Fayette County Development Authority (FCDA) President and CEO Matt Forshee will be leaving Fayette at the end of April to become the Augusta Area Community Development manager for Georgia Power Co.
Contacted Tuesday, Forshee said his last day in Fayette County will be April 30. He will begin his new job in Augusta on May 5.
Forshee moved to Fayette County in 2006 from Oconee County, where he first was a land planner and later headed the county’s economic development efforts.
He left the FCDA job in early 2010 for a similar job for the Athens (Ga.) Economic Development Foundation.
He returned to his old job heading up FCDA in November 2011. It was after his return to Fayette that he was instrumental in bringing Pinewood Atlanta Studios to Fayetteville. Pinewood is arguably the largest single economic development initiative to locate in Fayette County in recent history.
Forshee said his new job with Georgia Power will include working with counties and development groups in the 11-county Augusta area.
As for Fayette County and the still-new Pinewood project, Forshee said “Pinewood was a once in a lifetime project. Pinewood is in great hands and things will be good for Fayette in the years to come.”
Asked about Forshee’s move to Augusta, FCDA board member Joe Morton said, “It will be a real loss for Fayette County.”
Georgia Power is one of the FCDA’s listed “utility partners.”
The three paid staff members are President and CEO Matt Forshee; Emily Poole, business retention and expansion manager; and Karla Bates, office manager.
FCDA board members include Chairman Randy Hayes, Phil Smelley, Mike Brady, Hollis Harris, Joe Morton, Richard Whiteley and John Woody.
