C. Jones Hooks Bestowed Honorary Life Member Status

C. Jones Hooks, CEcD, Executive Director, Jekyll Island Authority, was made an Honorary Life Member by the Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA) at its Annual Awards luncheon on Monday. Hooks is being recognized for his long, exceptional and exemplary career and service to GEDA.

Hooks served as the Chair of GEDA in 1995, the 32nd leader of the association. He has more than 40 years of experience in leading organizations. A native Georgian, Jones graduated from the University of Georgia, then received an MBA from George Washington University. He has worked at organizations in both the public and private sectors, and on local, state, national, and international levels. Hooks achieved the CEcD, or Certified Economic Developer, designation from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).

He was the Director of the Kings Bay Impact Coordinating Committee (KBICC), the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission and the Albany Chamber of

Commerce and on the Strategic Relocation and Expansion Services group of KPMG. While there, Jones worked on the Yamacraw Mission, a state-funded, highly confidential project focused on building a high-tech economy in Georgia.

Hooks served as President/CEO of the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, a public/private regional partnership, for nine years. He has done a fantastic job of leading and developing one of Georgia’s jewels, a state-owned, coastal property, Jekyll Island, as its Executive Director since 2008. He continues his membership in good-standing in GEDA to this day.

Jones received the award at the Monday luncheon from Bert Brantley, Deputy Chief of Staff for Governmental Affairs at the Office of Governor Brian P. Kemp. Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan also addressed event attendees and congratulated all the winners. Nearly 100 economic developers from around the state attended the ceremony in-person and another thirty attended virtually