The Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Authority (EDA), have selected Matt Seale as the Chief Executive Officer of the two organizations. Stuart Smith, president of the EDA, made the announcement this week.
“We are excited about the energy and experience Matt is bringing to our economic development efforts here” Smith said. “The EDA board, with support of the chamber, has searched for someone who can lead us to the next level of growth, and we believe Matt is the one to lead us there. This is a great move for our organizations and our community and we look forward to new opportunities.”
Originally from Hinesville, Georgia, Seale is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology. After a few years in the Atlanta area after graduation, he moved to South Georgia where he bought a commercial building in downtown Ocilla, Georgia and settled there. He has a variety of business experiences that include investment services, retail, digital marketing, and food manufacturing. Seale also served as the Mayor of Ocilla from 2015-2021, and served as the Chairman of Ocilla-Irwin County Industrial Development Authority and Vice-Chair of the Irwin-Ben Hill Joint Development Authority.
“I love rural south Georgia,” says Seale, “and understand why more people want to be here and enjoy the quality of life here, whether it's because this is where home and family has always been, or because they discover this is where they want to call home from here on out. It’s our responsibility to create the community and economic environment to give people the opportunity to live, work, and raise families here.”
In addition to his past service on various boards and committees as Mayor, Seale currently serves on the Board of Directors of Wiregrass Georgia Technical College and has been reappointed to the Council of the Southern Georgia Regional Commission. Additionally Seale has served in the United States Navy for over 20 years, did a tour in Iraq in 2007-2008, and continues to serve today in the Navy Reserve as a Naval Intelligence Officer, currently holding the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 2.
The EDA was created in 1959 to stimulate economic development within the City of Douglas and throughout Coffee County. It has a history of being one of the most successful non-metropolitan authorities in the State of Georgia, having recruited many national companies and businesses, including a Wal-Mart Distribution Center; Elixir Industries; PCC Airfoils, LLC; Southwire Company, and Premium Waters, Inc, among others.
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