Coastal Georgia Area Community Action Authority recently announced its first chief development officer.

After conducting a nationwide search, the agency chose Zerik Samples, a Glynn County native, to join the organization. He will start Monday and will be responsible for developing and implementing fundraising initiatives, including marketing and communication, partnership opportunities for local businesses, managing grant-writing efforts and cultivating individual donors and major gifts.

“Zerik joins us at a great time, as we diversify our revenue to bring in new donors to support the thousands of children and families in the nine counties that we serve,” said Tres Hamilton, the authority’s CEO. “Zerik understands the power of relationships and issues families are facing, and he will undoubtedly make great things happen through our collective philanthropic efforts.”

The authority’s service area includes Liberty and Long counties.

“I am thrilled to join this amazing organization at this exciting juncture,” Samples said. “This is one of the largest community action organizations in the state, and I am excited the search committee chose me to help create an aggressive fund development plan that will help change people’s lives through our philanthropic efforts.”