Today, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce announced that Ella H., a civic leader representing Arnall Middle School in Coweta County won the 2026 Georgia State Finals of the National Civics Bee®. Ella will now represent the state of Georgia in the National Championship, which will take place in Washington, D.C. this fall. Iksha K., representing Webb Bridge Middle School in Fulton County finished second, and Nicholas H., representing Georgia Military Prep in Baldwin County finished third.

The Georgia State Finals of the National Civics Bee® was hosted by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Foundation on June 25 and organized in partnership with The Civic Trust® of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The Civics Bee is an initiative aimed at encouraging more young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities.

2026 is the second year the Georgia Chamber has hosted the Georgia State Finals of the National Civics Bee®. Kinder Morgan served as Presenting Sponsor of the 2026 Georgia State Finals of the National Civics Bee.

The competition took place at the Carter Center in Atlanta.

Ella H., Champion of the 2026 Georgia State Finals of the National Civics Bee®, said:

“Being the winner today means that I have the opportunity to speak about issues, and I have the opportunity to make change, and that I need to take that and run with it. I need to be using this opportunity to do good in my community.”

Daniela Perry, Executive Director of the Georgia Chamber Foundation said:

“Congratulations to Ella on this outstanding achievement. Her innovative solution to solving a challenge in her community is inspiring and a perfect example of what the National Civics Bee® seeks to do. This program empowers our future generation to understand how government works and use that knowledge to engage in their communities to make a difference. Every student who competed in not only the Georgia State Finals, but also in all the regional competitions through our local chamber partners, exemplifies our nation's core civic values and demonstrates deep civic pride.”

Twenty-four civic leaders qualified for the State Finals, after finishing in the top three in their local civics bees, organized by local chambers of commerce. The seven chambers of commerce hosting local civics bee competitions were:

• Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, Inc.  
• Columbia County Chamber of Commerce
• Darien-McIntosh County Chamber of Commerce
• Fayette Chamber of Commerce 
• Henry County Chamber of Commerce 
• Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce Foundation  
• Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce, Inc.

The 2026 Georgia State Finals of the National Civics Bee® consisted of a three-round competition. The first two rounds were multiple-choice questions, followed by a judged, Q&A round to test their civics knowledge. The judges for this year’s competition were:

• Allen Fore, Vice President of Public Affairs for Kinder Morgan
• Jessica Walden, President & CEO of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce
• Julie Windom, VP Government Affairs for Atrium Health
• Robert Gaines II, Chief of Staff for the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education
• Terreta Rodgers, Head of Community Affairs for Amazon’s Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi Region

Allen Fore, Vice President, Public Affairs Kinder Morgan, the Presenting Sponsor of the 2026 Georgia State Finals of the National Civics Bee® said:

“When you see these young people so engaged, so thoughtful, and so eager to make a difference, it gives you hope for the future. At Kinder Morgan, we're proud to support opportunities like the National Civics Bee® that inspire the next generation of civic leaders. Our commitment goes beyond sponsorship. We're honored to be active participants in encouraging and investing in these remarkable students."