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Historic Preservation Commission

About the Historic Preservation Commission

The first major step taken by Cobb County toward protecting its past was the passage of a countywide historic preservation ordinance in 1984. This ordinance was the first of its kind in Georgia. The ordinance established the Cobb County Historic Preservation Commission. Read the Cobb County Historic Preservation Ordinance.

The Preservation Commission is made up of five county residents who are appointed by the Board of Commissioners. Members of the Preservation Commission possess interest and knowledge that qualify them to recommend specific buildings, districts, sites, structures or works of art to receive historical designation. They make recommendations to the Board of Commissioners.

Commission Members

Bev Jackson – Appointed by Chairwoman Lisa Cupid (At-Large)

Bev Jackson's family goes back more than 100 years in Cobb County. Her paternal great grandfather bought the Grogan family home and the land it sits on in the late 1800's. Born and raised in Michigan, Ms. Jackson spent nearly every summer in Cobb and developed a keen interest in its history.

Ms. Jackson spent most of her career as a television news producer with the CBS, ABC and NBC networks in New York City. She credits time with an architectural firm early in her career as sparking interest in community preservation and development.  She often jokes had she not been a journalist, she would have been an architect.

Ms. Jackson also worked as a middle school educator with Cobb County Schools and since retiring, has specialized in community outreach/engagement working on numerous local, state and national political campaigns. A volunteer with several community organizations, she is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta, Cobb County Democratic Party, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.  Ms. Jackson also serves on the Board of Directors for several non-profits including The Center for Family Resources.

Ms. Jackson holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech and Journalism from the University of Michigan, as well as an education add-on certificate from the University of Georgia. The proud mother of one son, Ms. Jackson currently resides in Marietta and attends Noonday Missionary Baptist Church.

Abbie Parks – Appointed by Commissioner Keli Gambrill (District 1)

As an advocate for community service and involvement, Abbie has assumed leadership positions in the small town environment of Acworth with her primary focus in historic preservation and regionally responsible development and growth. She was honored as Acworth Citizen of the Year in 2002.

Active with Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society, Inc., Abbie serves as chair of the Board of Trustees and is editor of The Landmarker, the Society’s bi-monthly newsletter. She also docents at the Society's house museum, the Root House, and often can be found there cooking on the home's 1850s wood stove.

Abbie serves as Chairman of Cobb County’s Historic Preservation Commission and Advisory Committee for Kennesaw State University’s Center for Regional History and Culture. With an avid interest in architecture, Abbie is a member of Vernacular Georgia and has served on its Board of Directors and as editor of their newsletter, The Monitor. Heritage tourism piqued her interest several years ago and Abbie chairs the Acworth Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. She has also co-authored two local pictorial essays on regional history.

Abbie works as a community education advocate with her volunteer educational efforts including being a founding member of the Acworth Elementary Mentoring Program; liaison for North Cobb High School Local Area Studies Advancement Program for eight years; and Program Coordinator for The Georgia Trust’s Talking Walls Program for Cobb County.

She and her husband, Boyd, restored the 1879 vernacular Victorian home of James and Emma Alice McMillan on Main Street in 1995.

Sharman Southall – Appointed by Commissioner Jerica Richardson (District 2)

Sharman made a late career change from a private sector job in finance to a public sector job in historic preservation after completing a Master of Heritage Preservation from Georgia State. During her career with the Georgia Department of Transportation, she traveled the state as an Architectural Historian identifying historic buildings, farmsteads, and cemeteries, and evaluating these historic resources for significance under the National Register of Historic Places. This effort involved working with individual property owners, preservation groups, and city and county officials to protect, preserve and document significant historic resources that could be impacted by a proposed roadway improvement. It also satisfied a lifelong interest in old buildings.


In 2011, she received an Excellence in Documenting Georgia’s History award from the Georgia Archives for her work documenting a collection of historic photographs recovered from Corps of Engineers files. The resulting book, Lincoln County Lost: Lincoln County Before the Dam, documented properties demolished for the construction of Clark Hill Dam and was distributed to archives and libraries statewide.

