{"id":1044,"date":"2018-01-09T22:16:17","date_gmt":"2018-01-10T03:16:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sgamag.com\/?p=1044"},"modified":"2018-05-19T17:18:53","modified_gmt":"2018-05-19T21:18:53","slug":"shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/","title":{"rendered":"Shaping the Future of Georgia\u2019s Cities: Larry Hanson Reflects on His Years in Valdosta as He Transitions to New Role"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>\u201cGrowth doesn\u2019t just happen by itself. You don\u2019t wake up, and there are new businesses and people. There is a lot of work, planning, and preparation to achieve this type of growth.\u201d &#8211;Larry Hanson<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1055\" style=\"width: 319px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1055\" data-attachment-id=\"1055\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/hanson_vert\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Hanson_vert-e1515701799905.jpg?fit=1566%2C3105&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1566,3105\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 7D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1511957453&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;30&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1600&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.016666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Hanson_vert\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Hanson_vert-e1515701799905.jpg?fit=151%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Hanson_vert-e1515701799905.jpg?fit=516%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-image-1055 \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Hanson_vert-e1515701799905-516x1024.jpg?resize=309%2C801\" alt=\"\" width=\"309\" height=\"801\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1055\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Larry Hanson retired as Valdosta city manager on Dec. 8, 2017, and began his new position as executive director of the Georgia Municipal Association on Dec. 11, 2017<\/em>. Photo by: Pat Gallagher<\/p><\/div>\n<p>After four decades of working for the City of Valdosta, including 22 years as city manager, Larry Hanson has moved from promoting the interest of one city to serving hundreds of communities across Georgia.<\/p>\n<p>Hanson officially began as executive director for the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) on Dec. 11, 2017. Established in 1933, the GMA is a voluntary, non-profit organization that provides legislative advocacy, professional training, employee benefits packages, and technical consulting services to more than 500 municipalities.<\/p>\n<p>His career with the City of Valdosta began in 1975 when he was hired by Dave Christian to work part-time for parks and recreation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had just graduated from Valdosta High School the week before,\u201d said Hanson, who is also a graduate of Valdosta State University. \u201cI was basically doing manual labor. I raked ball fields, laid sod, and took care of whatever needed to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hanson\u2019s first full-time job came in 1979 when he began working as a supervisor for the adult softball program. He then moved through the ranks, holding various administrative positions, including athletic director and assistant director of parks and recreation. In 1990, he became director of parks and recreation and community affairs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople wonder how I have stayed at one place for 40 years,\u201d said Hanson, who received the 2010 Georgia City\/County Management Association Pillar of Professional Management Award. \u201cBut I have had a series of different jobs, and for the first 20 years I moved to a new position every three to four years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hanson, who does not back down from a challenge, said he would ask Christian to give him a trial period when a new job became available.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a tactical move on my part,\u201d Hanson said. \u201cI would offer to take the job without a pay increase for six months. I told Dave that if I couldn\u2019t handle the job, then he could move me back to my former position. Dave would give me that chance, and each time I would prove myself and get the job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hanson gives credit to the supervisors and mentors who provided him with the skills, training, encouragement, leadership, and most importantly, the opportunity to grow.<\/p>\n<p>It was James \u201cJimmy\u201d Rainwater, who served as Valdosta\u2019s mayor from 1988 to 2003, who gave Hanson the opportunity for a \u201ctrial period\u201d one more time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had been assistant city manager for only five months when the city manager\u2019s position came open,\u201d Hanson said. \u201cIt was Mayor Rainwater who persuaded the council to give me a chance. They made me interim city manager and then six months later the city manager.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hanson said he remains grateful to Rainwater and the Valdosta City Council for giving him the opportunity to serve as Valdosta\u2019s city manager.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJimmy always saw something in me that I didn\u2019t see in myself,\u201d Hanson said. \u201cHe encouraged and inspired me to grow personally and professionally. Mayor Rainwater stepped up and gave me a chance to prove myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Councilman Sonny Vickers, the city\u2019s longest-serving councilman, has also been a supporter and mentor to Hanson.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have learned a lot from Councilman Vickers,\u201d Hanson said. \u201cMost importantly, I learned that people come first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hanson said he has been fortunate to work with many people who are dedicated to public service, including current Valdosta Mayor John Gayle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMayor Gayle is an example of a person who I greatly admire because he serves for the right reasons,\u201d Hanson said. \u201cValdosta is his home, and he wants to give back. He has no ulterior motives. He is an honest and honorable gentleman. Everything he does is to make this city better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hiring the right person for the right job has been a hallmark of Hanson\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am proud that Valdosta is recognized as an outstanding local government,\u201d said Hanson, who was named to the GMA Hall of Fame in 2011. \u201cI credit that to the political leadership we have had all these years, as well as the high-quality people who work for the city. Valdosta has a lot of talented people, and they are the ones who have set us apart from other cities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As city manager, Hanson worked closely with three mayors and numerous city council members. With each, he pledged his dedication to make Valdosta a better place to live and work.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs city manager, I could make recommendations all day long,\u201d said Hanson, who was a founding member of Leadership Lowndes and a member of Leadership Georgia. \u201cBut if we didn\u2019t have support from the mayor and city council members, then we wouldn\u2019t be able to carry out projects, like the new wastewater treatment plant, which won an award.