Welch returns to local work with DAPC

Still looking for dream job in higher education after earning doctorate at University of Alabama, appointment to County Board of Ethics

A new addition to the Development Authority of Polk County in recent weeks brings a longtime local leader back into a position where she can do a lot of good.

Welcome back April Welch to Polk County as she took on new work in assisting the DAPC in their Rockmart office, involving her in efforts to grow industry and economic development.

She’s familiar with what is required in her new role, having previously served as the

Chamber of Commerce’s board chair in 2015-16. Welch for a while was at Georgia Military College in the metro Atlanta area as Dean of Students at the school’s Fairburn campus. Prior to her work at GMC, Welch worked at Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s Rockmart campus as their executive director.

Her doctoral work at the University of Alabama got tangled up with job at GMC, and so she decided to step down to finish her degree before getting back into the education sector.

“I would spend two, three days sometimes a week in Tuscaloosa,” Welch said. “I didn’t want to drag it out, even though they give you seven years. But I said ‘Lord, I’m in a financial position where I can do this and be off work for six or seven months.’ I made that decision.”

Welch was hooded with her advanced degree on May 5.

“I had finished my findings and submitted everything to be published,” she said. “I then contacted Blair (Elrod) and Missy (Kendrick) here to see if I could volunteer, along with at the library, as well as with Keep Polk Beautiful.”

It was meant to be work to keep her busy while she waited for advisors to finish reviewing her work.

Then Kendrick, the DAPC president, decided that she could use Welch’s help.

“Missy said to me ‘April, why don’t you just come work for me until you find your dream job.’ I thought that she was just joking, but I said I would love to come work for you, just thinking she was joking,” Welch said. “She said ‘I would really like for you to start tomorrow.’… I’m immersed again so quickly with everything involving the DAPC and the Chamber, the commissioners and just everything.”

Having the job adds another area of expertise to her already wide range of previous experience. Her hopes are that in the future, her work at the DAPC will be able to garner her additional experience to be able to get her dream job of a college president.

“My dream is higher education, that is my goal,” she said. “I’m just absolutely thrilled to be here… this adds a tool in my belt that I was lacking before, giving me that background information on how the entities work in attracting new businesses as well as how we interact with existing business.”

She said it will be “very important in my next step as I go back into the college environment.”

Welch also was recently appointed to the Polk County Board of Ethics to serve for District 3, with her nomination coming from Commissioners Hal Floyd and Marshelle Thaxton.

She was thankful to be appointed.

“It’s all about service, and all about how we can make things better for this area,” Welch said.

Welch will serve a two-year term on the Board of Ethics, with the option of re-appointment once it expires.