The City of Reidsville will have a new Planning and Community Development Manager beginning February 14.
Jason Hardin will be coming to the City from Jacksonville, Alabama. He will fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Community Development Manager Donna Setliff in 2021.
"I am incredibly excited to join Team Reidsville and become a part of this wonderful community!” Hardin said. “I hope to continue fostering a sense of community engagement in planning and community development as we work together to build a bright future for the City."
Hardin, a native of Cartersville, Georgia, has been living in Jacksonville since 2010. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and his Master’s of Public Administration from Jacksonville State University. While in graduate school, Hardin worked as a planning intern with the City of Anniston, Alabama, later becoming a Regional Planner with the East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission in 2018 upon graduation. After two years with the Commission, he became Senior Planner.
When the position came open in Reidsville, Hardin saw it as a good fit.
“Reidsville struck me as a great place with a great community,” he said. “The City offers the charm of a small city with proximity to larger metropolitan areas, along with great ongoing projects and considerable potential for the future. I also love the City’s dedication to historic preservation. Whether it’s preserving the Governor Reid House or the downtown historic district, I really appreciate that commitment.”
Hardin also believes his job experience in Alabama will help him in Reidsville. During his time with the City of Anniston and the East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission, he worked on a wide variety of planning and community development projects. Those projects ranged from comprehensive and strategic planning, zoning technical assistance and structure historical assessment to grant writing and managing federal grant-funded projects. In addition, his involvement with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) has provided him extensive training in local government management, including concentrations in ethics, leadership and financial management.
Hardin is also certified in Planning and Zoning from the University of North Alabama and a graduate of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma. He is a certified Local Government Professional Manager by the Alabama City/County Management Association. In addition to being a member of ICMA, he is also a member of the American Planning Association (APA).
He and his wife, Lauren, are the proud pet parents of a Corgi named Rue and a cat named Ginny.
- 30 -