Waycross-Ware County Development Authority

PositionAnnouncement – President
Waycross-WareCountyDevelopmentAuthority
Waycross,Georgia
Overview. Th e Chason Group, Inc. has been selected to conduct a nationwide executive
search for an experienced economic developer to lead the Waycross-Ware County
Development Authority in Waycross, Georgia.
Key Roles of President. The full-time president will report to the members of the
Development Authority. The professional will be responsible for the overall day-to-day vision
and leadership of Waycross and Ware County’s economic development initiatives including
serving as the primary development representative for the community.
Qualifications. Individuals applying for the president’s position should hold a minimum of
three years of management experience in the economic and/or community development
field(s). Th e professional should also be self-motivated as well as have a minimum of a
Bachelor’s degree, ideally with an MBA or other post graduate work, from an accredited
college or equivalent experience. Emphasis will be given to Certified Economic Development
professionals or individuals in process of achieving certification.
PortofSavannah
PortofBrunswick
RiceYard– CSX
Transportation
classificationyardin
Waycross-WareCounty,
Georgia.
PortofJacksonville
JAXInternationalAirport
Waycross-WareCountyhaseasyaccesstothreeportsandishome tothelargest
classificationyardinthesoutheasternUnitedStatesoperatedbyCSX Transportation.
Waycross-WareCounty
DevelopmentAuthority
PositionAnnouncement– Waycross-WareCounty,GeorgiaDevelopment Authority
The Development Authority.
The
Waycross-Ware County Development
Authority members have recently been
appointed by the Waycross Mayor and
City Council and the Ware County Board
of Commissioners. The charge to the
members is to organize themselves to
become aggressive in the search for new
businesses to locate in the community
and develop strong relationships with
existing businesses. D eveloping a
strategic plan that matches the goals of
the community in terms of economic
development is also a part o f the
Development Authority’s role.
TheCSXTransportationRiceYardin
Waycrossisthelargestclassificationyard
inthesoutheasternUnitedStates.
Financially, the City of Waycross and Ware County have committed to funding for the
Development Authority in order to grow the local economy. Special Purpose Local Option Sales
Tax (SPLOST) funds have b een collected and are available for infrastructure improvements to
various industrial sites.
Location. Waycross, located in south Georgia, is approximately one hour from Georgia’s Golden
Isles and approximately one hour from the Jacksonville, FL International Airport (JAX). The city is a
key railroad junction for the movement o f products throughout the southeastern United States.
Lines from six directions meet in the city. Waycross gained its name from the strategic position it
holds for the rail lines - where the “ways cross”.
Waycross-WareCountyisalsoknownasthe
gatewaytotheOkefenokeeSwamp.
Waycross-WareCounty
DevelopmentAuthority
Transportation. Waycross and War e
County have grown thanks to a
transportation
infrastructure
that
provides easy access to three major
ports (Savannah, Brunswick, and
Jacksonville). The CSX Transportation
Rice Yard is the largest of nine
classification yards operated by the rail
company and the largest in the
southeastern United States. Th e War e
County Airport is operated by the county
government and showcases three
runways: 6,000 feet, 5,035 feet, and
3,528 feet. US Highways 1, 82, and 84
provide four lane access to interstates
10, 75, and 95 in less than an hour.
PositionAnnouncement– Waycross-WareCounty,GeorgiaDevelopment Authority
WaycrossandWareCountyhavestrongpartnershipstosupportbusinesses.
Growth Potential. The Development Authority holds ownership of two industrial parks in the
community. Both have sites available for expansion of existing companies as w ell as a location for
entrepreneurs. The largest of the two sites is adjacent to the Ware County Airport.
Workforce Development. Waycross and Ware County are a hub for education and training
opportunities. The Ware County School District has a pre-school, six elementary schools, two
middle schools, one high school and a learning center. The school system is one of the largest
public sector employers in the area. Coastal Pines Technical College is a unit of the Technical
College System of Georgia and is a public, two-year r egional college with the main campus located
in Waycross. Several programs have been developed by the college that are unique to the ar ea,
including: Forestry Technology, Electrical Lineworker Apprentice, and Railroad Systems
Managem ent Technology. The latter plays a significant role in the development of team m embers
for the railroad industry. South Georgia State College also has a campus in Waycross. The college
is a part of the University System o f Georgia and offers, as an example, bachelor degr ees in
biological sciences and nursing. Waycross is also a regional retail and medical center, serving the
needs of South Georgians from eight surrounding counties.
Georgia. Georgia’s pro-business environment is the product of state statutes, economic
development practices, business development support, fiscal conservatism, community leadership,
and an innovative, progressive business community. Georgia was the first southeastern state to
pass single-factor corporate tax apportionment. This means that in-state sales are the only relevant
factor in determining the portion of taxable income to which the 6 percent corporate tax rate is
applied. Georgia is one of a handful of states to have the highest bond ratings (AAA) from all three
major municipal bond rating agencies — Moody’s, Fitch and Standard & Poor’s. Year after year,
Georgia ranks as one of the top states for business. In 2013 and again in 2014, Georgia was named
the No. 1 State in the nation for Business by Site Selection magazine. The same magazine named
Georgia the No. 1 Most Competitive State in May 2014. CNBC, a world-leading news source for
business and financial information named Georgia America’s Top State for Business in 2014.
Sources For Position Announcement: Waycross-Ware County Development Authority, Waycross-Ware County
Chamber of Commerce, Waycross Tourism Bureau, Ware County Airport, Waycross Journal Herald. Photo credits
to Dave Callaway, Callaway Advertising, Waycross, GA.
HowToApply
For more information regarding the executive search process for the Waycross-War e County
Development Authority, please contact Tim Chason at 404/735-0540 or Randy Cardoza at
404/661-9438. A cover letter and resume may be submitted to [email protected].
Waycross-WareCounty
DevelopmentAuthority