Georgia DOT State Board Member Visits Camden County

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Angela Wigger, St. Marys Convention & Visitors Bureau

912.882.4000, angela.wigger@stmarysga.gov

 

Team Camden Hosts Newly Elected State Board of Transportation Representative

St. Marys, Georgia (March 2013) - The Economic Development Organizations of Camden County, hosted the Honorable Ann Purcell for a two day tour of Camden County on March 4^th and 5^th.  Former Legislator Ann Purcell was recently elected to the State Board of Transportation of Georgia representing the 17 county 1st Congressional District.  Her visit included a number of Georgia Department of Transportation staff members and was comprised of a tour of areas in Woodbine, Kingsland and St. Marys and a “Meet and Greet” presentation prior to her departure.

Team Camden felt it was important, as our new district representative, that Purcell view Camden County early in her term and be apprised personally of the concerns, questions, successes and failures regarding current and future plans for the area and that she have the opportunity to meet and talk to Camden’s community leaders, administrators and elected officials. 

The all-cities tour included community highlights, project updates and reviews, and traffic safety concerns.  The visit included a “Meet and Greet” session held in Kingsland, where after an energetic introduction by Artie Jones III, Director of the City of St. Marys Economic Development Office, Purcell shared how she was impressed with the unity she observed while in Camden County.  Mrs. Purcell was eager to let Camden County know that she is available to us and willing to assist whenever possible.  She showed great understanding and concern for our position on Interstate 95 and discussed how important it is for all of us on the I-95 corridor to do whatever we can to use this asset and get travelers off of the highway and into our communities.  Other topics discussed during the visit were gateway grants for beautification of interchanges, community partnerships in high-traffic areas with heavy litter, improvement and expansion ideas for evacuation routes, and tree-clearing around interchanges for better business visibility.

Georgia DOT is governed by a 14-member State Transportation Board which exercises general control and supervision of the Department. The Board is entrusted with powers which include, but are not limited to: naming the Commissioner; designating which public roads are encompassed within the state highway system; approving long-range transportation plans; overseeing the administration of construction contracts; and authorizing lease agreements. Board Members are elected by a majority of a General Assembly caucus from each of Georgia’s fourteen congressional districts. Each board member serves a five-year term.

Team Camden is made up of members representing each of the Camden County Economic Development Organizations including the Camden County Chamber of Commerce, The Camden County Joint Development Authority, The Camden Partnership, Kingsland Development Authority, Kingsland Downtown Development Authority, Kingsland Convention & Visitors Bureau, St. Marys Downtown Development Authority, St. Marys Industrial Development Authority, St. Marys Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Woodbine Downtown Development Authority. The group works toward developing a well-coordinated team approach and presenting a unified approach for economic development to best position Camden County to reach its economic potential.

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*Photo Credit Georgia Department of Transportation