The Georgia Chamber of Commerce held its 2025 Rural Prosperity Summit at the University of Georgia Conference Center in Tifton. The annual event brought together business, political, and community leaders from across the state to discuss strategies for building strong rural communities.
Keynote speakers included Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes and Caylee Noggle, President and CEO of the Georgia Hospital Association. The summit featured panel discussions on topics such as disaster preparedness, housing shortages, and healthcare challenges facing rural areas.
Blue Ridge-Fannin County was recognized with the 2025 Rural Community of the Year Award. Other honors included the Rural Champion Awards, which went to Locate South Georgia, the Downtown Development Authority of Madison, and Gina Webb, Director of OneGeorgia Authority. More details about these awards can be found on the Rural Community of the Year and Rural Champion Awards web pages.
Georgia Power served as presenting sponsor for this year’s summit.
Rachel Santos, Director of Sales and Industry Relations at Premium Peanut and Chair of the Georgia Chamber Rural Prosperity Council said:
“Rural Georgia is essential to our state’s economic success. The Rural Prosperity Summit and the work of the Rural Prosperity Council bring leaders together to engage and learn about resources, innovation, and opportunities. I am proud that the Georgia Chamber recognizes the importance of rural Georgia, because when rural Georgia prospers, all of Georgia prospers.”
Tiffany Holmes, Deputy Director of the Georgia Chamber Foundation and Director of the Center for Rural Prosperity said:
“From disaster recovery to housing, healthcare, workforce, and economic development, rural Georgia continues to set the standard for collaboration and perseverance. That dedication helped Georgia once again earn the title of the number one state to do business. At the Rural Prosperity Summit, we celebrated that commitment while helping to sustain rural Georgia’s economic prosperity.”
Panelists at this year’s event included officials from local chambers of commerce such as Emily Courson (Douglas-Coffee County), Michele Johnson (Greater Vidalia), Lisa Smart (Berrien County), as well as mayors Jason Holt (Fitzgerald), Travis Wimbush (Blakely), Tiffany Zeigler (Pembroke), among others. Sessions addressed issues like workforce development and healthcare access in rural regions.
Founded in 1911 and incorporated in 1915, the Georgia Chamber represents tens of thousands of members statewide through offices in Atlanta, Brunswick, and Tifton. In 2025 it launched “Georgia|2050,” a strategic plan focused on long-term economic opportunity for Georgians.
