North Fulton Transformation

Matthew A. Thomas is the Economic Development Manager for the City of Alpharetta. In this role he is responsible for the City's business retention, expansion, and attraction programs. His past experiences include work with the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, and the City of Canton. He graduated from the University of West Georgia in 2011 with a B.S. in Economics. Matthew is a member of the International Economic Development Council, the Georgia Economic Developers Association, a recent graduate of Leadership North Fulton, and in 2018, was named a University of West Georgia "Thriving Under 30" Honoree.

Sarah LaDart joined the City of Milton as economic development manager in December 2014. In her position, LaDart works to ease the barriers for entry, foster responsible and sustainable growth of the business community, and create opportunities for businesses and talent that reflect the core values of our city. Prior to joining Milton, LaDart spent five years doing economic development for North Fulton at the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and Progress Partners of North Fulton Atlanta. In that time, some of the more notable projects she was involved with were: GM bringing 1,000 jobs to Roswell; the Opportunity Zones in Roswell, Sandy Springs, and Alpharetta; and the Avalon development in Alpharetta. LaDart serves on The Drake House Advisory Council and served on the North Fulton Hospital’s Women’s Advisory Board and ARC’s Millennial Advisory Committee. She is a graduate of the Regional Leadership Institute (2012) and Leadership North Fulton (2010). LaDart earned her MBA from Kennesaw State University and her bachelor’s from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She has two children, Sloan and Ellie.

Steve Stroud is a community leader, currently serving as the Executive Director of Roswell Inc, which promotes economic development through a public-private partnership with the City of Roswell. Roswell Inc, under Stroud’s leadership, has marketed an expanded Opportunity Zone, increasing the number of certified businesses, and launched networking/educational/informative programs to assist and retain local businesses. Stroud and his staff continue to forge an open line of communication between business owners, developers, citizens, corporations, non-profits and various entities. Roswell Inc continues to foster these relationships to enhance the quality of the community. Previously, Stroud owned and operated Stroud’s Printing and Design for 30 years in Roswell, Georgia. Stroud has actively participated in community and nonprofits throughout Roswell for over 20 years. Stroud attended Georgia State University, with a focus in political science. A Roswell native, Stroud remains residing in Roswell, Georgia with his wife and three daughters. Current Accolades North Fulton Community Charities, Board Member, 2016-Current United Way of North Fulton, Board Member, 2015-Current City of Roswell Recreation and Parks Commission, 2011-2016 Synovus – Atlanta Region, Board Member, 1995-Current Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, Board Member, 1990-Current; Chairman in 1995 Roswell Rotary, Board Member, 1986-Current; President from 1993–1994 Previous Accolades Roswell Convention and Visitors Bureau, Board Member 1992-2011; Chairman from 1998-2011 Roswell Historical Society, Board Member 1986-1990 Roswell Patch – Person of the Year Community Award, 2012 Brandon Hall School, Board Member 2003-2010; Chairman in 2008 Small Business Person of the Year Award, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, 2000 North Fulton Child Development Association, Board Member 1986-1998; Chairman in 1995 STAR House, Board Member 2005-2012 Roswell Olympic Committee, 1996 Professional Development Basic Economic Development Course, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2014 Georgia Department of Community Affairs Georgia Academy for Economic Development, Class of 2012 Georgia Chamber of Commerce Leadership Georgia, Class of 1998 Atlanta Regional Commission Regional Leadership Institute, Class of 1995 Greater North Fulton Chamber Leadership North Fulton, Class of 1989

Andrea Worthy has served as the Economic Development Director for the City of Sandy Springs since 2012, where she is responsible for facilitating the location or expansion of businesses in the City. In this role, Andrea works with various partners at the local, state and regional levels to provide site selection assistance for companies and acts as the City’s business ombudsperson. Prior to joining Sandy Springs, Andrea served five years as the Economic Development Manager for the City of Smyrna. In addition to business retention and recruiting efforts, she was also involved in the City’s redevelopment efforts, working with Tax Allocation Districts and a variety of public-private partnership tools. Before her public sector work, Andrea worked with Mirant, an independent power producer and energy trading firm, where she worked in various positions, including Economic Development, Regulatory Affairs, and Performance Management. Her past experience also includes real estate and site selection work with Arthur Andersen LLP. Ms. Worthy is a member of the International Economic Development Council, the Urban Land Institute and the Georgia Economic Developers Association. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies from Georgia State University and a Master in City Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Andrea believes she has one of the best jobs in the world – she gets to combine her love of policy with assisting companies to make the decision that Sandy Springs is THE BEST place to grow their business.

