Arabia Mountain alliance hires executive director

The board of the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance recently announced that Revonda Cosby is the new executive director.

Longtime Executive Director Mera Cardenas left the organization to serve another National Heritage Area in Cleveland, Ohio, according to a press release.

Revonda Cosby brings two decades of experience in parks and recreation, nonprofit management and historic preservation to the task of guiding the National Heritage Area and the Arabia Alliance.

“We are thrilled to have somebody taking over this role who is so skilled, excited and who already has such a deep knowledge of this area,” said Cardenas.

Cardenas will assist Cosby in the transition into the role during the month of December.

“I am confident that I leave the organization in good hands,” Cardenas added.

Cosby has a long and varied career in many fields relevant to the National Heritage Area. On the ground, she has worked in community development, public space marketing, historic preservation and natural resource management.

She also has considerable executive and management experience, including corporate and regional strategic partnerships, nonprofit engagement and intra-government relations.

She has held leadership roles in DeKalb County’s Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs; Wesley House; IHC Global; and the Nature Conservancy, among other organizations.

The Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance works with partners throughout the 40,000acre Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, located in three counties southeast of Atlanta, to protect and promote a nationally significant landscape.

Encompassing a mix of green space and historic sites connected by trails, the AMNHA tells the story of the granite mountains and rural communities that have defined the Georgia piedmont.

The Arabia Mountain alliance preserves history, conserves landscapes and increases awareness of the National Heritage Area for the benefit and enjoyment of all.

I nformation: www. arabiaalliance.org. JUANITA LOVE FOR THE AJC