Brian Warner Chosen to Lead McIntosh County Industrial Development Authority as President and CEO

Brian Warner Chosen to Lead McIntosh County Industrial
Development Authority as President and CEO
(Darien, Georgia – August 2026) The McIntosh County Industrial
Development Authority (IDA) has selected Brian Warner as the organization’s
next President and Chief Executive Officer.
The IDA partnered with The Chason Group to lead the executive search
process.
The announcement was made by Chris Harper, Chair of the McIntosh County
IDA Board and Senior Vice President of Southeastern Bank in Darien.
“Over the past several years, the IDA has established a strong reputation for
recruiting new companies and supporting the growth of existing industries in
McIntosh County,” Harper said. “Brian shares that same enthusiasm and
commitment to our community’s future. He brings valuable experience,
strategic insight, and a results-driven approach that will help continue our
momentum.”
Warner most recently served as Economic Development Specialist for the
Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation in Bluffton, South
Carolina. Before that role, he worked as an Economic Development Project
Manager with the Southern Carolina Regional Development Alliance in
Hampton, South Carolina, assisting companies seeking industrial sites for
relocation and expansion.
After spending much of his early years in the metro Atlanta area, Warner earned
a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics from Georgia Gwinnett
College. He has further enhanced his professional expertise through the
International Economic Development Council’s Basic Economic Development
Course at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the South Carolina Economic
Development Institute sponsored by the South Carolina Economic
Development Association. Warner is currently continuing his professional
education through the University of Oklahoma Economic Development
Institute toward the International Economic Development Council’s Certified Economic Developer (CEcD)
certification.
“My experience in economic development has focused on rural and coastal communities,” Warner said. “McIntosh
County has built a solid foundation for future industrial growth, and I look forward to joining the team to expand the
tax base through new investment while supporting and retaining the businesses that already call the county home.”
Previous IDA President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Draffin announced his plans to retire in 2026 after helping
establish a strong economic development brand for McIntosh County. Among his many accomplishments, Draffin led
the effort to attract a $60 million cold storage facility built by Ti Cold and Karis Cold, and operating as PermaCold
Logistics, to McIntosh County in 2025. The project created 50 new jobs for the community.