Dawson County has new planning director

DAWSONVILLE - The Dawson County Board of Commissioners recently announced the selection of Holland J. Leger as planning director.

Leger served as the city planner of Webster, Texas for the past three years. In that position he acted as planning director and was responsible for all current- and long-range planning, zoning and land development. Prior to that, Leger served for 12 years as senior planner for the Greenville County Planning Commission in South Carolina.

"In our search for a new planning director, Dawson County appealed to both state and national authorities for applicants," Community Development Director Lynn Tully said.

"The search was well worth the effort in that many qualified applications were received and it was difficult to pare down the list. However, the applicant from Texas stood out."

She continued: "His qualifications and experience were just the right combination for our rural transitioning county. I am pleased to welcome Holland Leger to our staff and excited to be working with him on our planning team."

The University of Southwestern Louisiana graduate received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology and earned a Master of Arts degree in Urban and Regional Planning with a 4.0 GPA.

Leger is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), the American Planning Association, and received recognition from the City of Webster for Meritorious Service to the Emergency Operations Center during Hurricane Rita.

"The opportunity to return to the mountains and continue the pursuit of a rewarding career serving local government as part of the Dawson County management team is so exciting," Leger said.

"I anxiously look forward to the challenge of promoting quality development in the community, while providing effective rural growth management and planning services for the conservation, preservation and enhancement of the mountainous regions of North Georgia," he continued.

Leger's duties as planning director began this week.