April Norton, Managing Director of Marketing & Communications for the City of Thomasville, has been appointed to serve as President of the Georgia Downtown Association (GDA) for 2022. Norton has served on the GDA Board since 2019, previously as the organization's Vice-President. She’s also held the positions of Secretary/Treasurer and Marketing & Memberships Committee Chair. Norton represents Georgia’s Region 10.
"I look forward to this opportunity to continue to work with exceptional downtown leaders across the state," said Norton. "I'm honored and excited to see what we can accomplish this year and the impact we will make on Georgia's downtowns. We have many projects underway that are driven to strengthen, encourage and promote our communities, recognizing Georgia’s downtowns collectively as a statewide economic engine.”
The Board is comprised of 15 representatives from around the state of Georgia, with candidates nominated by their peers.
“April’s commitment to seeing Georgia’s downtown communities thrive makes her the ideal candidate to serve as GDA’s President. She is frequently contacted by other Main Street programs as a resource for best practices with proven leadership abilities,” said Sheryl Sealy, Assistant City Manager for the City of Thomasville. “We are proud of April’s appointment and look forward to seeing the impact this experience has on Thomasville’s program as she continues to grow in her role as a leader for downtown development.”
The GDA is a non-profit association made up of more than 150 downtown professionals seeking to promote the economic redevelopment of Georgia's traditional downtowns. Through advocacy, education, networking, and marketing, GDA focuses the public's attention on downtown's value. GDA is an independent association supporting public and private sector efforts to enhance Georgia's downtowns.