JoAnne Lewis is President of the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director of the Douglas-Coffee Economic Development Authority. She has more than 25 years of economic development experience with local and state government. Her main career objective has been to grow jobs and business to support a strong economy. She understands the importance of health and social issues as an important piece of the puzzle to support the development of a skilled and qualified workforce.
As a respected economic development professional, Lewis has gained support from regional, state and national professional organizations. She served as the Chairman of the Georgia Economic Developer’s Association in 2013. She has also served as a Director on the Board of Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. She received Georgia’s Al Burress Lifetime Achievement Award for the State of Georgia, Regional Partnership Award from East Central Technical College and was recognized in 2007 as the national recipient for the Economic Development Leadership Award by the National Rural Economic Development Association.
Her time and talent amplifies success at work and through volunteerism in the local community, region and the State of Georgia. In 2014 she spearheaded the acquisition, development and opening of a substance abuse recovery center for women – Still Waters Outreach, Inc.
The program for women at Still Waters supports substance abuse recovery through faith — and faith through recovery. The environment is more than just a place to live; it’s a place of spiritual healing where women can face their problems as they study God’s word, grow in Christ and prepare for workforce reentry.
