Mitchell Joins the Toombs County Development Authority

The Toombs County Development Authority bade farewell to a longtime member and welcomed a new one at the Authority’s first regular meeting of the year on Thursday, January 18.

During the meeting, Ricky Mitchell officially began his new continued from page

5-year term, while former Development Authority Chairman Garrett Wilcox was recognized for the completion of his 5-year term.

“He needs no introduction in this room by now, but Ricky is a new member of the Development Authority officially on board as of January 1. His tenure will be very much welcomed, that’s for sure. But Ricky is replacing the Garrett Wilcox,” Authority Chairman Tim Truxel told the meeting attendees. “Garrett, I promise you that I speak on the behalf of the Authority when I say that we appreciate your past service and all the contributions you made on this board, as well as all those you make in our community every day.”

Wilcox commented on his time on the Authority, as he remarked,“I’ve shared this before, but this has been very enjoyable for me. This has been some of the most unselfish work that goes on in the community because there is no personal gain for anyone here. You give your time, efforts, and knowledge hopefully to benefit a larger community for a long time. So I appreciate the opportunity and I’ve enjoyed it greatly.”

During his single term as an Authority member, Wilcox served in many ways, including being named the Authority Chairman in 2022. As he ends his term on the current Authority, Wilcox promised to continue to be active in his role in the community and plans to continue to attend meetings as a guest.

Mitchell is well-known throughout the community for his work as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GaFresh Pack packing and storage facility in Lyons, and as a local entrepreneur. Throughout his career, Mitchell has gained knowledge in both financial and business analyses, which will help to make him an asset for the Development Authority.

The new Development Authority member said that he is excited for this new endeavor, and looks forward to his service with the group.