President’s Message – February 2026

Hello Georgia Planners!

With 2026 now in full swing, it’s time to start getting ready for our Spring Conference. I’m excited to see you all at Gas South in Duluth on March 24—there are still opportunities to get involved with making the conference a success, both in terms of becoming a sponsor or volunteering your time as an individual. Scroll below for more information.
 
A bit further into spring, the National Planning Conference will be held in Detroit, Michigan on April 25-28. If you plan to go, please a drop me a line at  if you’d like to be added to a Georgia Planners in Detroit WhatsApp group—this will be an easy way to communicate with each other while we’re at the conference. Also for those who plan to attend, please save the date for the Joint Georgia Tech/GPA Reception on Sunday, April 26, at 5pm. More details to come.
 
On a much sadder note, I want to extend GPA’s condolences to the UGA planning community who lost a great leader, Dr. Stephen Ramos. An international scholar of port cities, infrastructure, transition, logistics, and planning history, Dr. Ramos served on numerous editorial and advisory boards and scientific committees and has been the recipient of various research grants. In 2011, he became an Assistant Professor at the College of Environment and Design at the University of Georgia. He passed away suddenly on January 20, and will be greatly missed—our thoughts are with his family and his wide circle of colleagues, students, and friends.
 
Allison Stewart-Harris