Executive director plans to leave post

Columbia County's economic development leader is departing in mid-July.

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Zack Daffin: Authority leader says he will assist in the search for a new executive director.

Zack Daffin is stepping down as the executive director of the Development Authority of Columbia County to become a financial adviser with Smith-Barney in Augusta.

"Mr. Daffin led the authority during a time of great prosperity for our community, and with his leadership Columbia County is well-positioned in economic development moving forward," said authority Chairman Stan Shepherd.

Mr. Daffin led the organization for five years. The group issued a public statement on the resignation Tuesday morning. He announced it at an authority meeting last week.

Mr. Shepherd said the resignation came as a surprise.

"It was all positive with him. There were no real issues. He wanted to go back to the private sector where he came from," Mr. Shepherd said.

Mr. Daffin said he would assist in the search for a successor. His last day is not set, allowing for flexibility and an "orderly transition."

The authority will form a search committee to find a new director, though it might not have one named by the time Mr. Daffin leaves.

Mr. Daffin's strength was spending time with existing industries, Mr. Shepherd said, and working with their suppliers.

"The fact that he located FirstCo and Uniparts over in Horizon North, which are both suppliers to John Deere, that in a nutshell shows what we're concentrating on in the county right now," Mr. Shepherd said. FirstCo Inc. started in 2004 and Uniparts in 2007.

Mr. Shepherd said Mr. Daffin also was helpful to government officials and developers with the county's commercial growth.

Before coming to Columbia County in 2003, Mr. Daffin was the business development director for the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. The 47-year-old Alabama native spent 15 years working for Alabama Power and is a former Marine Corps reservist.

Reach Tim Rausch at (706) 823-3352 or timothy.rausch@augustachronicle.com.