Coweta County Development Authority launches search for new president after March leadership departure

The Coweta County Development Authority is looking for its next president after its previous leader, Sarah Jacobs, departed on March 27 — and the vacancy is starting to show up in the numbers.

At a recent board meeting, authority members approved hiring The Chason Group to conduct the executive search. The position was posted through the Southern Economic Development Council's career center and remains open, according to sedc.org.

Since Jacobs left, senior project manager Walker Jeffers has been handling day-to-day operations. At Thursday's meeting, Jeffers told board members that project activity in May was slower than April — and slower than the same stretch last year. The authority worked on 26 inquiries from potential companies between January and May; during the same period in 2025, it handled 30.

May brought three new inquiries — two in manufacturing and one in food and beverage — and the authority submitted sites for each. But it also received word that two prospects had chosen to go elsewhere. Project Meridian selected a location outside Georgia entirely, while a company identified as NOS cited better building price and availability in another market.

It’s very nice to receive feedback. Unfortunately, it’s not the feedback we wanted here, but all feedback is good feedback, in my opinion.— Walker Jeffers, Senior Project Manager, Coweta County Development Authority

Board member Randy Cardoza recused himself from the discussion and vote on hiring the search firm, citing a possible conflict of interest, according to the Times-Herald.

The job posting describes the role as the authority's chief executive and principal economic development officer — someone who will supervise one project manager, lead countywide strategy, and stay hands-on with business recruitment, employer outreach, and community engagement. The authority says it wants more than an administrator: it is looking for 'a visible and trusted leader who can build relationships, generate opportunities, navigate complex public-sector dynamics, and move projects from discussion to result,' according to sedc.org.

Coweta County, located southwest of Atlanta with its county seat in Newnan, sits along Interstate 85 with rail connectivity and close proximity to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Its established economic base leans on manufacturing and logistics, and the authority's stated strategy is increasingly focused on the quality, fiscal impact, and long-term community value of new investment — not just volume.

The last person appointed to the presidency was Trae Westmoreland, who was named to the role in late 2017 with an effective start date of January 2, 2018. Westmoreland came to the authority from Georgia Power's Community and Economic Development division, where he had spent seven years and helped facilitate more than 5,200 jobs and $575 million in capital investment statewide, according to newnanceo.com. Jacobs led the authority beginning in August 2022.

The authority's next scheduled board meeting is August 6 at 9 a.m. No timeline for completing the presidential search has been made public.

Why it matters — With two deals lost in a single month and no permanent leader in place, Coweta County's ability to compete for the manufacturing and logistics investment that drives its tax base is an open question — and the hire that comes out of this search will shape that answer.

Reported by sedc.org, times-herald.com, thechasongroup.com, cowetainnovationexpo.weebly.com, newnanceo.com, gainesvilleceo.com