On Thursday, August 14, 2014, the Middle Georgia Regional Commission (MGRC) held its August Council meeting and, at this meeting, the MGRC was pleased to host Commissioner Gretchen Corbin of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) as its guest speaker.  Commissioner Corbin addressed a crowd of over 70 council members, staff and guests, saying, “It is an honor to be here with all of you.  Having grown up in the economic development and the community development world, when I think of regional commissions and I think of what should a regional commission do, how should it perform and what should it really strive to do, what should be the direction, I always think of the Middle Georgia Regional Commission.”

Commissioner Corbin went on to describe her experiences during her first year as the head of DCA after her previous position in the Georgia Department of Economic Development.  She discussed DCA’s strong partnership with Regional Commissions and its commitment to assisting local governments throughout the state.  DCA offers over 65 programs to assist local communities in the areas of economic development, housing, infrastructure and more.  The Commissioner highlighted several projects in Middle Georgia that DCA assisted with, including infrastructure improvements at the Hawkinsville-Pulaski Industrial Park, a workforce development center in Peach County, and downtown park improvements in Eatonton.

“We are extremely pleased that the Commissioner was able to join us,” said Ralph Nix, Executive Director of the MGRC, “on behalf of our governing council and our staff, we are grateful for her support of regional commissions, her partnership with us, and for all that she and DCA have done to support the communities of Middle Georgia.  We look forward to the continued success of our partnership under her leadership at DCA.”

For more information about the Georgia Department of Community Affairs or Commissioner Gretchen Corbin, visit their website here.