Board & Staff
Board of Directors
Rick Evans, Chairman |
Stan Shepherd, |
Mark Wills, Treasurer |
 Jean Garniewicz, Secretary Former Planning Commission Chair |
 Kerry Bridges Georgia Power |
Mark Herbert |
Sanjeev Singhal |
Jim Cox |
Ben Stapleton |
Staff
Cheney Eldridge
Executive Director
celdridge@developcolumbiacounty.com
770-362-9308
Anita Patel
Project Manager
apatel@developcolumbiacounty.com
706-312-1373
Anita joined the Development Authority of Columbia County in 2017, bringing experience in real estate development, hospitality renovation projects, medical practice management, and marketing. She has also supported her family-owned physical therapy clinic and worked in the public school system.
Anita holds a Bachelor’s in Public Relations, a Master’s in Business Administration, several certifications and is a graduate of Leadership Columbia County’s Class of 2022. Anita is deeply involved in community service, holding roles with organizations like the American Heart Association, Lydia Project, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Eagle Scout Review Board, all of her children’s PTA, PTO, and PTSO organizations. She was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the A.L. Lotts PTA.
Fun fact: Anita interned in the office of the Honorable Andrew Young for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and was named one of Georgia’s 35 most influential people by the Coca-Cola Company to “Welcome the World to Atlanta.”
Stuart Hilsman
Project Manager
shilsman@developcolumbiacounty.com
706-312-1369
Linda Peplau
Executive Assistant/Office Manager
lpeplau@developcolumbiacounty.com
706-312-1368
Linda joined the Columbia County Economic Development Authority in August of 2023. She comes to us with an extensive work history in banking, finance and municipal accounting. She worked her way up in the banking industry for 20 years. Linda started her banking career as a Part-Time Teller at the Bank of Canton and ending it as a Branch Manager at Hamilton State Bank before stepping out of the banking arena to work for the City of Woodstock in the Finance Department as a Finance Analyst. As a Financial Analyst with the City of Woodstock, Linda was the lead team member of the entire Property Tax Department & the Manager for the Accounts Receivables Department for the entire City. We know she will be a great asset to the Economic Development Authority team while learning more about her new community and becoming a strong member of it.
Linda is a native of Florida and made the move to Georgia with her family in 1993 as part of Publix Supermarket’s business plan to introduce Publix to Georgia. Linda considers herself a proud Georgia girl now, after living in Georgia for more than 30 years. She has even named her dog she adopted from the Columbia County Animal shelter, Georgia. Though she is not new to Georgia, she is new to Columbia County. She has recently relocated to Grovetown, Georgia from Acworth, Georgia and is looking forward to making Columbia County her home to stay and retire.
Though Linda is very proud of her business accomplishments, her proudest accomplishment is raising her son Geoffery Peplau. Her son Geoffery is a proud Business graduate of Kennesaw State University, an inactive Sargent in the United States Marine Corp and a recent law graduate from Georgia State University. Watching him grow into an honorable and successful man has been Linda’s greatest joy. If she had to mention a second proudest moment, it would definitely be running a half marathon.
Fun fact about Linda is that she is a current member of the United States Parachute Association. She currently has 212 solo skydives under canopy. She feels blessed to be able to jump out of a perfectly good airplane to enjoy the bird’s eye view and live to tell you all how exhilarating it is
