By Taelor RyeOf the three finalists for the upcoming position of Eastman City Manager, the Eastman City Council has selected Jason Cobb as its top candidate to succeed the incumbent Bea Edge.
According to city clerk Ivelyn Lampkin, while no final decision concerning the position has been made, the council is moving forward with and focusing on Cobb, pending final checks into his references. An ultimate decision will be made and announced by the year’s end, she stated.
Cobb is presently the community development planner at the Heart of Georgia Altamaha Regional Commission, whose basic mission is “to provide professional advice and assistance to its member governments and the State of Georgia, and to encourage cooperation in the areas of comprehensive planning… community and economic development, historic preservation, local government administration and management, aging services, geographic information system services, workforce investment, and coordinated transportation.”
Cobb has also served as the president of SEK Inc., managing five convenience stores, including Dairy Queen franchises. Additional work history includes being a production facilitator at Acuity Brands Lighting in Cochran and a juvenile probation/parole specialist for the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Alongside Cobb, the other two finalists interviewed last week were Tony Winborn and Dan McCranie.
Winborn’s employment history includes being the director of investigations and enforcement for the Georgia Composite Medical Board and the chief deputy sheriff for the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office.
McCranie, sitting chairman of the Dodge County Board of Commissioners, is also the business manager for Martha Sheldon Flowers & Events, LLC. His work history includes being the president of McCranie Lumber Co. Inc., and a council member for the Eastman City Council.