Ben Song has over a decade of extensive local government, planning, and land use experience. He joined the City of Johns Creek as the Community Development Director in 2019. Ben has held supervisory roles overseeing land use, zoning, and real estate in Gwinnett County Government and in the cities of Peachtree Corners and Brookhaven. Prior to joining Johns Creek, he served as the Division Director of Real Estate and Records Management for Gwinnett County, operating a multi-million dollar budget overseeing land acquisition projects and the purchase and disposition of County property. He also previously worked for the City of Brookhaven as the Community Development Director and oversaw the adoption of the city’s first Comprehensive Plan, managed the annexation of 160 acres of land into the city, and improved the building permit review process. Ben is an active member of the American Planning Association and the Georgia Planning Association. He earned his bachelor’s from the University of Toronto and has a master’s in Public Administration from Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.

Samir Abdullahi is the Deputy Director of Economic Development for Select Fulton, Fulton County’s economic development initiative. His role is focused on promoting and attracting commerce and industry to Fulton County through strategic partnerships, marketing and preparing incentive packages for developers and businesses. He also works with Fulton County’s leadership to ensure the community continues to be a business friendly place. Prior to his current role, he was the Economic Development Manager of the City of Alpharetta where he worked to brand the city as technology hub, establish a city driven tech incubator formally known as the Alpharetta Technology Commission and led the recruitment of large global and regional headquarter relocations like Fiserv Solutions and Halyard Health. He also previously worked for Partnership Gwinnett, Gwinnett County’s public-private economic development initiative. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Samir holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations. He also holds a master’s in Public Policy from Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies where he frequently lectures.

Darin W. Collier is a Partner and President of The Worthing Companies. Mr. Collier is responsible of the day-to-day operations of Worthing and is actively involved in the conception, capitalization and execution of all development projects sponsored by the company. Mr. Collier has broad experience in the areas of multifamily development, acquisitions and dispositions, project capitalization, partnerships and joint ventures, entitlements, construction, and property operations. Mr. Collier is a past President of the Atlanta Apartment Association, and has served in numerous director and officer roles with various multifamily and business organizations, including the Georgia Apartment Association and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Collier is very active in legislative affairs affecting the development and multifamily industries, having served on Governor of Georgia's Water Rights Task Force, the Georgia Senate's Impact Fee Advisory Committee, and the National Multi-Housing Council's GSE Futures Task Force. He is also the past chairperson of the Georgia Better Government Fund, the political action committee for the multifamily industry in Georgia.

Jeff Garrison’s passion is to create dynamic, community-changing retail centers that encompass connection, walkability and activation. He believes development should drive neighborhood engagement and bring people together for experiential shopping and dining. His key strengths lie in shaping the future of a community layout and thoughtfully converting urban infill into thriving neighborhoods that benefit residents in meaningful ways. Jeff is a partner at S.J. Collins Enterprises and has been with the company since its 2007 inception. He handles the intricate mechanics that bring a vibrant development property together – from locating new sites, building tenant relationships and communicating with neighborhood groups to hiring contractors and shepherding the project to its final phases. Over the past decade, he has developed more than 5 million square feet of retail and mixed-use space across the country. Current projects include The Interlock, an award-winning $450 million mixed-use center rising in Atlanta’s West Midtown neighborhood, and Southern Post, a multi-use property soon to transform a much-needed section of Roswell, Georgia. Jeff graduated magna cum laude with degrees in real estate and speculative finance from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a Georgia real estate license and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers. He currently serves on the board Mount Vernon Presbyterian School, where his children attend school. Jeff lives in Atlanta with his wife Jennie. The two have three children.

Chuck Hull, AIA is a Principal at Smallwood, an Atlanta based, multi-disciplinary design firm providing Master Planning, Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, and Experiential Graphic Design services to clients world-wide. Chuck has over 40 years of experience that includes the adaptive re-use and re- purposing of a wide array of commercial and institutional projects. He was the lead designer for the renovation and re-purposing of the historic Georgian Terrace Hotel, adaptive reuse and historic renovation of the American Tobacco manufacturing complex into a commercial, mixed-use campus In downtown Durham, NC, and is currently leading Smallwood’s team in the re-imagining and modernization of the historic Macon Auditorium. Chuck holds both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Architecture degree from Georgia Tech, is a member of NAIOP and has won numerous awards for Design Excellence.

Keith Mangum’s career began with 25 years of international trade services. In 2008 he became involved with solar power, wherein he partnered with CSSI (Cost Segregation Services, Inc.) to apply IRS Section 179-D Energy Tax Incentives. Since joining the CSSI Team in 2012, Mr. Mangum works with commercial property owners, developers, and tax professionals to bring income tax savings through Cost Segregation (accelerated depreciation), The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (100% Bonus Depreciation) and the IRS Repair Regulations. CSSI is the nation’s largest and most successful Cost Segregation Services firm, having completed over 20,000 Cost Segregation Studies in their 18 - year history. Mr. Mangum is involved with the Georgia Society of CPAs, the American Society of Cost Segregation Professionals, BOMA, NAIOP, and SBOA. Keith is from Pinehurst NC, a BSBA graduate of East Carolina University, and currently resides, with his wife Suzanne, at Lake Arrowhead near Canton, GA.