Hey y’all,
On a special episode of Monroe Today, my good friend Ms. Gilda Stanbery hosted Dean Nelson. He’s the Community Development Director for the city of Forsyth, Georgia which is a very important job for ensuring the success of our community. In this episode, they talked about everything from his past work experiences including the role he has today. Y’all know the routine by now, grab yourself a snack and get comfy while I recap what I learned from Monroe Today.
Mr. Nelson’s Professional Background
Mr. Nelson was born and grew up in Enterprise, Alabama. He attended Auburn University where he met his wife, Heather, during graduate school. After College, he found himself in Kentucky durin’ the early 2000s, working as a Public Administrative Specialist. There he worked directly with local governments to develop administrative tasks. After that, he transitioned to workin’ with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs as a Housing Outreach Coordinator. This was quite an intense role, as he handled 51 counties from the Florida state line all the way to Metro Atlanta. He was on the road three days out of five – what a commute! He was also the Community Housing Development Manager for the Community HOME Investment Partnership, given’ him plenty of vital experience in the public housing sector. Eventually, he came to Middle Georgia Regional Commission, where he worked as a Government Services Specialist. It was in that role, Ms. Gilda first met him when he facilitated one of our planning meetings.
Community Development Director
As of May, 2024 Mr. Nelson took on a new role with the city of Forsyth as its Community Development Director. Mr. Nelson and his team have a mighty important role in ensuring the growth of Forsyth and keep makin’ our community attractive to business investments. A big part of his job is helping new business get started by setting up a First Step Meeting. In the First Step Meeting, his team works to ensure that an individual has all of the resources they need to open their business here. Mr. Nelson facilitates the meeting with all city department heads, which lets them provide constructive feedback to a potential business owner guiding them as they set up and establish their business. He works also include Planning & Zoning, makin’ sure everything is seamless. Mr. Nelson shared that he encourages potential businesses to give his office a call, no matter how small their question.
The Future of Forsyth
I’m sure y’all are just as excited as I am to see Forsyth continue its growth with new projects and business. We are looking forward to seeing the development and completion of the projects Mr. Nelson shared with us. Recently, Forsyth’s Country Club Park saw several upgrades and the installation of a small amphitheater, pickleball courts, and basketball courts, just to name a few. It also features a new splash pad, walking trails, a new playground, and the installation of security cameras. It is a great place to enjoy a beautiful day in Forsyth! Next door is the 90 year old Forsyth Golf Club with a challenging, yet tranquil, 18 hole course. They recently resurfaced the course’s greens. Major additions to Kynette Park are underway. The city has a couple of upcoming projects that will be game changers. They include a new Municipal Court facility, a 55+ townhouse community, a new Fairfield Inn, and a Raceway gas station.
There’s so much to look forward to as Forsyth continues to flourish and grow, especially with Mr. Nelson heading up community development!
‘Till Next Time,
Your Storyteller
