COBB COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT
district SUPERVISORS
Don Ayres, PE
Don was elected as a Cobb County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor in 2000. He is an engineer and owns a company that prepares construction drawings for a wide variety of commercial and residential projects in the Atlanta metro area. He received a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the Southern Institute of Technology. He served as the drainage and erosion control engineer for Cobb County and has also worked for various companies preparing construction drawings for municipal and private development projects.
JOHN LOYD, PE
John was elected as a District Supervisor in 2022. Originally from Vidalia, Georgia, John graduated with honors from Georgia Tech in 2002 with a degree in Building Construction. He runs Crestline Engineering, a civil engineering firm in Marietta. He is active with the Cobb Chamber of Commerce and is a member of Leadership Cobb 2020. He and his wife Ashley have 3 children and are active in their local church. In his spare time, John enjoys family time, fishing, hunting, working on classic cars, helping his kids with their homework, and participating in their after school sports.
Stan Kirk, MBA - chair
Stan was appointed as a District Supervisor in 2017 and serves as District Chair. He holds a BBA in Economics and Finance from Kennesaw State University and an MBA from Georgia Southern University. Stan has served as President of Cobb County Farm Bureau since 2014, and on the UGA Cobb County Extension Advisory Board since 2014. He served as Vice President in the Private Wealth Management Division of Truist Bank (formerly SunTrust Bank), where he worked for over 30 years. He now works for Empower Retirement. In addition to his role as local Farm Bureau President, Stan is very active with local agricultural and conservation organizations including UGA Extension and Young Farmers. He was instrumental in the founding of the Wellness Garden at Cobb County Farm Bureau and the Ag Innovation Challenge in partnership with Young Farmers.
Jim Lanier, CPESC - TREASURER
Jim was appointed as a District Supervisor in 2003. He holds a Bachelor’s of Agriculture in Plant Services degree from the University of Georgia. He has been involved in land development in several capacities throughout his career, including as President of Bioscapes, LLC, an environmental consulting and contracting company. A Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC), Jim often speaks to professional and educational groups on erosion control, stream restoration and other aquatic resource issues. Jim has served on the boards of several other organizations, including the Georgia Lakes Society, Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council and the Georgia Vegetation Management Association. He volunteers his time and resources to the protection and preservation of natural resources.
Woody Snell, PE
Woody was first elected as a District Supervisor in 1999 and has been reelected since. He received a M.S. in Management from Georgia Tech and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Clemson University, and is a registered Professional Engineer in Georgia. Woody has served on the Soil and Water Commission Technical Advisory Committee, Cobb County Development Standards Committee, State of Georgia NPDES Advisory Committee, the Fulton County Watershed Initiative Committee, and the Fulton County Development Advisory Committee. He has twenty-five years of experience in construction, engineering, management and marketing with specific expertise in land development and construction management. As an owner of Lynwood Development Group, he is actively involved in the development of a number of residential and mixed-use communities. Lynwood provides land planning, rezoning, site engineering, construction management, pre-acquisition due diligence and feasibility study services to the general public.
MEETING INFORMATION
The Cobb County Conservation District meets the last Thursday of each month at 8:30 AM at the Cobb County Farm Bureau Conference Room, 2850 Powder Springs Rd., Marietta, GA 30064. To be added to the monthly meeting notice and district email list, please email info@gacd.us.
Cobb County Conservation District Supervisors (L-R): Don Ayres, John Loyd, Stan Kirk (Chair), Woody Snell & Jim Lanier (Treasurer)
The Wellness Garden at cobb county farm bureau
The Wellness Garden at Cobb County Farm Bureau (Wellness Garden) is a joint initiative among the Cobb County Farm Bureau, Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, Inc. (MGVOCC), Cobb County Soil and Water Conservation District, and WellStar Health Systems to grow produce for those in need in the South Cobb area. It is located at the Cobb County Farm Bureau on Powder Springs Road in Marietta. Construction began in early 2023 and the garden has since provided thousands of pounds of produce to nearby food banks.
Its mission is to both grow fresh produce and teach recipients delicious ways of incorporating this produce into their diets to improve their health. A team of community and Master Gardener volunteers plant, maintain, harvest and distribute fruits, vegetables and herbs. A steering committee manages the garden, educational activities, programs and fundraising efforts. It is hoped that The Wellness Garden will serve as a model for similar gardens in the area.
The design, construction, planting plans and maintenance of the garden is supervised by the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County in conjunction with the Farm Bureau’s Board, volunteers and staff. Regular and special workdays are scheduled as needed. Funding for the construction and maintenance of the garden is provided by generous gifts and grants to The Wellness Garden. MGVOCC is responsible for administering any funds received.
Community volunteers are welcomed at the garden. To volunteer, get more information, or subscribe to the e-newsletter, The Daily Harvest, please contact: CobbWellnessGarden@gmail.com.
