Overview

Serving Communities LLC is a boutique firm specializing in community development, economic development, and leadership development matters.  The firm’s principal, Joy Wilkins, loves to develop partnerships for working together across boundaries, lead high performing teams, and engage with community leaders to help improve lives. 

 Joy has delivered research, planning, teaching, and advisory services for clients in the United States and Canada.  She is often called on to help leaders in the areas of community engagement, strategy design, and consensus building.  Examples of matters Joy has advised on include business retention and expansion, community resiliency, disaster recovery, economic inclusion, economic revitalization, entrepreneur development, ethics, human services, marketing and recruitment, organizational development, professional development, public policy, and workforce development.  

In the past, Joy has served as a senior public service faculty member with the University of Georgia, as a group manager and project director with Georgia Tech, and in research roles with the Metro Atlanta Chamber and a software development start-up.  She has also served with the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s disaster recovery team.  Joy is an adjunct faculty member for the University of North Carolina's School of Government and a regular instructor for the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).

Designated as a Certified Economic Developer by IEDC, Joy is also an Honorary Life Member of IEDC. She is a registered mediator by the State of Georgia.  Joy has a master's degree in city planning from Georgia Tech; a graduate certificate in real estate from Georgia State University; and a bachelor's degree, with majors in sociology and political science, from the State University of New York at Fredonia. 

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​​Community development / economic development / leadership development