A council tasked with the job of researching and recommending rural development initiatives will be kicking off a series of meetings around the state with an meeting in Rome coming up later this month. The Georgia House Rural Development Council will be meeting in Rome on August 29th.  Among the presenters scheduled at the Rome session are Dr. David Bridges, director of the Center for Georgia’s Rural Prosperity and Innovation; Georgia Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Christopher Nunn; Andrew Heath, deputy chief engineer for the Georgia Department of Transportation; and Greg Wilson, associate director of the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government.  The meeting will be held at Berry College from 9 AM until 3 PM as board members of the council hear from a wide range of experts on issues facing rural Georgia.