Thank You for a Successful 2026 GPA Fall Conference!

What a great few days in beautiful Augusta! The Georgia Planning Association extends a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Fall Conference, Masters of Transition: Driving Sustainable Growth.

We welcomed 238 attendees from across Georgia and beyond for three days of learning, networking, and exploring Augusta. Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson kicked off our dinner program with a warm welcome, and Masters swag for a few lucky attendees, including our first registrant, a recent retiree recognized for his commitment to planning, and an attendee who traveled from Germany!

Our keynote speakers from the American Planning Association, Petra Hurtado, PhD, and Ben Hitchings, FAICP, CZO, shared insights from the 2026 APA Trends Report and practical tools for strengthening community readiness and resilience.

Congratulations to our 2026 GPA Award winners! Thank you for the outstanding work you do to strengthen communities and advance planning throughout Georgia.

Attendees also explored Augusta through five mobile workshops, including the sold-out Augusta Canal Heritage Boat Tour. The Emerging Planners Group, Claire Breeden and Elana Oertel, capped off Thursday with a fantastic Happy Hour at Sole Augusta.

A special thank you to District 6 Director and Host Committee Chair Carla Delaney for helping make Augusta a wonderful host city, and to GPA President Allison Stewart-Harris for her leadership and commitment to GPA.

Thank you to our attendees, speakers, sponsors, volunteers, partners, GPA leadership, and everyone behind the scenes who made this conference a success. We hope you left Augusta inspired, connected, and ready for the work ahead.

See you at the 2027 GPA Spring Conference! Stay tuned as we finalize our next conference location.

Kyethea Clark, AICP
VP/Programs