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2017, the City of Valdosta won Project of the Year from the Georgia Chapter of the American Public Works Association for construction of the $23 million Withlacoochee Water Pollution Control Plan (WPCP) and the $36 million Force Main Project.<\/p>\n<p>Hanson said Valdosta receiving the designation of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in 2005 was a highlight of his career.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReceiving MSA status was a real game changer for this community,\u201d Hanson said. \u201cOnce you receive MSA status you are on the radar and get looks that you wouldn\u2019t have otherwise. It is why we have Home Depot, Lowes, and other national shops and restaurants here in Valdosta. It has also provided us with federal grants.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGrowth doesn\u2019t just happen by itself. You don\u2019t wake up, and there are new businesses and people. There is a lot of work, planning, and preparation to achieve this type of growth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Not taking things for granted is a lesson Hanson said he and others in the community learned during the early 1990s when Moody Air Force Base was placed on the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list.<\/p>\n<p>Hanson, who was working as director of parks and recreation during the BRAC hearings, said this was a time when the community came together in a united effort to protect Moody\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was with Mayor Rainwater when he got the call that Moody was on the BRAC list,\u2019 Hanson said. \u201cObviously growing up in a career Air Force house\u2014my father was retired from the Air Force and had been stationed at Moody\u2014I understand the importance of Moody to this community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1053\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/larry-hanson_horiz\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Larry-Hanson_horiz.jpg?fit=2527%2C1754&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2527,1754\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 7D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1511954594&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;32&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1600&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.008&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Larry Hanson_horiz\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Larry-Hanson_horiz.jpg?fit=300%2C208&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Larry-Hanson_horiz.jpg?fit=1024%2C711&amp;ssl=1\" class=\" wp-image-1053 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Larry-Hanson_horiz-1024x711.jpg?resize=527%2C403\" alt=\"\" width=\"527\" height=\"403\" \/>Since becoming city manager, Hanson has worked closely with W. Parker Greene, who along with his wife, Dr. Lucy Greene, leads the Moody Support Committee.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have had the honor of working with Parker to make sure Moody is kept off future BRAC lists,\u201d said Hanson, who serves with Greene on the Air Combat Command Commander\u2019s Group. \u201cThe relationships that Parker has developed with the Pentagon and Air Force have paid dividends for this community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Over the years, Hanson has assisted Greene in various roles, including approximately 20 visits to the Pentagon. He was also appointed to U.S. Senator David Perdue\u2019s Strategic Military Advisory Group and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Military Advisory Committee.<\/p>\n<p>As Hanson settles into his new responsibilities with the GMA, he said that it is the people and experiences in Valdosta that prepared him for his dream job.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is truly the only job that would take me from Valdosta,\u201d Hanson said. \u201cWhen Mayor Gayle was seeking re-election he asked me if I would stay for another four years. After careful consideration, I told him I would stay unless the GMA executive director job came open.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hanson said Gayle gave his full support when he decided to apply for the job.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cServing as the city manager has been the most rewarding experience of my life. The opportunity to be part of the Valdosta team and serve elected officials, employees, and citizens has been a privilege I will always cherish,\u201d Hanson said. \u201cThis city will achieve even greater success in the future because of the citizens we serve and the dedicated public servants who provide exceptional service each and every day.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; \u00a0 \u201cGrowth doesn\u2019t just happen by itself. You don\u2019t wake up, and there are new businesses and people. There is a lot of work, planning, and preparation to achieve this type of growth.\u201d &#8211;Larry Hanson &nbsp; After four decades of working for the City of Valdosta, including 22 years as city manager, Larry Hanson [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1142,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5],"tags":[27,26],"class_list":["post-1044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archive","tag-government","tag-valdosta"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Shaping the Future of Georgia\u2019s Cities: Larry Hanson Reflects on His Years in Valdosta as He Transitions to New Role - South Georgia Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Shaping the Future of Georgia\u2019s Cities: Larry Hanson Reflects on His Years in Valdosta as He Transitions to New Role - South Georgia Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&nbsp; \u00a0 \u201cGrowth doesn\u2019t just happen by itself. You don\u2019t wake up, and there are new businesses and people. There is a lot of work, planning, and preparation to achieve this type of growth.\u201d &#8211;Larry Hanson &nbsp; After four decades of working for the City of Valdosta, including 22 years as city manager, Larry Hanson [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"South Georgia Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-01-10T03:16:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-05-19T21:18:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Larry-Hanson_highlight-photo.jpg?fit=600%2C200&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Thressea Boyd\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Thressea Boyd\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/09\\\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/09\\\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Thressea Boyd\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2e8788e0d24c2fcfcc42198a47d9fbb2\"},\"headline\":\"Shaping the Future of Georgia\u2019s Cities: Larry Hanson Reflects on His Years in Valdosta as He Transitions to New Role\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-01-10T03:16:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-05-19T21:18:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/09\\\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1408,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/09\\\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/sgamag.