Ten years after first fellowship, Institute designer comes full circle with south Georgia community
Clark Stancil, creative design specialist at the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government, understands the powerful draw of home.
“I’m from a very small town, and I feel it in my bones when I’m not there. I think the heart aches for that connection to the place around you. That spirit of a place is real,” said Stancil, who hails from Nelson, Georgia.
For over a decade, that sense of place has guided Stancil’s work helping communities across Georgia envision projects that enhance quality of life for residents and visitors as a member of the institute’s design team.
“Our places are such an important part of who we are. At the Institute of Government, we get to talk to thousands of people about what makes their communities special and help bring that out. It’s a real gift,” he said.
Stancil’s quiet dedication to service, combined with his design expertise and love of history, has endeared him to his colleagues and community partners, said UGA Institute of Government faculty member Danny Bivins.
“The public sector isn’t for everyone. You have to know how to put other people first. Every once in a while, you find someone who has a public sector mentality and is the best in their class, and that’s who we’re looking for,” Bivins said. “Clark knows Georgia, he knows public service, and he knows the people. He’s one of a kind and humble.”
Stancil recently completed his second Downtown Renaissance Fellowship in Fitzgerald, the south Georgia city where his career with the Institute of Government began. He was selected for a fellowship as an undergraduate UGA landscape architecture student in 2014, where he worked alongside former Fitzgerald Community Development Director Cam Jordan.
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“Our places are such an important part of who we are. At the Institute of Government, we get to talk to thousands of people about what makes their communities special and help bring that out. It’s a real gift.” - Clark Stancil, Creative Design Specialist
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As part of that first fellowship, Stancil researched and designed a mural featuring Fitzgerald native and voting rights advocate Morris Abram. Artist Dylan Ross painted the mural, funded by a Georgia Council for the Arts grant received by the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Arts Council.
“Clark is such a student of history. He was the perfect fit for the 2014 fellowship project. By the end of that summer, the people of Fitzgerald were ready to adopt him,” recalled Chris Higdon, community development manager at the Georgia Municipal Association. “It’s great when we can circle back to a community, and it was really exciting to do that in Fitzgerald, particularly with Clark being on staff.”
The Downtown Renaissance Fellowship is part of the Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership, a collaboration between the Institute of Government, the Georgia Municipal Association and the Georgia Cities Foundation. The fellowship is a 12-week visioning program targeting community-identified projects in a selected partner city.
“Most cities don’t have a landscape architect or designer on staff. We provide design assistance they may not have access to internally,” Bivins explained.
The partnership also includes the more intensive Renaissance Strategic Visioning and Planning (RSVP) process, which incorporates community input into larger-scale master plans.
The city of Fitzgerald sought help from the Institute of Government with downtown revitalization design work in part because leaders in Ben Hill County, where Fitzgerald is located, have recently worked with the institute through the PROPEL program. PROPEL, or Planning Rural Opportunities for Prosperity and Economic Leadership, supports rural communities in fostering economic and community development strategies.
While the 2014 fellowship focused on civic spaces, the 2024 fellowship project supported economic development through providing technical assistance to downtown property owners. Stancil presented designs for updated building facades and recommended street tree options to bring more shade to Pine Street, a key downtown corridor.
He collaborated with community members like Fitzgerald property owner Emily Harper.
“My family has invested in Fitzgerald and downtown for 30-plus years now,” Harper said. “I was glad to be asked to be a part of the project. Clark gave me a lot of opportunities to put my voice into it.”
Jason Dunn, executive director of Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Economic Development Authority, said local leaders plan to incorporate the fellowship work into the City/County Comprehensive Plan, and the downtown development authority has prioritized installing a new mural featuring the city’s logo.
“The fellowship has given us some achievable goals that can instantly make a difference and add value to our downtown,” he said.
True to form, Stancil credits his success to the people around him.
“It’s so rewarding to build relationships with people who are doing the hard work in their communities. And it’s such a privilege to work with the talented folks on our team,” he said.
The building at 121 Pine Street in Fitzgerald is getting a facelift. The proposed future of the building - designed by Clark Stancil - is shown at the bottom left. Photo courtesy Jason Dunn.
The proposed look for the building at 121 Pine Street in Fitzgerald, as designed by Clark Stancil.
The original building at 121 Pine Street in Fitzgerald.
For more than 10 years, Clark Stancil has helped Georgia communities envision their future. His work is multi-faceted, including hand drawn landscapes.