IT IS A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU (VIRTUALLY)

Thank you for visiting the resume/portfolio for J.R. Charles

Thank you for visiting my page and learning about my skills as an executive, media producer, public relations professional, and project manager.

Thanks to my formal education in journalism and professional background in economic development, I have enjoyed working across multiple disciplines:

Project Management
Strategic Planning
Workforce Development Programming
Real Estate Development
Public Relations
Journalistic Writing
Multimedia Creation (Print, Video, Photography)

I hope this website will give you a clear and concise view of my experience.

Email/Phone

LinkedIn Profile

Home: Welcome

A SHORT STORY

Just Remember: J.R.

I am an economic development professional with 17 years of experience as a Development Authority Executive, City and County Government Department Head, and Chamber of Commerce Executive.

My experience in these positions includes the management of personnel, facilitation of strategic planning sessions, development of data-driven decision modeling, and the creation/execution of comprehensive marketing strategies.

My professional ambitions mirror my personal ethics. My life's goal is to make my community, state, country, and world a better place as a result of my efforts. I believe a strong work ethic, empathy for others, and a dedication to what is right and good will produce wonderful things for myself, my employer, and my community.

Home: About Me

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Economic Development, Marketing, and Administration Expertise

December 2024 - July 2026

CUSTOMER SUCCESS MANAGER
SIZEUP

July 2022 - April 2024

DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
CITY OF MAULDIN, SC

Managed the full customer lifecycle for statewide, municipal, and regional clients — including onboarding, training, quarterly check-ins, and strategic support — to ensure successful implementation and engagement with SizeUp’s SaaS platform.
Successfully on boarded 12 new clients, retained five at-risk accounts, and secured new revenue through proactive account management and upselling initiatives.
Led targeted marketing campaigns for product launches, client re-engagement, and webinar promotions while supporting clients with co-branded materials, press releases, and strategic outreach.

Department Head with executive duties for Economic Development (business attraction/retention, incentive programs); Cultural Affairs (adult/children theater, city-sponsored community events, artistic programming); and special city projects (i.e. Downtown Master Plan, Brownfields Program, State/Federal/Non-Profit Grant Administration, Event Sponsorship)
Principal advisor to City's Economic Planning/Development Committee; administrator of Community Development Department's plans/policies/budgets; administrator of special projects
Supervisor of four staff members and administrator of department's $1.5 million annual budget

June 2018 - August 2021

VICE PRESIDENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
CARROLL COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Executive responsible for new business recruitment, existing industry support services, and long-term economic development planning
Successfully serviced $152 million investment and 700 new/retained jobs representing $24.5 million in payroll
Secretary for four development authorities. Competencies include record management, legal compliance, secretarial duties, and financial accounting
Staff lead for the Government Affairs Committee, Workforce Development Committee, and Industry Leaders Council for the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce

July 2015 - June 2018

DEPARTMENT HEAD FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
OCONEE COUNTY COMMISSION

Department head responsible for new business recruitment, existing industry support, and county-led development initiatives
Secretary to Oconee County Industrial Development Authority
Designed new website that tracked visitor search requests, advertised industrial/commercial property, and delivered data via easy-to-read infographics
Created new marketing material such as interactive flyers, digital newsletters, and videos featuring drone footage

January 2012 - July 2015

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
HABERSHAM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

Executive and Department Head responsible for new business recruitment, existing industry support, and development of the county's Airport Industrial Park.
Created a master development plan for the county’s 90-acre industrial park, rewrote the park's protective covenants, secured $2.3 million in development funding, and recruited two companies totaling $5 million in capital investment
Reorganized the Habersham County Development Authority with new by-laws, incentive policies, and five-year strategic economic development plan
Hosted a weekly radio show Habersham Help Wanted which advertised local jobs, interviewed local employers, and gave career advancement advice

June 2010 - December 2011

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
UPSON COUNTY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

Executive with responsibilities for new business recruitment, existing industry support, and development of county's Airport Technology Park.
Successfully secured $25 million in new capital investment and creation of 170 jobs
Earned certification of shovel-ready site designation for the county’s industrial park
Created new brand identity, marketing materials, and website as a part of the county's industrial recruitment strategy

February 2008 - June 2010

DIRECTOR OF SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES
COFFEE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Director with responsibilities for small business support programming, management of the chamber's adult leadership program, and personal assistant to the president
Successfully launched 10 small businesses via Small Business Boot Camp program
Hosted weekly television show Chamber Focus that featured educational initiatives, chamber programming, and non-profit services
Managed chamber's Facebook page and built its follower base to 4,000 people, approximately 10% of the county's population.

Home: Experience

EDUCATION

Studies in Communication and Economic Development

UNIVERSITY
OF GEORGIA

Bachelor of Arts - Journalism

Copy Editor at The Red & Black, an independent student newspaper
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Georgia Forum, a student magazine that focused on issues of the 2004 election cycle
Reporter, Anchor, and Producer for NewsSource15, a student-produced nightly news program
Independent studies in management, creative writing, and political science

GEORGIA ACADEMY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

A four-month intensive study of economic development that focuses on four core competencies:

Collaborative Leadership,
State-Level Resources,
Industrial/Downtown/Community Development,
Workforce Development Solutions

CERTIFIED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROFESSION
(IN PROGRESS)

CEcDs have a strong baseline knowledge on the fundamentals of economic development, have four years of full-time experience, complete required coursework, and pass a test involving a proctored exam, interview, essay. I have completed all coursework and am preparing to sit for the test.

Home: Education

SKILLS

Professional Competencies

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

Professional Management of Economic Development Programs

Executive and secretarial management of public agencies
Executive of investment attraction & retention programs
Project management of grants, special initiatives,
and multi-agency collaborations

DIGITAL MEDIA PRODUCTION

Visual Storytelling via Modern Technology

Professional proficiency with DSLR photography
and digital videography
Industry-trained in non-linear video editing (Adobe Premiere), photography editing (Adobe Photoshop), and print media design (Adobe InDesign)

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGIC PLANNING

Seasoned Leader of Public-Facing Agencies

Development of Strategic Plans for the development authorities of Habersham, Oconee, and Carroll counties
Chair of the Joint Development Authority of Athens, Oconee, and Banks Counties
Board of Directors for the Georgia Economic Developers Association

MICROSOFT OFFICE

Fluency in Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Outlook - Professional correspondence, Assigning Tasks, Calendar/Schedule Management
Word - Page Setup, Text Formatting/Editing
Excel - Pivot Tables, Charts, Data Analysis
PowerPoint - Custom Slides/Templates, Animation, Charts/Graphs Integration
Publisher - Layout Templates, Professional Design, Image Manipulation, Internet-Based Media Integration

Home: Skills