North Fulton Advisory Roundtable: Roswell Economic Development Panel

Join the Council for Quality Growth's North Fulton Advisory Roundtable on December 6th at 8:15 AM in-person at the CQG Office at Palisades Office Park for a Roswell economic development panel discussion with Roswell Inc., City of Roswell, and Visit Roswell.

Moderator:
Jason Gaines, Director of Planning, W&A Engineering

Panelists:
Steve Stroud, Executive Director, Roswell Inc.
Andy Williams, President & CEO, Visit Roswell
Darryl Connelly, Economic Development Director, City of Roswell


​Steve Stroud
Executive Director
Roswell Inc.

Steve Stroud is the Executive Director of Roswell Inc, a 501c6 nonprofit that promotes economic development through a public-private partnership with the City of Roswell. Since the organization's inception in 2012, Stroud has held this position, and under his leadership, Roswell Inc has developed networking, educational and support programs for small businesses, and worked one-on-one with business owners, entrepreneurs and state project managers to retain, expand and recruit businesses to Roswell. Additionally,  in 2021, Roswell Inc became an accredited economic development organization (AEDO) through the International Economic Development Council.

Over the last 5 year?s Roswell Inc has worked on more than 550 recruitment, retention and expansion projects, creating or retaining more than 6,200 jobs. Notable projects include GM Innovation Center, GreyOrange, Southern Post mixed-use development, Enterprise Super Center, Brixmor Property Group, PGA Superstore, Delta Dental, McKesson, SpringHill Suites and Home2 Suites. Stroud and his team continue to position Roswell as one of the premier cities in the region for innovative, community-minded businesses and entrepreneurs.

Prior to Roswell Inc, Stroud owned and operated his own small business in Roswell, Stroud?s Printing & Design, for 30 years. An active member of the community, Stroud has been involved with civic and nonprofit organizations throughout North Fulton for more than 20 years, currently serving on the board of the North Fulton Community Improvement District , Greater North Fulton Chamber, North Fulton Community Charities, Computer Museum of America and Synovus (Atlanta region). Stroud attended Georgia State University, with a focus in political science. A Roswell native, he remains residing in the city with his wife and daughters.

Andy Williams
President & CEO
Visit Roswell

Andy Williams, CMP, TMP, serves as President & CEO of Visit Roswell, the Convention & Visitors Bureau of Roswell, Georgia. At the CVB, he manages a team charged with leading the efforts of tourism promotion through marketing and sales activities relevant to the destination?s hotels, restaurants, venues, special events, attractions and film. A through-and-through Georgia-born peach, Williams has 16 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Prior to joining the team at Visit Roswell, Williams served as Director of Sales at Destination South Meetings & Events, a leading company in destination management, event production and meeting management. Previous to his time at Destination South, he was Director of Sales at the Dunwoody Convention & Visitors Bureau, where he established the organization?s annual sales plan and worked daily to build business through group sales. He also worked at the CVB in Madison, Georgia ? promoting the town as a tourism destination and partnering with location scouts on film productions being produced in the area. In Madison, he also served terms as President and Public Relations Chair of the Rotary Club of Morgan County.

Williams recently spent years in leadership positions with MPI Georgia, the seventh largest chapter within the global Meeting Professionals International community. His roles included President, Vice President of Finance, and Vice President of Membership. He is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) through the Events Industry Council and a Travel Marketing Professional (TMP) through the Southeast Tourism Society. He received the ?40 under 40? designation in 2012 from Connect Meetings for his contributions and leadership within the meetings and events industry. Additionally, MPI Georgia named Williams Rising Star of the Year in 2013, Supplier Member of the Year in 2014, and Chapter Leader of the Year in 2015. In 2018, Williams was named one of 25 ?Young Event Professionals to Watch? by Special Events Magazine. He was also recognized as a member of Roswell Magazine?s ?10 under 40.? He is a 2019 graduate of Leadership North Fulton and co-chaired the 2020 class. He also serves on the board of directors for the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and currently serves as President of the Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus.

Williams is a graduate of Young Harris College and Georgia Southern University. At Georgia Southern, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in tourism & commercial recreation. He and his wife Ryan have a son, Morgan (8), and daughter, Addie (6). They enjoy hiking and camping in the North Georgia Mountains and can be found at the baseball field or taking in a good meal around Roswell.

Darryl Connelly
Economic Development Director
City of Roswell

Darryl is the Economic Development Director for the City of Roswell overseeing short and long-range economic development strategies for the city. He has over 25 years of public and private sector real estate and transaction management experience; including mixed-use, office, retail, multi-family, industrial, and hotel properties. His competencies include asset management, public-private partnerships, property operations, and real estate development.  Notable projects and transactions are the 40-acre Lindbergh City Center in Atlanta; the 68-story Brooklyn Point residential/retail project, and the Hilton Times Square hotel in New York City.  Darryl holds CPM® and CCIM designations as well as brokers licenses in both Georgia and New York.

Jason Gaines, AICP
Director of Planning
W&A Engineering

Jason Gaines is the Director of Planning in W&A?s Planning and Landscape Architecture department. Jason has 20 years of experience working in local government around Metro Atlanta. Prior to joining W&A, Jason spent two years with the City of Roswell as the Director of Community Development, where he managed a staff of professionals responsible for administering a wide variety of regulatory functions, including building permitting and inspections, site plan review, land disturbance, erosion control, stream buffer protection, and planning & zoning. Jason has tons of experience managing planning studies, preparing local comprehensive plans, and writing proposals for federal grants. When the workday is done, Jason initiates dad and husband mode (and he wouldn?t have it any other way!). He and his wife have been happily married for seventeen years and share two children: a thirteen-year-old boy who is thriving in both baseball and the school band, as well as a four-year-old daughter with a rapidly-growing social calendar of birthday parties and playdates.