Janet Hartman Chosen DDA Program Manager
By Norman Cooper
(Posted online with permission from North Georgia News Editor, Norman Cooper)

The Downtown Development Authority of Blairsville has selected Janet Hartman as its new Better Hometown Program Manager.

Hartman was one of the two finalists for the job who were interviewed by the DDA. "Ms. Hartman was interviewed by three of the DDA members, " said Rhonda Mahan, a member of the Blairsville City Council and member of the DDA board. "She has good qualifications."

The three DDA members will make the formal recommendation to the full seven-member board in the January meeting, which is expected to approve the new program manager. "She has been putting in some time right now to get familiarized with the program," Mahan said.

Hartman is scheduled for the Better Hometown training in early January.

The DDA has several criteria it must meet to obtain the status of a Better Hometown. One of those is having a program manager in place. The initial program manager hired by the DDA resigned.

"We got the program manager replaced within the deadline," Mahan said. "we are still on track."

As program manager, Hartman will manage all administrative aspects of the Better Hometown Program, will work with the DDA members to develop strategies for downtown economic development through historic preservation, assist business and property owners within improvement projects, serve as an advocate for downtown issues at the local and state levels, and perform other duties.