July 2026 Features

• Atlanta Regional Commission Announces 2026 Regional Leadership Institute Class

  July 24, 2026

  The Atlanta Regional Commission today announced that leaders from metro Atlanta’s public, private, and nonprofit sectors have been selected to participate in the 2026 class of the Regional Leadership Institute.

• Georgia Tech’s Record Fundraising Year Propels Campaign Past $2 Billion

  July 24, 2026

  Georgia Tech raised more than $415 million in Fiscal Year 2026, exceeding the previous annual record by more than $100 million and pushing Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech past the initial campaign target of $2 billion with 18 months remaining.

• Genuine Parts Company Named Presenting Sponsor of the Inaugural Cumberland Art Festival

  July 24, 2026

  One Cumberland announced today that Genuine Parts Company, a leading global distributor of automotive and industrial replacement parts and value-added solutions, will serve as the presenting sponsor of the inaugural Cumberland Art Festival, a free two-day celebration of art, culture, and community taking place October 17–18, 2026, at Galleria on the Park (100 Galleria Parkway, Atlanta 30339).

• Georgia DOT Awards Nearly $3.2B for Fiscal Year 2026, Includes $74.3M in Construction Contracts in June

  July 24, 2026

  At the monthly State Transportation Board meeting held in June, the last month of FY 2026, 20 projects were awarded for statewide projects valued at approximately $74.3 million.

• Mercedes-Benz Stadium Sets New Standard During FIFA World Cup 2026

  July 23, 2026

  Following eight FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, Mercedes-Benz Stadium reports a record-setting performance across technology, sustainability, food and beverage and fan experience. Throughout Atlanta’s hosting window, the stadium welcomed 544,516 fans and an estimated 4,000 credentialed media representing more than 100 countries, with hundreds of millions more watching around the world.

• Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Economic Impact Grows to $6B, Reaching Every Corner of the State

  July 22, 2026

  Children's Healthcare of Atlanta generated $6.12 billion in economic impact across Georgia in 2024, according to a new study from the Center for Economic Development Research at Georgia Tech's Enterprise Innovation Institute. This is a 65% increase from the last time the system's footprint was measured, a decade ago.

• Georgia Chamber Announces Top 2 Finalists in 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Georgia Competition

  July 22, 2026

  Today, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce announced the Top 2 finalists in the second annual Coolest Thing Made in Georgia competition, presented by Synovus, now merged with Pinnacle Financial Partners.

• Chronic Absenteeism Hits Another Post-Pandemic Low in Georgia, as Efforts to Reduce Absence Rates Continue

  July 22, 2026

  Chronic absenteeism in Georgia's public schools again declined during the 2025-2026 school year, reaching a new post-pandemic low and continuing a five-year trend of improvement.

• Goodwill of North Georgia Announces New Board Member & Board Officers

  July 21, 2026

  Goodwill of North Georgia, the nation’s leading Goodwill in connecting jobseekers to meaningful employment, is proud to announce the appointment of a distinguished new member to its Board of Directors, along with the election of its Fiscal Year 2027 Board Officers.

• Hannah's Story: Building a Better Future for Her Family

  July 21, 2026

  After entering Georgia's foster care system at age 11, Hannah spent seven years in care and experienced 17 different placements before aging out. As a young mother of three, she faced overwhelming challenges, balancing parenthood with unstable housing, unreliable transportation, and the daily struggle to provide for her family.

• Georgia Chamber Launches Georgia Digital Infrastructure Alliance

  July 21, 2026

  The Georgia Chamber of Commerce announced the launch of the Georgia Digital Infrastructure Alliance, a new initiative designed to bring together business leaders, infrastructure providers, utilities, community stakeholders, and key industries to support Georgia’s continued leadership in the rapidly growing digital economy.

• MARTA Safely Moves Millions During FIFA World Cup 2026

  July 20, 2026

  The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) safely and efficiently provided 4.7 million rail passenger trips over 35 days of FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, fan festivals, concerts, events, and the Peachtree Road Race on July 4th.

