Community Resilience the PSO Way: A Roundtable Discussion

Michelle joined the unit in September 2021 and works regionally in the Southeast to connect Sea Grant programs with military community coastal resilience projects through a partnership with Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability and the Department of Defense Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program. She came to Georgia after six years as a coastal resilience lead in the Virginia Sea Grant extension program with Old Dominion University and six years with a coastal hazards center at East Carolina University where she also completed her PhD in coastal resources management. Michelle is a UGA alumna, having received her master’s degree in zoology (marine science) after completing research at the UGA Marine Institute. She lives on her husband’s family farm in Hartwell, just a couple of miles from the Savannah River.

Meagan is the unit’s coastal community resiliency specialist and a certified floodplain manager. She works with communities, non-governmental organizations, and local, state and federal government partners across Georgia and the greater southeast region on resiliency projects. Prior to coming to UGA, Meagan was the planning department manager for the Coastal Regional Commission, the coastal resource manager for Nueces County in Texas, and the State Coastal Planner for South Carolina. In addition, she has 15 years of environmental consulting experience working on projects across the U.S. Meagan attended Bethel College for her bachelor’s degree in environmental science and received her master’s degree in environmental law and policy from the University of Denver. Meagan grew up in Augusta and has lived all over the U.S. She is happy to be in coastal Georgia and close to home again.

Scott is an attorney and community planner who joined the Institute of Government’s Planning and Environmental Services unit in 2014. He works on issues concerning environmental and natural resource planning, climate resilience, nature-based and green infrastructure practices, land use, community planning and economic development, and updating and revising city and county land use ordinances. In addition to planning and technical assistance, Scott works directly with communities to develop funding and implement projects that provide social, economic, and environmental benefits. He also delivers training courses on a wide variety of subjects, such as stormwater management, planning and zoning practices, community resilience and sustainability, and preparing for large-scale solar installations. Prior to joining the Institute of Government, he worked as a local government attorney and an environmental consultant.

Brittany oversees two Archway initiatives, Connected Resilient Communities (CRC) and the Look Ahead Georgia rural internship program. The Connected Resilient Communities designation, facilitated by the UGA Archway Partnership, helps communities tap into the resources and expertise at the University of Georgia to address local challenges and become more attractive to economic development through the creation of a customized resiliency plan. Look Ahead Georgia is an internship program that tackles talent development in rural communities by encouraging UGA students to consider professional development opportunities in their hometowns. Brittany has been with the Archway Partnership since 2020 and began as a community-based faculty member in Griffin-Spalding County. Prior to joining Archway, she worked on a range of community and economic development issues in rural and urban communities, including roles with the Middle Georgia Regional Commission and the Georgia Department of Economic Development, focusing on workforce development. She is a graduate of Georgia Southern University and holds a master’s degree in public administration from UGA. She is currently pursuing a PhD in public administration from UGA. She was a member of the Georgia Forward Young Gamechangers Class of 2017 and the Leadership Georgia Class of 2022.

Andie serves as the Campus Kitchen coordinator, leading an amazing group of college students in rescuing food waste and turning it into nutritious meals and grocery bags for families experiencing food insecurity in Athens. She also works as the coordinator for the Office of Service-Learning’s Grow It Know It program, a school garden training program for teachers. Prior to joining the OSL family, Andie completed her master’s degree in crop and soil sciences from UGA in 2018, and worked as an environmental educator in Georgia, Maine and Connecticut. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Bates College in Maine.