News

April 15, 2025 – For over 75 years, the National Civic League’s All-America City Award has highlighted and celebrated outstanding civic innovation, recognizing communities that harness the power of local collaboration to drive meaningful change. Each year, cities, towns, counties, and regions nationwide apply for this prestigious recognition, showcasing how their civic capital—the relationships, networks, and capacities that enable problem-solving and resilience—fuels progress. This year, Statesboro, Georgia, has distinguished itself as one of the top 20 applicants for the All-America City Award.

“I am so proud of our city,” says Statesboro Mayor Jonathan McCollar. “We have a lot of exciting and innovative projects happening in our community, and it’s great to be recognized on the national stage for the work we’re doing right here in Statesboro.”

Georgia Southern University’s Institute for Vibrant and Engaged Communities applied to the competition on behalf of the City of Statesboro. Research Assistant Edie Grace Grice has overseen the All-America City application process with the support of Dr. Candice Bodkin, Co-Director of the Institute for Vibrant and Engaged Communities.

“As a lifelong local, I’m incredibly honored to lead this effort for the community I love,” says Edie Grace Grice. “Statesboro has shaped who I am, and it’s a privilege to help share our story with the nation.”

Since being named a finalist community, the Vibrant and Engaged Communities team has been working with the City of Statesboro to put together a pitch presentation for the All-America final competition to be held this June in Denver, Colorado.

The following All-America finalist communities have distinguished themselves through their commitment to strengthening environmental sustainability, using inclusive community engagement to create lasting, impactful solutions:

Akron, Ohio | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Austin, Texas | Carrboro, North Carolina | Chelsea, Massachusetts | Delray Beach, Florida | Denver, Colorado | Fort Collins, Colorado | Hampton, Virginia | Jacksonville, North Carolina | Kinston, North Carolina | Leominster, Massachusetts | Memphis, Tennessee | Petaluma, California | Port St. Lucie, Florida | Seattle, Washington | Snyder, Texas | Statesboro, Georgia | Tallahassee, Florida | Western Riverside Region, California

Finalists were chosen through a competitive review process led by an independent panel of experts, with each application evaluated on the criteria of shared vision, civic engagement, inclusiveness and equity, collaboration, innovation, and impact. Now, these outstanding communities are preparing for the next stage of the competition—the All-America City Award Event in Denver this June, where they will present their stories of success and showcase the impact of their initiatives.

The 20 finalist communities, spanning 12 states, range in size from 11,000 residents to nearly one million. Despite their differences, they share a commitment to empowering residents, fostering civic engagement, and ensuring meaningful participation in local decision-making.

More About 2025 AAC Award: https://www.nationalcivicleague.org/america-city-award/

The City of Statesboro is currently facing a unique opportunity to recruit and retain employees while simultaneously nurturing the growth of existing high-potential employees. In the Spring of 2024, the City’s Human Resources Department presented a plan to City leadership to establish the “Emerging Leaders Academy,” a six-month leadership development program designed to upskill employees for future leadership roles within the organization.  The inaugural employee class met monthly from August 2024 to January 2025. Session topics included: Building a Team Culture, Performance Management Fundamentals, Communication Strategies, Ethics and Compliance, Understanding Municipal Government, and Individual Development Plans.

A graduation ceremony was held for the Emerging Leaders Academy participants on January 17th. The following employees graduated from the inaugural class:

• Jared Akins – Police
• Matt Aycock – Public Utilities
• Nick Boggs – Public Utilities
• Krista Cooper – Finance
• Tim Grams – Fire
• Glenn Green – Public Utilities
• Robbie Jordan – Planning & Development
• Richard Marshall – Public Works & Engineering
• Marty McClain – Central Services
• David Moyer – Public Works & Engineering
• Darrell Perkins – Public Utilities
• Spencer Rowe – Fire
• Andrew Samples – Police
• Richard Smiley – Public Works & Engineering
• Justin Taylor – Fire
• Marcos Trejo – Public Works & Engineering
• Justin Williams – Planning & Development

The City of Statesboro applauds the inaugural Emerging Leaders Academy graduates’ commitment to continued learning and advancement.

During the December 17th Council meeting, the City Council voted to award a contract to Lavender & Associates for renovations to Whitesville Park. Previously a privately owned property operated by volunteers, Whitesville Park was closed to the public indefinitely in 2016 due to decaying infrastructure, vandalism, and other maintenance challenges. Volunteers from the Whitesville Community Resource and Development Organization Inc. had been in talks with the city to take over the park’s management for several years. The land was officially deeded to the City in April 2022. Since then, City staff have been working to identify grant funding opportunities and solicit bids for the project.

After multiple grant applications to the Department of Community Affairs were denied, the City designated 1.2M dollars from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to pay for the park renovation. Work is expected to start in late Spring 2025, with an anticipated completion date of Fall 2025. The property currently has a restroom, swingset, and basketball court on the site. After the renovation project, the park will feature a new restroom facility, basketball court, playground, and pavilion.

On Thursday, January 9th, Mayor Jonathan McCollar had the pleasure of speaking at the City of Brooklet’s groundbreaking ceremony for its “Brooklet to Statesboro Sewer Forcemain Project.” The ceremony featured remarks from local and state elected officials, including Brooklet Mayor Nicky Gwinnett, Bulloch County Board of Commissioners Chairman David Bennett, GA Senator Billy Hickman, GA Representative Lehman Franklin, and Former GA Representative Jan Tankersley.

The much-anticipated $5 million sewer project will overhaul the community’s infrastructure and ensure reliable wastewater service for its residents and businesses. Currently, residents and businesses in Brooklet operate on individual septic systems, which have pushed the limits of the local septic field capacity. The new sewer system will accommodate the city’s current sewer needs with the capacity to handle expected growth in the community over the next decade.

The City of Brooklet will be tying into the City of Statesboro’s existing sewer infrastructure located to its north with Brooklet funding the extension of infrastructure into its city limits. The City of Brooklet has contracted Parker Engineering of Statesboro to manage the project and has awarded bids to Y-Delta Inc. and Shockley Plumbing for the installation of the sewer infrastructure. The project is anticipated to take around 12 months to complete.