The City of Douglas, Douglas Coffee County Chamber of Commerce and the Coffee County Commission are proud to announce the Marshal for the 52nd Annual Festival of Lights Christmas Parade. Douglas native, JoAnne Lewis, will be the Grand Marshal for the Parade which will begin at 6:30pm at the Coffee County Courthouse on December 5th.
“JoAnne was chosen because of her compassion and giving spirit for our community,” says Mayor James H. Dennis.
JoAnne Lewis has more than 30 years of economic development experience with local and state government. On a local level she served a Main Street Director, Director of Tourism, and Community Service Director for the City of Douglas. She later served as state-wide Tourism Product Development Manager for Georgia Department of Economic Development. In 2004 she joined the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber and Economic Development Authority as Executive Director. Lewis has found success in bringing new investment and jobs to rural south Georgia. Her success has been driven by the availability of infrastructure and facility inventory as the foundation of recruitment efforts. Lewis recently announced that she will retire in February 2016.
As a respected economic development professional, Lewis has gained support from regional and state project managers, brokers, and consultants. She served as the Chairman of the Georgia Economic Developer’s Association in 2013. She has also served as a Director on the Board of Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. She received Georgia’s Al Burress Lifetime Achievement Award for the State of Georgia, Regional Partnership Award from East Central Technical College and was recognized in 2007 as the national recipient for the Economic Development Leadership Award by the National Rural Economic Development Association. Her time and talent amplifies success at work and through volunteerism in the local community, region and the State of Georgia.
Lewis’ personal passion has been rehabilitation for those who suffer from addiction issues. She invested her own personal time and money to open Still Waters, a Christian Women’s Outreach Center located on Highway 221 in Douglas, in 2014.
Registration for the Christmas Parade will continue through Friday, December 4, 5:00pm. The theme is “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” On Saturday, December 5th, festivities will begin at 6:30pm when the Annual Festival of Lights Parade will lights up Peterson Avenue at and make its way from the Courthouse to the Coffee Career Academy. Registration forms and rules can be picked up at the Public Information office located at 211 S. Gaskin Avenue. For more information about the Festival of Lights Christmas Parade, please call (912) 383-0277, visit our website at www.cityofdouglas.com/parade, or email info@cityofdouglas.com.
