August 3rd, 2020 – 3:00 PM
The City of Rome –
The Rome City Manager is pleased to announce Aundi Lesley has been selected as the new Director of Downtown Development for the City of Rome and will be presented at the Rome City Commission meeting on August 10 for affirmation of appointment. Lesley was selected from a pool of more than thirty applicants and comes highly recommended from her peers around the state.
Lesley currently serves as the Program Coordinator for the UGA Small Business Development Center, located on campus of the University of West Georgia with her immediate prior role as Main Street Director for Carrollton.
“Aundi is a genuine people person with excellent interpersonal and business skills, bringing experience from both the public and private work sectors, said Rome City Manager, Sammy Rich. “Aundi comes to us at the perfect time to help move Rome’s downtown development efforts forward as we desire a strong communicator that can work to engage all of our downtown merchants, residents and visitors to make our downtown an even better place to live, work and play,” Rich added.
Lesley has a degree in Business Management from the University of West Georgia. She worked for five years in the corporate setting as an event manager. She discovered her passion for economic development and supporting small businesses when she joined the City of Carrollton as Main Street Director. During her tenure, over 20 new businesses opened in the historic district, 65 new jobs were created and over $10 million in public-private investment was made in Downtown Carrollton. Most recently, serving as Program Coordinator at the UGA Small Business Development Center at the University of West Georgia, she helps equip small business owners across the state with the tools needed to be successful and survive the economic challenges of the global pandemic.
“I am thrilled to be selected the new Downtown Development Director for the City of Rome”, said Lesley. “I believe downtown is the heart of a community and plan to encourage community awareness on the importance of downtown as the most vital economic strength in the city. I have always loved visiting Rome and now look forward to being part of this wonderful community.” Lesley is a native of Dallas, Georgia and most recently a resident of Carroll County.
The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) was established in 1981 in accordance with the Downtown Development Authority Law. The purpose of the DDA and the appointed board is to revitalize and redevelop the central business district of the city. The DDA is also responsible for developing and promoting trade, commerce, industry, and employment opportunities for the public good and general welfare. The city appoints a seven member Board of Directors to four-year terms.