Economic Development Staff

Elyse Cochran serves as the Executive Director of the Dalton-Whitfield County Joint Development Authority for Whitfield County, Georgia where she manages and directs countywide economic development strategies, including existing industries expansion services and recruitment of new business. Her twenty-three year career in community/economic development experience was gained by serving as President/CEO of numerous Chambers and Economic Development Organizations in North Carolina and Georgia. She has worked with sales teams across Northwest Georgia to create more than 1,800 new jobs and an estimated $487 million investment since 1987.

She is one of 470 Certified Chamber Executives in the nation, completed the Georgia Tech and University of Tennessee Basic Economic Development Courses, as well as the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute in 1999. She completed the University of Georgia Institute for Organization Management program in 1992. She earned her Associate degree in business management from Shorter University, Rome, Georgia.

Brian Anderson is a native South Carolinian but has resided in Georgia since 1998. He and his wife Heather moved to Dalton in 2000 with their two children, Douglas and Sarah Whitney. He is a graduate of Francis Marion University with a BS in Economics.

After serving four years in the US Army as a Military Intelligence Officer, Anderson entered the world of business spending 10 years in the Coca-Cola system both with assignments with Coca-Cola Bottlers and the Coca-Cola Company. In 2000, he came to Dalton and joined Dalton Beverage Company as a Sales and Marketing Executive. In 2004, he ran for and was elected Chairman of the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners. He served from 2005-2008.

In 2008, Anderson was selected as the President and CEO of the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce.

Anderson is a member of First United Methodist Church where he teaches Sunday school and serves as a Lay Worship Leader. He is a member of the Dalton Rotary Club, serves as the LT. Governor’s appointee to the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, and serves on the boards of the Georgia Northwest Technical College and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Whitfield, Murray, and Gordon County.

Alex Stall joined the Dalton-Whitfield County Joint Development Authority in July 2010 as senior project manager, a position that is responsible for retail recruitment, small business and entrepreneur development. Prior to joining the JDA, he served as the research director for the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce in Bowling Green, Ky. for 2 years.

Stall graduated from Indiana University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in public affairs management and a minor in small business and entrepreneurship. He completed the University of Kentucky Basic Economic Development Course and is a member of Young Professionals of Northwest Georgia, Georgia Economic Developers Association and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Andrew Carnes, a native of Georgia, became Project Manager for the Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority in August 2011. Prior to joining the JDA, Andrew served as the part-time intern for the Dalton-Whitfield County Joint Development Authority, also during that time he served as a part time intern for the Cartersville-Bartow Chamber of Commerce. Andrew is an active member of the Georgia Economic Developer’s Association.

Carnes graduated from Armstrong Atlantic State University in May 2011 with a Bachelor Degree in Business Economics. While on a baseball scholarship at Armstrong, Andrew also had the opportunity to join the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

Andrew has one brother, Trey Carnes of Cartersville, who is a graduate of Mississippi College School of Law.

Barbara Ward  is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a BS in Home Economics.  She also earned a Masters in Education Degree from Berry College, Mt. Berry, Georgia.  Barbara retired from Dalton Public Schools in May of 2010, completing 22 years of service at Dalton High School.

While at Dalton High, Barbara taught Home Economics classes, Intro to Teaching and coordinated Work-based Learning Programs including Job Shadow Experiences, Internships and Apprenticeships.  She also served as Division Chair for Career Technology Education.  In 1999, Barbara was named Dalton High School Teacher of the Year.  She was a member of the Georgia Association of Career Technical Educators and the American Association of Career Technical Educators.

Barbara has been a member of the Rotary Club of Dalton for 11 years.  She has served on the Board of Directors for the United Way of Northwest Georgia for six years and was a member of the Chamber of Commerce Education is Essential Committee for a number of years. Barbara is married to Allen Ward, a retired textile executive.  They have two children, Catherine and Tripp and three grandchildren.  The Wards are members of First United Methodist Church in Dalton.