Georgia Planning Association Spring Conference

Thank you for your attendance at the 2026 GPA Spring Conference on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at the Gas South Convention Center in Duluth.

One Georgia: Secure & Connected

Thank you to those who were part of the Georgia Planning Association’s 2026 Spring Conference, One Georgia: Secure & Connected, held at the Gas South Convention Center in Duluth. Your engagement made this a dynamic and impactful gathering for planning professionals across Georgia.

Featuring 15 sessions, a student presentation, and a highly successful mobile workshop showcasing Gwinnett’s downtown cities, this year’s program set the stage for exploration, collaboration, and fresh ideas shaping communities statewide. We welcomed 262 attendees, including 168 members, 43 non-members, 25 planning officials, and 13 students/retirees, alongside 61 speakers who enriched the day with valuable insights.

We also thank Megan Lesko of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce for a warm welcome to Gwinnett County. Finally, our sincere appreciation to our seven Ultimate Sponsors and six Spring Conference Sponsors for their critical support. Thank you for your continued commitment to advancing planning across Georgia! We look forward to seeing you again at the GPA’s 2026 Fall Conference in Augusta, September 23-25.

Keynote Address

Cybersecurity & Planning: Protecting Communities, Infrastructure, and Public Trust in the Age of AI with Michael Owens, Cybersecurity Executive and Mayor of Mableton.

A highlight of the Spring Conference was the keynote by Dr. Michael Owens, Cybersecurity & Planning: Protecting Communities, Infrastructure, and Public Trust in the Age of AI, offering a compelling perspective on safeguarding communities in an increasingly digital world.

With more than 25 years of experience across government, critical infrastructure, and
Fortune 500 organizations, Dr. Owens will share insights on the growing intersection of
technology, cybersecurity, and planning, and share why protecting digital infrastructure
is essential to building resilient communities.

We Want Your Input

We’d love your feedback on the 2026 Spring Conference! Surveys are in the Conference App.

Conference Survey

In the menu of the Mobile App, the onsite conference program, you’ll see the “Survey for Spring Conference”. Select it and complete the questions for the overall conference. The GPA board and programs committee will review responses in advance of planning future conferences.

Sessions Evaluations

We would love your feedback on the sessions you attended at the Spring Conference. You can find the evaluations in the App by going to the schedule section . Select the session you attended, scroll to the bottom and click on the session evaluation. Please complete an evaluation for each session you attended. Your input helps us improve for future conferences.