Jason Gaines is a community and economic development professional with 20 years’ experience guiding physical and economic growth in the local government sector. He previously served as the Planning and Economic Development Division Manager for the Cobb County Community Development Agency.  He was responsible for updating and maintaining Cobb’s long-range land use plan and growth strategy, in addition to administering programs and services that foster business recruitment, retention, and expansion.  Prior to that, he served as Planning & Development Manager for the City of Clarkston, Georgia, where he helped modernize the City’s community development functions through the implementation of procedures for zoning actions, sign permitting, construction permitting, land disturbance, and others.  He also played a major role in the development of Clarkston’s Downtown Streetscape project, which utilized guidance from the City’s Livable Centers Initiative plan in an effort to catalyze investment and revitalization throughout the city. Additionally, Jason spent three years as a member of the Architectural Design Review Board for the City of Forest Park, Georgia, where he and his colleagues were responsible for initial feedback and recommendations on construction projects within two of the City’s design overlay districts.

Jason holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Miami University, and a Master of City and Regional Planning Degree from Georgia Tech.  He is a professionally certified planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and has a Certificate of Local Government Management from the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at The University of Georgia. Jason is also an alum of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development (2011), Leadership DeKalb (2014), the Regional Leadership Institute (2017), and Leadership Cobb (2018).  He and his family reside in Smyrna.

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Samuel Culbreath III is currently Senior Associate Director of Annual Giving and Leadership Societies for United Way of Greater Atlanta. He has served with more than 40 nonprofits in metro Atlanta as board member, coordinator, and general volunteer. After volunteering for 6+ years with various committees within Austell Community Taskforce, he was elected to board leadership in 2020. Prior to working in the social sector, he worked in public health and political spaces as project manager. He has BPS in Organizational Leadership from University of Memphis.

Dr. Crystal Wyche is a current resident of South Cobb, for many years. She offers superior professional expertise in education, public relations, and marketing development for resilient business organizations.

She earned a B.A. in Mass Communications from Winston Salem State University in North Carolina. Upon completion of undergraduate studies, she worked among prominent organizations serving in technology and business operations for the American Broadcasting News Company (ABC News) and as Assistant to the University Architect of Duke University. She also obtained her M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Shorter University located in Rome, Georgia and has earned an Ed.D. of Education in Organizational Leadership from Argosy University Atlanta.

Dr. Wyche has published work locally and abroad in her educational endeavors. She traveled to countries working alongside the Agency for Inner City Renewal (AIR) to study their methods for environmental profitability. She worked alongside business leaders exchanging developmental plans on commonwealth initiatives to transform social, political, and economically the excluded communities.

Dr. Wyche worked in media operations for Fox 5 News of Atlanta. She later transitioned to the field of business education serving as a professional development specialist with the Atlanta Board of Education under the School of Leadership and Economic Empowerment. Dr. Wyche was also elected as President of the South Cobb Local School Council to implement strategic planning for school reform, budget, and curriculum changes. Her philosophy of leadership is a great follower who willingly transforms obstacles to triumphs with vision, passion, and excellence.

Dr. Wyche currently resides in Mableton with her husband Timothy Wyche and their five daughters. She is a member of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce and the Cobb County Democratic Party.

Vacant

As Senior Vice President of Development for the Prestwick Development Company, Edrick focuses on new development and redevelopment opportunities throughout the Southeast.  Edrick leads the team which is responsible for development of affordable multifamily, independent senior living, and tax credit acquisition and rehabilitation.

Edrick Harris has more than 15 years of experience in real estate development.  His previous project experience allows him to assist the company in the creation and implementation of new development opportunities.   His team responsibilities include sourcing multifamily opportunities throughout the Southeast.

Prior to joining Prestwick Development, Edrick served as the Director of Real Estate Development for H.J. Russell and Company and Vice President with the Benoit Group, successfully completing over 20 projects including several mixed income and mixed use projects.  His project portfolio includes several key revitalization projects such as Historic Westside Village, The Legacy at Castleberry Hill, and the Villages of Carver.  Of note, the Villages at Carver is a $63 million redevelopment that included market, PHA, LIHTC, and Tax Exempt Bond financed units.  The total program was 667 units in 5 phases completed over 9 years. 

Edrick has also worked for the city of Kennesaw as the Planning and Zoning Administrator serving as the department lead.  His duties included plan review, development consultation, and planning & zoning analysis.  He received a bachelors in real estate and a planning master’s degree from Georgia Tech. 

Dana Johnson is the Chief Operating Officer of the Cobb Chamber and Executive Director of Select Cobb. In this role, Dana assists with developing and implementing the strategic direction of the Cobb Chamber. Additionally, he focuses on leading the economic development organization called SelectCobb. It is an entity housed within the Cobb Chamber and it works with local, state, and regional partners to grow jobs and investment in Cobb County, GA. With SelectCobb, Dana leads business recruitment and retention, developing workforce pipelines, implementing the county’s international business strategy, assisting entrepreneurs/small businesses, and building relationships with partners, consultants, and brokers. Prior to working with the Cobb Chamber, Dana held multiple roles at the Cobb County Community Development Agency, ending his tenure as Agency Director. As Agency Director he was responsible for the oversight of 130 employees, a $10M operating budget, and the collection of over $50M in revenues.

Mr. Johnson has a B.A. in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island and a Masters in City Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He serves on the Board for WorkSource Cobb, the Strand Theatre, and the Marietta Arts Council. He has also completed Honorary Commanders, Leadership Cobb, and the Regional Leadership Institute. He has worked in the Cobb community for over twenty years. He is happily married to his husband Ross and they live in East Cobb with their dog Kody.