The funeral will be held Saturday for Janice Riley, longtime executive director of Gainesville-based Ninth District Opportunity, who died earlier this week following a brief illness.
A native of Cherokee County, Riley became the agency’s second executive director in 1981 upon the retirement of James Redmond. The private, non-profit corporation was founded in 1967 following the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, serving children and families in twenty north Georgia counties.
She began her community action career as the Cherokee County Head Start coordinator in 1970.
Riley, who was 69, served on numerous state and national boards related to human services including the Georgia Growth Strategies Commission, the 21st Century Commission on Quality Work Force, and the Governor’s Employment & Training Council. She frequently advised White House and Congressional staffs, according to a news release announcing her passing.
The funeral will be held at 2:00 Saturday at Hickory Log Baptist Church in Canton with interment in the Cherokee Memorial Cemetery.
A complete obituary can be found on the Mack Eppinger & Sons Funeral Services website.
