Government Affairs meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month to hear from someone who has particular insight in an angle of the economic growth and development of our business community. This week's speaker is Kelly Howington from the Georgia DNR.
Having lived most of his life in Cartersville, Kelly comes to us with a Master’s Degree in Recreation Administration from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC.
His deep dedication and love for recreation and small group camping, is directly tied to his many wonderful summers as a camper and staff member at Camp Cherokee on the shores of Lake Allatoona in White, GA. Following his passion for recreation and leisure services, Kelly has excelled in his pursuit of excellence in programming and services in a variety of summer camp settings including both large and small scale operations. What started as a love for “His” hometown camp quickly grew into a legacy of positive change and dramatic increases in both quality and usage at all the sites he has lead.
In his newest adventure, Kelly now builds on his training, education and years of experience to lead the efforts of one of Georgia’s largest and most visited recreational sites at Red Top Mountain State Park as well as help breathe new life into the historic sites of Pickett’s Mill Battlefield, Etowah Indian Mounds and Allatoona Pass Battlefield. From transforming small and large church camps to viable and self-sufficient entities, directing Clemson University’s largest 4-H camp to now managing four of Georgia’s beloved State Parks; Kelly prides himself on leading his team with both care and conviction while maintaining a sharp focus on efficient and effective use of all resources whether fiscal, human or natural.
Along with his wife, Jean, twelve year old son Philip and ten year old son Iain, the Howington family includes two cats, Jack and Snowflake and one guinea pig named Schmo’. As the new Park Manager of Red Top Mountain State Park, you can find the Howingtons at home in the Manager’s residence in the center of the park, or off exploring some of the thousands of beautiful acres that make up Red Top Mountain State Park, Etowah Indian Mounds, Pickett’s Mill Battlefield or Allatoona Pass.
