James Albright
I am a follower of Christ, the husband to Shannon and the father to Ashtyn and Grant. I have been unbelievably blessed to grow up in, raise a family in, be educated in, grow in my faith in, build a career in, and influence hundreds of young lives through coaching in my hometown of Acworth, Georgia.
I am fortunate to have been surrounded by a host of dynamic community leaders who have poured into my life.
I was inspired at a young age by watching my parents faithfully serve our community. My brother and I spent many late nights, weekends, and holidays watching our parents serve in concession stands, lead booster clubs, coach, and play integral roles on boards of directors for local sports associations.
At the ripe age of 18, my life was redirected by a simple phone call. I graduated high school, took all my graduation money, and attended a two week bartending school. In the middle of my first week, I received a call from my eleven year old football coach. He served as the Parks and Recreation Director at the time. The
city had just started the department. He heard that I wanted to work with kids and offered me a position as a summer camp counselor. My intentions were to graduate from college, teach, and coach high school wrestling. That would soon change.
I started the counselor position the following week and attended bartending school at night. At the end of that summer I was offered a position working part time for the department cleaning bathrooms, cutting grass, emptying trash cans, and preparing ball fields. I would never bartend a day in my life!
As I became more involved in the department and community, I fell in love with what I was doing. I changed my major to Recreation Management and the rest is history! In 2002 I received the awesome opportunity to go full-time coordinating athletics and facilities. In 2005, the Mayor and Board took a chance on me and appointed me as Director of Parks, Recreation, and Community Resources at the age of 23. After serving in that role for nearly 21 years, I now have the opportunity to serve as City Manager.
Throughout my career I have been exposed to incredible community leaders and have seen firsthand the impact people can have on their local community. The Leadership and Main Project is my way to share those lessons learned with you.