From 2007 through 2012, she worked with a team of archaeologists and historians to recover and document an unmarked burial place in Bibb County believed to include the remains of persons born into slavery through the Great Migration. The Avondale Burial Place project identified the families buried there, consulted with their living descendants, and relocated the remains to a location where the burials would be protected and accessible. This project resulted in a film, I Remember, I Believe, broadcast on Georgia Public Television. The project was awarded an Exemplary Human Environmental award from the Federal Highway Administration as well as other awards. Sharman is retired, lives in Roswell (Cobb County) and is currently researching her family history that includes an alleged murder and subsequent lynching of the accused.

Rose Wing – Appointed by Commissioner JoAnn K. Birrell (District 3)

Rose Wing is a native of Cobb County and has served as Vice Chair of the Cobb County Historic Preservation Commission since 2013.  She has a deep, abiding love for history – having earned a BA degree in History, as well as a Juris Doctor degree. She is a longtime member of Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society. Her service to that organization includes two terms as Chair of the Board of Trustees. Rose is a retired Cobb County Assistant District Attorney and is now in private practice in Marietta. She is active in the Cobb County community and serves on Boards relating to historic preservation, education, children’s issues, and community concerns. She serves as an Elder at the First Presbyterian Church of Marietta. Her hobbies include traveling and playing with her Border Collie, Charlie.

Geraldine (Gerri) Aldridge – Appointed by Monique Sheffield (District 4)

Geraldine (Gerri) Aldridge is an educator, entrepreneur, motivator and mentor to children and adults! She has worked in several counties in Georgia, including Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett, as well as Atlanta Public Schools. After receiving BA and Med degrees from Temple University, she continued her education in Georgia by receiving another Med in Special Education from University of West Georgia in 2011. Gerri is also certified to teach English as a second language (ESOL). She is a member of the Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education, a member of the Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) and a member of the Georgia Chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children.

Gerri discovered her passion for mentoring others to succeed while working at IBM in Atlanta in the mid 80’s as an administrative assistant. She was given the opportunity to speak to small and large groups of people on how to market themselves in the work force. This was a time when several hundred employees were furloughed from IBM. After leaving IBM in 1994, Gerri decided to re-enter the educational field. As a result, she continues to teach, develop and motivate leaders. She is currently collaborating with a friend on several motivational speaking opportunities!

Gerri enjoys gardening, reading, creative writing and cooking great food for friends and family. For the past two years, Gerri supports the arts by volunteering at the Cobb Energy Center (CEPAC), the Rialto Theater and the Alliance Theater as an usher. In her community, she has volunteered as a child advocate (CASA) Cobb County Juvenile Court and as a Director, Community Involvement, Griffin Middle School in Cobb County. She is currently the Volunteer Coordinator of the Riverline Historic Area Preservation Committee in Cobb County and a member of the American Alliance of Museums. Gerri was recently appointed to the Cobb County Historic Preservation Commission as a member representing District 4 by Commissioner Lisa Cupid. She resides in Cobb County with her husband, Michael. Gerri can be reached on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Preservation Commission Meeting Dates

All Historic Preservation Commission work sessions and public hearings are open to the public and begin at 6:00 pm. Meetings are conducted in the Board of Commissioners meeting room on the 2nd floor of the Cobb County Building at 100 Cherokee Street, Marietta, GA unless otherwise noted.

Meetings follow the Roberts Rules of Order and are recorded when possible.  Please call ahead if special hearing/physical accommodations are required.

County Preservation Planner: 770-528-2010

 

2023 Meeting Information

Date Meeting Type Agenda/Minutes Link COA Application Due Date
Jan 8, 2024 Work Session/Public Hearing Minutes December 22
Feb 12, 2024 Work Session/Public Hearing Minutes January 29
Mar 11, 2024 Work Session/Public Hearing Agenda February 26
Apr 8, 2024 Work Session/Public Hearing   March 25
May 13, 2024 Work Session/Public Hearing   April 29
Jun 10, 2024 Work Session/Public Hearing   May 28
July 8, 2024 Work Session/Public Hearing   June 24
Aug 12, 2024 Work Session/Public Hearing   July 29
Sept 9, 2024 Work Session/Public Hearing   August 26
Oct 14, 2024 Work Session/Public Hearing   September 30
Nov 11, 2024 Work Session/Public Hearing   October 28
Dec 9, 2024 Work Session/Public Hearing   November 25

*Date rescheduled due to holiday