The recent UGA workshop provided an opportunity for teams from Crisp, Emanuel and Marion counties to connect with their counterparts around the state as they gear up to execute the plans they have created through their first year in the program.
“The first year in PROPEL is about getting organized, getting public input and setting the agenda,” Wilson said. “In the second year, communities dive into some of those issues and work their plans.”
The three counties are actively working on projects related to workforce development, economic growth and resiliency.
Crisp County PROPEL committee members pose with the institute of Government’s Madison Drummond. (Photo by Sara Ingram)
Crisp County’s team has worked with partners to conduct a housing assessment and held a “sip and stroll” tour to begin discussing revitalizing downtown Cordele. The county is focusing its efforts on workforce housing needs, youth development, and downtown development.
“Through the help of our partners, we’ve been able to get information on resources and opportunities,” said Tim Powers, PROPEL steering committee lead and Crisp Regional Health Services community relations and foundation director. “The best thing about PROPEL is that it has fostered great communication in our county.”
PROPEL aims to find partnerships in communities to increase impact, often engaging in collaborative projects with other resources already established in the community. For example, Marion County executive committee member Jay Wells noted that his county is working with the Nature Conservancy and Flint Energies to establish a park commemorating a section of the Old Federal Road, the route French Gen. Marquis de Lafayette traveled on his farewell tour of the Southern states in 1825. The project has leveraged technical assistance through PROPEL and the Institute of Government’s River Valley Community Compatible Development (RVCCD) Plan implementation efforts, including historical research and design work, to help highlight the community’s history.
“UGA has touched every aspect of this park, and it’s given us the expertise and credibility to pursue the project,” Wells said.
Meanwhile, Emanuel County presents a unique opportunity for the program. When the county first began working with PROPEL in 2024, its committee planned to address some economic development projects. However, they chose to pivot to a county resiliency plan when the community suffered widespread destruction from Hurricane Helene in September 2024.
The county was without power, water, cell service and other necessities for several days, and roads were impassable due to fallen trees. Ken Warnock, Swainsboro-Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority CEO, said the county has a hazard mitigation plan as part of its comprehensive plan, but the committee wants to analyze the local response to this unprecedented event and look at ways to increase county resiliency with help from PROPEL.
“Our work with PROPEL could be a real opportunity. We hope to assimilate the information into a useful document that we can take forward. It would be a roadmap for rural areas to be able to plan for events like this,” Warnock said.
PROPEL was awarded top honors in the Place category at the 2023 University Economic Development Association Awards of Excellence. Learn more about PROPEL online.
Rural Georgia communities mark progress with PROPEL
Communities across Georgia are achieving big goals with help from a nationally recognized rural development program at the University of Georgia.
Wrapping Up – Baldwin, Ben Hill and Burke
“We are really excited about what Baldwin, Ben Hill and Burke have accomplished and the leadership they’re building in their communities,” said Greg Wilson, the UGA Institute of Government faculty member who leads PROPEL.