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/Larry-Hanson_highlight-photo.jpg?fit=600%2C200&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"Government\",\"Valdosta\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Archive\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/09\\\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/09\\\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/09\\\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\\\/\",\"name\":\"Shaping the Future of Georgia\u2019s Cities: Larry Hanson Reflects on His Years in Valdosta as He Transitions to New Role - South Georgia Magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/09\\\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/09\\\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/sgamag.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/Larry-Hanson_highlight-photo.jpg?fit=600%2C200&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-01-10T03:16:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-05-19T21:18:53+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/09\\\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/09\\\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/09\\\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/sgamag.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/Larry-Hanson_highlight-photo.jpg?fit=600%2C200&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/sgamag.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2018\\\/02\\\/Larry-Hanson_highlight-photo.jpg?fit=600%2C200&ssl=1\",\"width\":600,\"height\":200},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/index.php\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/09\\\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Shaping the Future of Georgia\u2019s Cities: Larry Hanson Reflects on His Years in Valdosta as He Transitions to New Role\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"South Georgia Magazine\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"South Georgia Magazine\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/sgamag.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/09\\\/sgamag-2-2.jpg?fit=703%2C154&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/sgamag.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/09\\\/sgamag-2-2.jpg?fit=703%2C154&ssl=1\",\"width\":703,\"height\":154,\"caption\":\"South Georgia Magazine\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sgamag.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2e8788e0d24c2fcfcc42198a47d9fbb2\",\"name\":\"Thressea Boyd\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7fe2e31a9f211cefab0150d4b79f2d960ffcb7492089cdfc80ba367804d9c55b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7fe2e31a9f211cefab0150d4b79f2d960ffcb7492089cdfc80ba367804d9c55b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7fe2e31a9f211cefab0150d4b79f2d960ffcb7492089cdfc80ba367804d9c55b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Thressea Boyd\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Shaping the Future of Georgia\u2019s Cities: Larry Hanson Reflects on His Years in Valdosta as He Transitions to New Role - South Georgia Magazine","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Shaping the Future of Georgia\u2019s Cities: Larry Hanson Reflects on His Years in Valdosta as He Transitions to New Role - South Georgia Magazine","og_description":"&nbsp; \u00a0 \u201cGrowth doesn\u2019t just happen by itself. You don\u2019t wake up, and there are new businesses and people. There is a lot of work, planning, and preparation to achieve this type of growth.\u201d &#8211;Larry Hanson &nbsp; After four decades of working for the City of Valdosta, including 22 years as city manager, Larry Hanson [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/","og_site_name":"South Georgia Magazine","article_published_time":"2018-01-10T03:16:17+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-05-19T21:18:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":600,"height":200,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Larry-Hanson_highlight-photo.jpg?fit=600%2C200&ssl=1","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Thressea Boyd","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Thressea Boyd","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/"},"author":{"name":"Thressea Boyd","@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2e8788e0d24c2fcfcc42198a47d9fbb2"},"headline":"Shaping the Future of Georgia\u2019s Cities: Larry Hanson Reflects on His Years in Valdosta as He Transitions to New Role","datePublished":"2018-01-10T03:16:17+00:00","dateModified":"2018-05-19T21:18:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/"},"wordCount":1408,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Larry-Hanson_highlight-photo.jpg?fit=600%2C200&ssl=1","keywords":["Government","Valdosta"],"articleSection":["Archive"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/","url":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/","name":"Shaping the Future of Georgia\u2019s Cities: Larry Hanson Reflects on His Years in Valdosta as He Transitions to New Role - South Georgia Magazine","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Larry-Hanson_highlight-photo.jpg?fit=600%2C200&ssl=1","datePublished":"2018-01-10T03:16:17+00:00","dateModified":"2018-05-19T21:18:53+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Larry-Hanson_highlight-photo.jpg?fit=600%2C200&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Larry-Hanson_highlight-photo.jpg?fit=600%2C200&ssl=1","width":600,"height":200},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/09\/shaping-future-georgias-cities-larry-hanson-reflects-years-valdosta-transitions-new-role\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Shaping the Future of Georgia\u2019s Cities: Larry Hanson Reflects on His Years in Valdosta as He Transitions to New Role"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/","name":"South Georgia Magazine","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/#organization","name":"South Georgia Magazine","url":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/sgamag-2-2.jpg?fit=703%2C154&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/sgamag-2-2.jpg?fit=703%2C154&ssl=1","width":703,"height":154,"caption":"South Georgia Magazine"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2e8788e0d24c2fcfcc42198a47d9fbb2","name":"Thressea Boyd","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7fe2e31a9f211cefab0150d4b79f2d960ffcb7492089cdfc80ba367804d9c55b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7fe2e31a9f211cefab0150d4b79f2d960ffcb7492089cdfc80ba367804d9c55b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7fe2e31a9f211cefab0150d4b79f2d960ffcb7492089cdfc80ba367804d9c55b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Thressea Boyd"}}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sgamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Larry-Hanson_highlight-photo.jpg?fit=600%2C200&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7Olpy-gQ","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1044","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1044"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1044\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1058,"href":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1044\/revisions\/1058"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgamag.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}