On July 1, a quiet but significant change marked the beginning of a “new era of partnerships” in how Georgia coordinates education and workforce policy. Of course, business and training have always been interconnected; every employer needs qualified employees. But when Gov. Brian Kemp signed the Education and Workforce Strategy Act (HB 1302) on May 11 and it went into...

Dr. Michelle “Shelley” Nuss is a professor of Medical Education in Internal Medicine and Psychiatry. She has spent much of her career focusing on ways to address shortages in healthcare education and workforce pipelines. Shelley Nuss, Founding Dean, University of Georgia School of Medicine. Photo credit: Daemon Baizan What was the response when you opened up medical school applications? Overwhelming....

Understanding Medical Needs: Alyssa Panitch, professor and chair, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory University. Photo credit: Daemon Baizan In March, Gov. Brian Kemp announced that Belgian-owned biopharmaceutical giant UCB was investing $2 billion to build its first U.S. pharmaceutical biologics manufacturing facility in Gwinnett County. The company plans to create more than 300 jobs over...

From Clinician to Administrator: Dr. Monica Hum, a colorectal surgeon who is now the CEO of Piedmont Rockdale Hospital in Conyers. Photo credit: Stan Kaady After a decade of education and training – typically four years of undergraduate college, four years of medical school and three to seven years of residency and training – most physicians are happy to leave the...

With his wife and L.E.A.D. co-founder Kelli, Stewart uses sports to educate and empower young men and women by providing programs in athletics, academics, civic engagement and commerce. Photo credit: Daemon Baizan You’ve worked with students for almost two decades now, as a coach and a mentor. How have students changed? Kids today want to be entertained before they are...

Pursuing Academic Dreams: At Chattahoochee Tech, Patria Brown is close to earning her associate’s degree and then plans to complete coursework for her bachelor’s degree at Reinhardt University. Photo credit: Kevin Garrett Despite multiple health and family setbacks that kept her from graduating from high school, Patria Brown was a voracious reader from an early age. Now a mother of six,...

An Aspen Fellow, Whirl previously served as president of Augusta Technical College before taking on the leadership of Georgia’s oldest public Historically Black College and University (HBCU) on April 1, 2025. Dr. Jermaine Whirl, President, Savannah State University. Photo credit: Frank Fortune What attracted you to the job at Savannah State University? The location, Savannah. You’ve got the port, you’ve...

When Georgia’s 40-day 2026 legislative session started on January 12, it was clear that economic issues, ranging from tax policy to changes in federally funded nutrition programs, were at the top of most lawmakers’ minds. But a close second was likely the distractions of a session during an off-year election. Every major statewide office is up for grabs this year,...

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is an immersive museum and center in Downtown Atlanta that honors and explores the history of domestic civil rights and global human rights. The Center is home to the papers of Martin Luther King Jr. and has recently reopened after a privately funded $57.6 million renovation. Why is the expansion of the...

In 2009, Robert J. Woods spun a startup out of his extensive research in glycobiology, which is the study of carbohydrates. A distinguished research professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Chemistry at the University of Georgia, Woods cofounded Lectenz Bio based on reagents he and his colleagues developed from enzymes used to detect glycans, complex carbohydrate...

Skills Training: Instructor Daniel Jean-Baptiste, center, teaches woodworking and other skills to students Brittany Jackson, left, and Jordin Smith, right, as part of the four-week Construction Ready program. Photo credit: Kevin Garrett If Georgia’s workforce was a highway system for the state’s economic development, it would be covered with orange cones. Constant tweaks to programs and initiatives crop up like...

Efficient Management: Katrina Singletary, government affairs manager at PBS Aerospace. Photo credit: Kevin Garrett Global trade made news in Georgia long before retaliatory tariffs started grabbing headlines. Once again, Georgia businesses found new opportunities in global markets, with exports surpassing $53.1 billion in 2024, outperforming the national average for the fourth year. Georgia is now the sixth-largest state in total trade,...

Problem Solver: Paul Cramer, president and CEO of The Classic Center. Photo credit: Matt Odom. Athens, Georgia, is renowned for its unique downtown atmosphere. More than just a typical college town that fills up on weekends with college football fans, the city features eclectic shops, unique coffeehouses and some of the region’s most innovative restaurants. Athens has a reputation as...

The data doesn’t lie. It was another banner year for the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). In 2024, the system – comprising 22 technical colleges and 88 campuses in every corner of the state – hit 148,746 in total credit enrollment, a 10.6% increase in total credit hours taken by students from 2023. “This is the highest enrollment we’ve...

Georgia offers exceptional post-secondary education opportunities, encompassing highly sought-after public and private four-year colleges and universities and a well-respected career and technical college system with primary and satellite campuses across the state. Given the in-state and out-of-state popularity of Georgia colleges and universities, students must begin planning their next steps early. This involves researching programs and institutions where they can...

In 1997, Ramon Reyes began his career in the hospitality industry as a hotel doorman in New Orleans. He moved to Atlanta to open the Omni Hotel at the Battery and serve as the hotel’s general manager. After four years in the role, he became GM of Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park, the largest hotel by room number in...

What causes a leader to stand out? The women highlighted here frequently noted hard work, sacrifice, mentorship – receiving and providing it – humility, taking risks and collaboration as key reasons for their success. But other common denominators emerged: serving the community, aligning with the organization and being strong enough to say, “The buck stops here.” These women are entrusted...

On a Mission: Russell Keen, president of Augusta University. Photo: Hillary Rumsey A native of the Augusta region, Russell Keen, president of Augusta University (AU), soldered copper pipes in an old dental lab at AU during summer breaks as he worked his way through Georgia Southern College (now Georgia Southern University) as a young man. In 2024, he presided over the...

This year’s Georgian of the Year, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, achieved his lifelong dream of becoming mayor in part because of his confidence and hard work, but also because of his never-give-up mindset. You tend to find similar qualities in most leaders who serve in local and state government or run companies, health systems, universities and nonprofits in the state’s...

Parking isn’t the sexy part of economic development. When cities and counties announce new projects, it barely merits a side note. In fact, parking often poses challenges that city and county leaders must confront, including location, accessibility, affordability, safety and environmental impact. Addressing Challenges: Alex Morrison, executive director for the Macon-Bibb Urban Downtown Development Authority (UDA), and Margaret Peth, UDA...