CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — The City of Clarkesville has named Yvonne Marinelli as its new economic development director, a newly separated role aimed at strengthening business recruitment, retention and long-term economic strategy.
Keith Dickerson announced Marinelli’s hire during the Clarkesville City Council’s January meeting. She is scheduled to begin the position Jan. 20.
Marinelli comes to the role after spending more than four years as a marketing specialist with The Northeast Georgian. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from North Georgia Technical College and works closely with the Habersham County Chamber of Commerce, where she currently serves as an ambassador.
In an interview with Now Habersham, Marinelli said her interest in economic development grew through her work with the newspaper and her involvement with the Chamber, where she gained exposure to how cities support and grow local economies.
“Listening to my friend Jesse Owensby (Cornelia’s Community and Economic Development Director) talk about economic development really sparked my interest,” Marinelli said. “She’s a wealth of knowledge, and the more I listened, the more I thought, ‘I wonder if I could do that.’ When the position opened, it just felt right.”
Clarkesville a ‘special place in my heart.’
She said the opportunity was especially meaningful because of her personal connection to Clarkesville, where she lives.
“Clarkesville holds a very special place in my heart,” Marinelli said. “My husband and I met downtown years ago when I was working at a restaurant. Being able to serve a community that I truly love is what drew me to the role.”
Marinelli said building and strengthening relationships with business and property owners will be her top priority.
“Building relationships with business owners and property owners is going to be imperative,” she said. “Thankfully, my role at The Northeast Georgian over the past four-plus years has allowed me to already establish relationships with many of our downtown businesses and some of our larger employers.”
She said those relationships — along with learning more about property ownership throughout the city — will be key as Clarkesville looks to continue its economic momentum.
“We really have so much potential to make the city — not just downtown, but within the city limits — even more thriving than it already is,” Marinelli said.
What are our community needs?
Clarkesville has seen recent commercial activity, including plans for a Waffle House and discussions surrounding a boutique hotel on the former courthouse property. Marinelli said supporting those types of projects starts with understanding community needs and keeping more local dollars in the local economy.
“It starts with asking what are our community needs,” she said. “What are we having to leave Habersham County for — whether that’s retail, recreation or certain services?”
Marinelli said she plans to use available market data to better understand where residents in the 30523 ZIP code are spending money outside the city and county.
“We want to keep those dollars local and infuse our local economy,” she said.
As new developments move forward, Marinelli said her role will focus on helping businesses navigate the process.
“That starts with getting to know who is coming in and how we can help them reach their goals,” she said. “That includes permitting, infrastructure questions and making sure they have what they need.”
A new job with a new team
Economic development was previously housed under Clarkesville’s Main Street program, but the city recently separated the two roles. Marinelli said that shift creates an opportunity to be more intentional and strategic.
“I’m not going into this with a handbook that says, ‘Here’s exactly what this role entails,’” she said. “I see it as an opportunity to build something really great, put processes in place and be intentional about how we move forward.”
She said collaboration will be key, particularly with the city’s new Main Street director Rosie Cantrell and grant writer Sara Burke.
“I think we’re going to make a really great team,” Marinelli said. “Having a grant writer on board is also going to be huge for helping the city fund things that maybe haven’t been able to be addressed yet.”
Looking ahead, Marinelli said her ideal first year would include filling more vacant storefronts in downtown Clarkesville.
“Clarkesville is a walkable downtown, and that’s something really special,” she said. “Having those retail and restaurant storefronts filled makes a huge difference.”
She said the relationships she has built as both a resident and through her previous role will guide her approach.
“After four-plus years doing what I’ve been doing, you kind of become friends with people,” Marinelli said. “You ask about their families, and you genuinely mean it. I really think it boils down to relationships. Everything else, I’ll figure out along the way.”
