What is the Greenway Commission?

The Oconee Rivers Greenway Commission (ORGC) is a chartered citizen committee that advises the Athens-Clarke County Mayor & Commission on matters related to the Oconee Rivers Greenway system. The general responsibility of ORGC is to develop a plan for a river-oriented greenway system in Athens-Clarke County and to recommend measures to protect the resources of the Oconee Rivers and their tributaries.

Membership includes up to ten members appointed by the Mayor and Commission and five members appointed by the President of the University of Georgia. ORGC was established by county ordinance in 1992, formalizing a grass-roots movement that began in the early 1970s that established the North Oconee River Greenway and Heritage Trail. The ORGC has an advisory role in greenway network planning and implementation. ORGC can generate support for the Greenway which serves as a resource for conservation, education, transportation and recreation for the residents of Clarke County.

For more information about the Greenway Commission, please visit the Oconee Rivers Greenway Commission page in the Boards, Authorities, and Commission area.

Commission meetings are held at 4:00 pm every third Tuesday of the month. Please check the calendar for meeting dates and locations. The public is invited to attend and participate.

Current Greenway Commissioners

Executive Committee 

• Ross Hinkle  - Chair
• Charles Barrow  - Vice Chair / Treasurer 
• Karen Porter - Sustainability Committee Chair
• Susie Haggard - Planning Committee Chair
• Carly Evans - Communications & Outreach Committee Chair 
• Nat Kuykendall - Former Chair
• Diane Windham - Secretary 

Athens-Clarke County Appointees:

University of Georgia Appointees:

• Bryan Varin (Appointed 8/3/2021)
• Shana Jones
• Lara Mathes
• Alison McCullick
• Robert Gordon

Ex-Officio Members:

• ACC Leisure Services - Alex Bond (Staff Liaison)
• ACC Sustainability Office - Mike Wharton
• ACC Planning Department - Samantha Eberhard
• ACC Transportation & Public Works - Daniel Sizemore
• ACC Public Utilities Department 
• Bike Athens - Scott Long
• Upper Oconee Watershed Network - Diane Windham - Secretary
• Rail to Trail - Firefly Inc.
• Oconee Rivers Audubon Society
• Northeast Georgia Regional Commission