Executive Team

Barton Rice

Executive Director

Barton Rice is the executive director of Early County 2055. The grandson of longtime residents, Jean and Katha Rice, Barton spent many childhood summers in Blakely, and holds a deep personal connection to the community. Through the EC2055 project, he is working to preserve the cultural richness of Blakely and Early County, while at the same time creating a more viable economic model for the future.

Barton received the 2007 Georgia Trend Magazine ‘40 Under 40’ award, which honors the state's top individuals under the age of 40 who are poised to lead commercial, cultural, academic and governmental institutions into the future.

In addition to EC 2055, Barton also serves on the Dean's Council for the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at The University of Georgia.

Barton worked at the family business, Barton Protective Services Inc. (BPS), from 1985 until its sale in August of 2004. While at BPS, Barton held management positions in Human Resources, Operations and Sales among many other roles. In 2002, he became the Chief Strategy Officer at the company's corporate offices in Atlanta.

He received an MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University in 1999 and graduated from The University of Georgia in 1992 with a BA in Geography. He and his wife Andrea Lauer, live in Roswell, GA, with their two sons.