The Mayor
ROCHELLE ROBINSON volved with. Many of these projects you probably come in contact with or travel on each day: • Dallas Highway Corridor Plan • North Side Trail Plan • State Route 92 Relocation Project • Various intersection improvements • Sidewalk/lighting & banner projects • O’Neal Plaza and Welcome Center Ren-
Is it October already? That means fall is just around the corner and everyone is
• Downtown Sidewalks
settled into their back-to-school routines,
• Arbor Place Mall Study
for now at least. As we move closer and
• Green Communities Program
closer to the happiness of the holidays, I’d
• Riverside Parkway Bridge
like to share some bittersweet news with you this month. Back on September 17th, the City’s longtime Planning Director/ Manager, Michelle Wright, retired. I have such mixed emotions about saying farewell to a City retiree. On one hand, I am extremely excited that they have reached this point in their career, but on the other hand, their knowledge and skills will be so difficult to replace. Over her 25 years with the City, Michelle worked in various positions that in-
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ovations
Aside from her City projects, Michelle has also been a staple within the Douglasville Community. She served as a Leadership Douglas Chairperson, Chair of the Douglas County Utility Committee, was a member of the Bicycle Pedestrian Committee, a member of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Transportation Coordinating Committee, the ARC Land Use Coordinating Committee, the ARC Home-
she will miss most. I think the thing I will miss most about Michelle is her fierce work ethic and her undying passion for creating a better Douglasville. I have long admired Michelle for her knowledge and her ability to succeed in the most challenging of circumstances. As I have said before, she will be very difficult to replace. However, I am thrilled that Michelle will have more time to spend with her husband
less Committee, and was named the 2014
of 32 years and her three grown children.
Douglasville Employee of the Year.
An avid reader, cook, and resident foodie, she will be able to set aside time to travel
cluded planning, zoning, sign permitting,
Michelle has also been instrumental in
transportation, code compliance, historic
facilitating projects and securing grants
preservation, and bicycle/pedestrian ef-
that have allowed the City to make many
If you know Michelle, have worked with
forts. She is a Certified Planner with the
infrastructure and transportation im-
her, or have benefited from her hard work,
American Institute of Certified Planners
provements. She has shared with me that
I encourage you to join me in congratulat-
(AICP) and is also certified in Transporta-
she’ll always remember her time here at
ing this wonderful person on her retire-
tion Planning with the Georgia Depart-
the City fondly. Engaging with her fellow
ment! This community and her work fami-
ment of Transportation (GDOT).
employees at holiday luncheons and cut-
ly will surely miss her, but we know she is
During her tenure, there were many
ting loose with the public at our down-
moving into a stage of her life that we all
projects that Michelle was heavily in-
town concerts and events are two things
aspire to reach one day!
Chapel Hill News & Views COMMUNITY | MAYOR
and enjoy cuisine from all over the world.
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