Georgia Trend Magazine recently named Jennifer Fordham to its 15th annual group of rising stars under the age of 40 making an impact in Georgia.
      Fordham is an economic development field services representative for the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. She serves 32 counties in Southeast Georgia, assisting local governments by providing technical assistance with complex state and federal economic development incentives.
      Working with 24 different economic development grant and loan programs, Fordham has extensive experience in deal structuring and project financing. She works on-site to provide specialized service to each community.
      Over the past nine years, Fordham has helped garner $58,971,248 in public dollars, $405,834,806 in private dollars and 3,142 jobs into her service area.
      Raised in Bulloch County, she is a graduate of Southeast Bulloch High School. In addition, she earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Administration degrees from Georgia Southern University.
      Prior to joining DCA in 2002, Fordham served as the director of Community Affairs for Bulloch County. Fordham has also served as an adjunct professor; teaching rural economic development to graduate students at Georgia Southern.
      She is acertified economic development finance professional and has an Advanced Community Development Block Grant certification. Fordham has served on the Advisory Board for the Georgia Rural Economic Development Center and is actively involved with the Central Savannah River Area Unified Development Authority, the Middle Coastal Unified Development Authority and the Southeast Georgia Joint Development Authority.
      Fordham is also a member of the Georgia Economic Developers Association and the National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration.
      She is one of only seven recently selected to participate in DCA's Inaugural Leadership Development Program; and has been appointed to work on the agency's Strategic Plan.
      Fordham has also participated in the Georgia Academy for Economic Development and Leadership Bulloch programs.
      The former Jennifer Marlow, she and her husband Bo have been married for 15 years and have three sons. They are active members of Friendship Baptist Church.