Cobb to speak at chamber Annual Banquet
By Deborah Bennett Millen News Editor

Nancy Cobb, executive director of the OneGeorgia Authority, will be the guest speaker at the Millen-Jenkins County Chamber of Commerce to be held 7 p.m. Thursday, April 24, at the Millen Community House. Tickets are $10 each and may be purchased at the chamber office or from any chamber director.

Nancy was born and raised on a diversified farm in Jenkins County. She was educated in the public schools in Millen and holds an A.S. degree from Middle Georgia College and a BBA in Accounting from Georgia State College and University. She is a Certified Governmental Finance Officer and is a Certified Public Accountant candidate, having passed all testing requirements.

She was sworn in as the executive director of the OneGeorgia Authority in 2002 and reappointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue in 2003. The OneGeorgia Authority, created in 2000, targets assistance to Georgia's rural areas and its most economically distressed communities utilizing one-third of the state's tobacco settlement funds. The Authority expects to receive $1.6 billion over the course of the 25- year settlement.

Prior to her initial appointment, Nancy served as interim executive director of the Authority for nine months. Coming on board shortly after start-up as Finance Officer, she has been an integral part of the policies, program development and operations of the Authority.

Under Nancy's leadership, the Jenkins County Development Authority has applied for and received two OneGeorgia grants in the amounts of $201,000 and $430,000 for the purchase and development of industrial site properties.

At the state level, Nancy serves on a number of boards and councils and was appointed by Gov. Perdue to the Board of Trustees for Southern Growth Policies Board, a 13-state policy and think-tank group and also serves on the National Register Review Board for Historic Preservation.

Nancy and her husband, Dr. Robert Cobb, have three children.