Irene Barton was appointed as the Executive Director in September, 2018. She had served previously as the Resource Manager for the Collaborative. Irene brings a wealth of nonprofit experience to this role, with an emphasis on membership recruitment and retention, advocacy, communications and marketing. In addition, she has extensive community involvement through the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, Georgia PTA, local schools, and civic organizations. Under her leadership, the Collaborative has diversified its funding streams, increased its membership base and raised awareness about key issues facing our community. She is passionate about strengthening stakeholders to address the issues impacting our community. Irene graduated from Furman University and spent over a decade as a corporate banker.
She and her husband Steve are the proud parents of two young adults and a rescue dog. The Bartons have resided in Cobb County for over 29 years.