• ECG ED Team attended the 2025 GeorgiaForward Young Gamechangers cohort graduation, where team members Jon McBrayer and Morgan Ferguson presented their final recommendations concluding the 8-month program.

At ECG, delivering excellence for our communities means more than providing expertise; it’s also about encouraging our team members to step into statewide spaces that inspire collaboration, leadership, and new ideas for community advancement.

In doing so, our Economic Development team brings together decades of hands-on experience in business growth, community engagement, and market insight, all aimed at helping Georgia communities thrive.

One of those spaces is the GeorgiaForward Young Gamechangers program, a leadership-action initiative that has united some of Georgia’s most promising professionals since 2010. The program challenges participants to think boldly about local problems, and to design actionable solutions that can ripple across the state.

This year, 48 emerging leaders between the ages of 25 and 40 spent eight months developing fresh, creative approaches to community and economic challenges in Athens-Clarke County. Among them were two of ECG’s own: Jon R. McBrayer and Morgan Ferguson.

Yesterday, our Technical Solutions team had the privilege of attending the GeorgiaForward Young Gamechangers Final Recommendations Presentation in Athens-Clarke County, a gathering that spotlighted fresh, big-idea solutions from some of Georgia’s brightest young professionals.

We were especially proud to cheer on ECG’s Manager for Community Development, Jon McBrayer, and Research Analyst, Morgan Ferguson, selected as part of this year’s cohort:

Morgan’s group, Level Ground, focused on tackling the question: “Despite Athens-Clarke County’s vibrant academic and cultural landscape, economic disparity remains a pressing issue, with a poverty rate well above the state average. What innovative strategies can community stakeholders collaboratively implement to foster middle-class growth amid great wealth and poverty in Athens?”

Jon’s group, Athens Regional Coalition (ARC), answered the question: “As a regional hub for commerce, culture, education, and healthcare, Athens-Clarke County plays a vital role in Northeast Georgia. How can we balance this regional role and metro growth while prioritizing and addressing critical local challenges?”

“This program has been a great experience; it is for those who are geared towards public leadership and service,” said Jon McBrayer. “If you have a heart for service and are ready to do the work, Young Gamechangers is for you.“

For the complete guide to all presentations, click here.

Leadership, Collaboration & Community Advancement

Watching the group’s final recommendation presentations was a clear reminder that Georgia’s future is in capable, creative, and compassionate hands. As ECG continues to champion economic development and business growth across the state, we are proud to see our team members stepping into leadership roles, and we believe that investing in the next generation of leaders is one of the smartest moves any organization can make.

Young Gamechangers has a strong track record of making a lasting impact, with previous host communities including Douglasville-Douglas County, LaGrange-Troup County, Albany-Dougherty County, Monroe-Walton County, Dalton-Whitfield County, Columbus-Muscogee County, Milledgeville-Baldwin County, Augusta-Richmond County, Americus-Sumter County, Dublin-Laurens County, and Valdosta-Lowndes County. The program is known for generating real solutions that local leaders implement to drive progress.

About GeorgiaForward

GeorgiaForward engages young professionals with leaders in civics, industry, government, academia, and the media to find a common vision for Georgia. The nonprofit organization, which is administered by the Georgia Municipal Association, accomplishes this by creating an environment in which vision and pragmatism can overcome political deadlock, fostering communication and goodwill among Georgia’s stakeholders, and seeking innovative solutions to Georgia’s biggest challenges.

To learn more about GeorgiaForward and the Young Gamechangers program, visit georgiaforward.org.

*Featured Image courtesy of Georgia Municipal Association LinkedIn Page