of Economic ... Read more
Brad Lofton
As of August 2006, Brad serves as the Executive Director of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority. During his brief tenure in Valdosta, The Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority has recruited over 1,200 new manufacturing jobs, and over $150 million in new manufacturing capi... Read more
Charles Stallworth
As a Georgia Power project manager, Mr. Stallworth is responsible for facilitating the location, expansion, or start-up of businesses wishing to invest in Georgia. Charles assists companies in identifying potential buildings or sites throughout the state; he also provides market evaluation, cons... Read more
Anna Chafin
Anna Chafin is the Director of Marketing & Research for the Liberty County Development Authority. She is responsible for planning and implementing the Authority’s comprehensive industrial marketing and research efforts. Her primary duties include: developing collateral materials; coordinating ... Read more
Bruce Drennan
Bruce has extensive experience with Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development organizations, and general business development at the local, state, and federal level. For the past seven years he has served as the Executive Director of the Cordele Crisp IDC. Bruce has extensive federal and state ... Read more
Mike Grundmann
Since 2002, Mike has served as the Director of Marketing for Quick Start; Georgia's internationally acclaimed training incentive program for new job creation. During the same period, Mike has also been responsible for the statewide administration of Georgia's retraining tax credit program. Mi... Read more
JoAnne Lewis
Jo Anne Lewis is President of the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director of the Douglas-Coffee County Industrial Authority. She has more than 20 years of economic development experience with local and state government; serving a Main Street Director, Director of Tou... Read more
Bob Simmons
Bob Simmons Business Development Manager for the Development Authority of Fulton County. Prior to the Development Authority of Fulton County assuming the role as the economic development arm for the Fulton County Government, he was the Marketing Division Manager for the Fulton County Economic D... Read more
Nathan Sparks
Nathan Sparks began his career in economic development while pursuing a degree in International Studies, Economics and Spanish at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA. It was then that Nathan was selected for Governor Zell Miller’s “Governor’s Intern Program” and was subsequently assigned to wor... Read more
Staff
Mike Pennington
Executive Director
Mike Pennington is the Executive Director of the Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA). GEDA’s Mission is “to provide and promote networking and professional development opportunities and to shape economic development public policy.” His daily role is to manage the operations, programs... Read more
Chevelle Wilson
Manager, Member Services
Chevelle Wilson has served as Manager, Member Services for the Georgia Economic Developers Association since September 2002. In this role, she supports the daily operations of the organization, including member services, communications, financial management and general administration. Additiona... Read more