Connecting resilient communities – Part 1

Earlier this year the City of Blakely was selected as a participant for UGA Archway Partnership’s Connecting Resilient Communities (CRC) program, which is designed for UGA students to carry out three projects with Blakely that will assist us in our economic development efforts.

In April a team from Blakely that included myself, Councilman Matt Lee, Stephanie Benton with the Extension Office, Harriss Brown with Blakely Feed & Seed and David Wolfe, the former Young Farmers of Early County advisor, spent two days in Athens with Archway Partnership professionals to learn more about the program process and CRC designation.

During the workshops and sessions with our Archway advisor, the team identified areas that would greatly enhance our community with UGA’s support and expertise. Over the summer, UGA worked with its various schools to match graduate students with appropriate community projects. The following projects were selected:

– Blakely Gateway Project Activation and Connectivity to Court Square (UGA College of Environment and Design)

– Early Co. Mentorship Program (UGA Institute of Leadership Advancement)

– Recreation Department Optimization (UGA Archway Partnership)

About a month ago, an Archway Partnership staff member and a graduate student with UGA College of Environment &Design visited with me. Being able to show off the many assets of Blakely and Early County is one of my most favorite aspects of my job. After meeting briefly in my office – we visited the Blakely Gateway Project on Magnolia Street. As you can very well imagine – the space is a candidate for Master of Landscape Architecture’s dream!

The student immediately saw a vision within the Gateway Project. His excitement over the possibilities that the space holds for Blakely was contagious as we spoke about the future. By the time the City held its December meeting, the student had sent in a brief update on phase one, which includes tree planting for shade, beautification and storm water.

Last fall, the Development Authority of Early County received $5,000 from the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation (KGBF) Stewardship of Southwest GA Grant. The funds must be used for the purpose of GA-native tree planting in a public space such as the Gateway of Blakely. With permission from the City of Blakely – these trees will be used to enhance the overall project.

In addition, this past week Beth Chandler – Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce and myself met with UGA Institute of Leadership (ILA) students to discuss plans to design and implement a mentorship program that will connect Early County students with our business and industry professionals.

In the upcoming months, you can expect to see much more from these community projects. No matter the football team you pull for, it is very exciting to see UGA investing its time, knowledge and resources into activating and maximizing different aspects of Blakely for a better quality of life for everyone.

Published in the Early County News December 9, 2025.