Betsy McGriff

Betsy McGriff serves as a Project Manager with Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI²) in the Center for Economic Development Research (CEDR). Prior to joining CEDR, Betsy worked in the public, private, and utility sectors in a variety of economic and community development roles.  Betsy is an expert in rural development with deep relationships throughout Georgia. During her time as the Economic Development Director for Dawson County, Betsy successfully applied for several grants, including funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission to initiate the county’s first economic development strategic plan and from Georgia’s Rural Center to develop a county-wide comprehensive trail plan.  While serving the University of Georgia’s Archway Partnership, Betsy assisted communities with projects on a range of community development issues, including workforce and education, tourism, infrastructure, downtown development, and marketing and branding.  Betsy has served as an elected official of the Town of Register, where her administration saw the enactment of the Town’s first comprehensive zoning ordinance, a transition of municipal finances to a uniform chart of accounts, and a renegotiation of the SPLOST allocation.  Betsy holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and a Master of Business Administration from Georgia Southern University.