The Coastal Regional Commission (CRC) Council voted unanimously on February 14, 2024, to hire Dionne Lovett as the new Executive Director for the 10-county region, effective March 16, 2024. She will replace Allen Burns, who is retiring after 16 years as executive director.

Lovett is a McIntosh County native who has worked at the CRC for 16 years. In 2008, she was hired as the Aging Services fiscal analyst for the Finance Department; in 2011 she was promoted to Aging Services director; and, in 2020 she was promoted to assistant executive director.

Lovett graduated from the McIntosh County school system and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Georgia Southern University. She serves as a board member of the United Way of Coastal Georgia, the Coastal Coalition for Children, and the McIntosh County Industrial Development Authority.

She is married to Alvin Lovett, who is a retired federal law enforcement officer, and a resident of McIntosh County. The CRC Council is comprised of 39 members representing 10 counties and 36 municipalities. The CRC has 110 employees that service the region with aging, transportation, planning, GIS, and other governmental services. The CRC office is located in Darien.