Figuring Out Who Will Direct the ADDA in Athens, Ga.

A subcommittee composed of board members of the Athens Downtown Development Authority and downtown business people is refining the qualities they want the next ADDA director to have. The group met Monday to continue their discussion.

They considered a draft document pulled together by ADDA board member Chris Blackmon. And they expect to have a final job description ready for the full board to vote on at its Feb. 12 meeting next week. After that, the job will be advertised in a variety of platforms. If a suitable candidate doesn't emerge, the board could consider hiring a headhunter to find Just the Right Person.

According to the draft document, the executive director should have the "strongest possible combination" of skills in areas such as: economic development, communications, marketing & public relations, finance, parking and organizational management. 

At Monday's meeting, someone suggested that he or she should also have a master's degree, in public administration or architectural design. Oh, and the next director should have run his or her own business, said Creighton Root, owner of Al's Chicago Italian Beef, a Clayton Street business. And should have experience supervising others.

Sub-committee chair Brian Brodrick said the final job description will emphasize that the successful candidate doesn't have to handle all aspects of the ADDA's activities. Delegating duties will also be a useful skill.

The ADDA board expects to hire the next director by May 14. This past December, the current director, Kathryn Lookofsky, resigned from her position. Her contract ends in the summer.

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