• Georgia Hospital Association Announces 2026-2027 Board of Trustees & New Board Chair Vicki Lewis

  July 20, 2026

  Coffee Regional Medical Center President and CEO Vicki Lewis, FACHE, was installed as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Hospital Association at the association’s Annual Meeting of the Assembly on July 9th.

• President Trump to Visit Georgia to Tout Affordability Agenda

  July 20, 2026

  President Donald Trump plans to visit Georgia this week to highlight tax breaks, grants to newborns and other policies aimed at affordability, a top concern ahead of the November elections. The president is scheduled to visit Wheeler High School in Marietta on Wednesday.

• Atlanta Delivers Historic FIFA World Cup 2026 from Kickoff to the Semifinal

  July 17, 2026

  Atlanta concluded an extraordinary FIFA World Cup 2026 hosting run on July 15th with a semifinal match-up between Argentina and England at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, capping eight matches that showcased the city at its very best.

• Ben Jarrard, Former Chief of Staff to Georgia Senate Majority Leader, Joins Dentons

  July 17, 2026

  Dentons US is pleased to announce that Ben Jarrard, former Chief of Staff to Georgia Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte, has joined the Firm's Regulatory, Public Policy and Government Affairs practice as a Senior Policy Director in Atlanta.

• Georgia Lottery Annual Profits for HOPE, Pre-K Exceed $1.54B

  July 17, 2026

  Governor Brian Kemp announced the Georgia Lottery Corp. raised $1,540,868,000 for education in fiscal year 2026, bringing the total transferred to the State Treasury’s Lottery for Education Account since inception in 1993 to more than $31.3 billion.

• Georgia Tech Presidential Search Committee Named

  July 16, 2026

  The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia today named members of the Georgia Institute of Technology Presidential Search Committee.

• Georgia Power Reaffirms Longstanding Commitment to Make Growth Work for Customers with Customer Protection Pledge

  July 16, 2026

  With new residents moving to the state and large-energy users like data centers and manufacturers choosing Georgia, Georgia Power continues to work to ensure that growth benefits all Georgia Power customers.

• Forty-Eight Leaders from Every Sector Will Spend Nine Months Getting to Know Gwinnett County from the Inside Out

  July 16, 2026

  Leadership Gwinnett selected 48 of the county’s established leaders for its Class of 2027, drawn from government, education, healthcare, business, and nonprofit sectors. Over nine months beginning in last August, the class will study the history, challenges, and long-term opportunities shaping one of Georgia’s fastest-growing counties and build the relationships to act on them together.

• CEO Confidence Slips in Q2 as Inflation and Economic Uncertainty Take Hold

  July 16, 2026

  Small and midsize business CEOs' confidence in the economy declined in the second quarter of 2026, according to the latest CEO Confidence Index from Vistage, a CEO coaching and peer advisory organization.

• UGA SBDC Expands Presence in Metro Atlanta with New Buckhead Office

  July 15, 2026

  Small business owners across Metro Atlanta will soon have a new place to turn for expert business guidance, training and resources. The University of Georgia is opening a Small Business Development Center office in Buckhead in collaboration with the Terry College of Business.

• Highline Warren Plans Multi-Year, $170M Investment in Henry County

  July 15, 2026

  Governor Brian Kemp announced that Highline Warren, an American vertically integrated distributor of automotive aftermarket and cleaning products, is investing $170 million in a new logistics and operations center in McDonough. The multi-year investment will create 160 new jobs.

• Sen. Warnock & Mayor Dickens Tout Bipartisan Federal Housing Law Amid Affordability Concerns

  July 15, 2026

  U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock met with other Democratic officials, including Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, in front of a corporate-owned house in southwest Atlanta Monday to celebrate a new federal law that seeks to give renters more hope in their quest to own a home.

• Rise Baking Company Announces Relocation and Evolution of Innovation Center in Atlanta

  July 14, 2026

  Rise Baking Company, home to some of the baking industry's most trusted brands and a leading manufacturer for in-store bakeries and foodservice operators, announces the relocation of their Tucker, Georgia Innovation Center to Uptown Atlanta.