Rick Story

Rick Story is Rabun County’s Director of Development and he leads Forward Rabun, Incorporated. Forward Rabun is a public-private partnership which joins the Rabun County Chamber of Commerce, the Development Authority of Rabun County, and the county’s Tourism Authority in an effort to promote responsible growth and provide better economic opportunities for Rabun County.

Prior to his appointment as Rabun County’s Director of Development, Rick served as Vice-President of Economic Development at the North Georgia Technical College, as well as working with the University of Georgia’s Archway Partnership. In these capacities, he managed staffs of people dedicated to training and enhancing workforce and community development throughout northeast Georgia.

Rick is a native of Rabun County and has spent most of his adult life in public service. Prior to his tenures with North Georgia Technical College and the University of Georgia, Rick served as a congressional aide for House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Congressman Nathan Deal. He served in both the Washington, DC, and Georgia offices for these members of Congress. When Congressman Deal announced he would seek the Governor’s office in 2010, Rick accompanied him. Rick has been, and continues to be, one of Governor Deal’s most trusted advisors and has worked with essentially every senior executive official in the state of Georgia.

Rick left public service in the fall of 2000 to serve on the staff of Samaritan’s Purse. In the months following, Rick met, and was then selected as a member of the Reverend Billy Graham’s personal staff. Rick returned to public service in the fall of 2005 when Reverend Graham announced his retirement.

Rick holds a current appointment to the state board of the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA), as well as being a member of the Rabun County Board of Education (BOE).

Rick attended the University of Georgia and earned degrees from Young Harris College and from the University of West Georgia. He lives with his family in Clayton