The Okefenokee area is located in the heart of southeast Georgia and is the gateway to the world-famous Okefenokee Swamp.
Jason Rubenbauer
President and CEO
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Jason Rubenbauer is a lifelong public servant who has resided in Ware County since 2003 with his wife Tammy. He is a United States Navy veteran and has worked for Coastal Pines (formerly Okefenokee Technical College) and Bainbridge State College in the economic development arena. Mr. Rubenbauer served as the County Manager for Pierce County from 2017—2022 where he was actively involved in the community through the Rotary Club of Blackshear and the Blackshear Exchange Club. Jason also serves on the local Board of Directors for Coastal Pines Technical College. He is the former owner of Affordable Tax and Accounting, LLC in Waycross and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management/Accounting and a Master of Business Administration. Jason is extremely excited to help support our local businesses and industries while recruiting new opportunities into the region.
Chase McDonald
Executive Assistant & Digital Marketing Coordinator
912-283-2112
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Chase McDonald is a digital media specialist with a passion for communal and societal growth. He was born and raised in Valdosta, Georgia, and moved to Ware County in 2013. In attendance at Ware County High School, Chase began the Marketing pathway and immediately began honing his knowledge and skills at SEO, website creation, and other digital marketing specialities while garnering real-world experience with entreprenuership by creating an e-commerce brand that he'd operate during his sophomore and junior years. Upon graduation, Chase had created plenty of experience for himself in the world of digital marketing, working as a freelancer in graphic design, SEO consultancy, and social media marketing. In November of 2020, using his experience with marketing, and his passion for problem-solving, he capitalized on an opportunity to buy and rebrand a coffee shop in Waycross, calling the new cafe 'Beanie Bros Cafe'. Chase and his partners, along with the rest of the team that made up Beanie Bros, pushed the coffee shop to become one of the area's most popular coffee destinations. Chase sold his share of Beanie Bros Cafe in March of 2022, and offers consultancy to the new management to this day as part of the sale-agreement. After brief stints as a B2B account executive for two seperate Fortune-500 companies, Chase is now using his experience in marketing, entreprenuership, and communal-collaboration to help the Waycross-Ware County Development Authority share their purpose with the people of Waycross and Ware County, as well as share Waycross and Ware County with indsutries and businesses looking for the perfect place to expand.
