VALDOSTA — Mary Beth Brownlee, director of the One Valdosta-Lowndes initiative, addressed the Lowndes County Commission, unveiling the group’s strategic plans aimed at fostering community engagement and addressing key issues in the area.
During the presentation, Brownlee spoke of the group’s initial priorities: Engagement, Talent, Place and Opportunity.
The engagement aspect focuses on the importance of resident and leader involvement in “shaping the community’s future and ensuring its success,” she said.
The group’s early assessment several years ago was that “The community is divided and there is a lack of trust. Leaders are afraid to address race and socioeconomic tensions because it is uncomfortable, and no one has all the answers”.
Brownlee said, however, the good news is that relations have shifted in a positive direction since that initial assessment.
“Leadership has changed across the community, in a lot of ways since 2017. I think there’s still some pieces of it that might linger. Other (issues) have been addressed completely, but I put it out there to show you how we got to where we are and some of the key takeaways from that planning effort…there was a sense of division in that community and perhaps it wasn’t as strong as it could be. I think that’s changed greatly. I don’t know that it’s wholly solved,” she said.
Another key finding from the planning effort revealed that poverty rates were identified as a common concern, not unique to Lowndes County but prevalent throughout South Georgia.
“How can we change that here in our community? It’s focusing on the students, focusing on the faculty and really leveraging them to invest in our industries here and invest in our small business here,” she said.
The strategic priorities outlined by One Valdosta-Lowndes include initiatives such as The Longest Table, which seeks to foster connections within the community, and the Community Heroes Program, aimed at recognizing and honoring essential workers such as first responders and health care professionals.
Another objective is to align education and training with workforce needs, leveraging the intellectual capital at Valdosta State University and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College to drive community and workforce development, she said. The Study at Home-South Georgia initiative focuses on providing experiential learning opportunities.
One Valdosta-Lowndes also envisions the community emerging as a regional leader and establishing “a unique sense of place that residents can embrace and enjoy,” she said. Strategic priorities in this regard include the River Camp/Land Between the Rivers Park Master Plan and commercial redevelopment corridors such as Georgia Beer to Downtown/Unity Park.
To create a vibrant community with ample job opportunities, Brownlee pointed to the importance of economic development and leveraging key assets such as Moody Air Force Base, VSU, WGTC and South Georgia Medical Center. Initiatives like concierge tourism, Lake Park Outlets/Redevelopment and the continuing development of Valdosta Regional Airport are among the strategic priorities.
Moving forward, One Valdosta-Lowndes plans to continue community engagement through focus groups, listening sessions and community interviews. A capital campaign will be launched by the end of the year.