Athens-Clarke County Unified Government Manager Blaine Williams was elected as president of the Georgia City County Manager’s Association (GCCMA) by his peers during its spring conference March 20-22 at the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia. Williams will serve a one-year term heading the professional association. He previously served this past year as the association's Vice President.

Georgia has 159 counties and 538 cities, many of which are professionally managed. GCCMA provides a number of services to help strengthen its members knowledge and skill sets.

"Whether city or county, large or small, management of these forms of government have similar mandates in working with elected officials and providing services to citizens," said Williams. "GCCMA provides a forum for sharing best practices and transferring knowledge among its members."

The group holds two major conferences each year to educate and inform its estimated 400 members on issues and challenges facing local government administrators. It works closely with the Georgia Municipal Association, the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, and the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government.

One of the organization’s goals during William's presidency is to undertake a strategic planning process to provide guidance for the organization’s future.

"Due to the work of this board and past boards, association membership is strong, we are in good financial position, and we provide quality professional development opportunities to our members," said Williams. "It is time to become more intentional and increase the relevance of what is offered to Georgia’s administrators."

Originally founded in the 1950s, the GCCMA focuses on providing educational and professional resources, as well as networking opportunities to a diverse membership. Its mission is to create excellence in local governance by fostering innovation, mentoring, networking, continuing education, and other professional development opportunities. The Georgia City-County Management Association is a recognized affiliate organization of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). For more information, visit www.gccma.com.

Williams was appointed the Manager of the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government in 2016 by the Mayor and Commission. Previously, he served as the Assistant Manager of the Unified Government, and before in Floyd County, Georgia as the County Manager and Assistant Manager. Blaine has also worked for the Middle Georgia Regional Commission and the City of Rome, Georgia. He holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Georgia and has completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.