The Cobb Collaborative connects community resource leaders together to holistically meet critical needs in our community. It does so by coordinating its efforts via the Georgia Family Connection Partnership and 159 similar organizations in every county in our state.

Irene Barton is its Executive Director and a master of “herding cats” to accomplish great things on behalf of members of our community that are in need. We discussed a wide range of issues including:

• Irene’s focus on ensuring that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”
• The importance of making data-driven decisions
• How the Cobb Collaborative addresses underlying issues, not just the obivous
• The challenges of coordinating the deployment of resource to achieve optimal efficiency and effectiveness
• The “Two Generation” program at Kennesaw State that addresses the unique challenges of student parents

Thank you, Irene Barton, for your service to our community!