BRUNSWICK — An opportunity to learn, better understand and utilize the education and outreach element of the regional plan of Coastal Georgia is being kicked-off Thursday by the Coastal Georgia Regional Development Center (CGRDC) in Brunswick. It is the first practicum (workshop) of a planned six-part series being offered free to elected and appointed officials, local governments, and interested citizens, according to Lupita McClenning, Senior Planner of the CGRDC.

The first meeting is entitled “Georgia on My Mind, a Model Development,” and will be held in the meeting room of the Coastal Georgia RDC headquarters, 127 F St. in Brunswick. To register go to www.coastalgeorgiardc.org.

Speakers include Beth Allgood Blalock, the Coastal Land Conservation Program Manager for the Georgia Conservancy, where she works on policy issues in the areas of land planning and coastal conservation; Beth Bradley, the Land Initiative Director for the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia and advisor to Georgia’s 159 county governments on various land management issues; Curtis R. Burkett, P.E., LEED, AP, a registered engineer with more than 23 years experience and an employee of Zev Cohen and Associates; and, McClenning, Comprehensive Plan Project Manager and the Senior Planner of the CGRDC.

To implement the Regional Plan, the CGRDC identified topics to base education and offer opportunities for technical assistance by creating partnerships with state agencies.

The meetings will feature key speakers with expertise in related fields ranging from septic tank management, water quality and quantity, funding infrastructure, storm water and model ordinances. Meetings are free and open to the public, running from late February through June.  

All six meetings will run from 8:30 a.m.-noon.