The Southwest Georgia Regional Commission is Honored with
2025 Impact Award from theNational Association of Development Organizations

July 15, 2025 – The Southwest Georgia Regional Commission, based in Camilla, Georgia, has recently been recognized with a 2025 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for providing AI Driven Workforce Development Equipment to local high school CTAE programs with funds provided under the Economic Development Administration (EDA) Georgia Artificial Intelligence (GA AIM) Grant. 

Through the Southwest Georgia Ecosystem Project under the Georgia AIM program, four Southwest Georgia High Schools received funds for the purchase of in-classroom equipment through their respective College Technical Agricultural Education (CTAE) programs specifically for workforce development initiatives. Mitchell County High School received funds to purchase a smart manufacturing laboratory to teach the next generation of manufacturing skills for future students. Colquitt County High Schools received funds for an Anatomage Table for their Allied Health program, a Heavy Equipment Simulator, and a Fire Emergency Simulator. Early County schools received funding for their Vet Science Program. Dougherty County received funding for Unmanned Aircraft Education and AI Implementation Educational Training materials. 

Presented annually, the NADO Impact Awards honor regional development organizations and their partners for strengthening communities, building regional resilience, and enhancing local economies through innovative approaches to economic and community development. NADO is a Washington, DC-based membership association of regional development organizations that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies.   

This year’s cohort included 90 impactful projects led by 79 organizations across 24 states. These award-winning efforts will be recognized during NADO’s 2025 Annual Training Conference, held this coming October in Salt Lake City, Utah. All selected projects are featured in an interactive StoryMap that showcases summaries, images, and key partners. The map is available at www.nado.org/2025impactawards/.

“The Impact Awards are an annual reminder of the creativity and commitment that regional development organizations bring to their communities,” said 2024-2025 NADO President Rick Hunsaker, Executive Director of the Region XII Council of Governments in Iowa. “This year’s awardees show how local and regional partnerships, driven by vision and collaboration, can lead to lasting positive change across our country.”

Suzanne Angell, Executive Director of the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission stated, “The Southwest Georgia Regional Commission is very excited to be awarded a 2025 NADO Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award for the work we are doing as a member of the Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing (GA AIM) Coalition. GA AIM is a statewide initiative targeted toward fostering economic growth by developing and expanding AI manufacturing and workforce development. We are very proud of this particular project under the GA AIM grant, which provided AI driven equipment to several of our local high school CTAE programs. This equipment is instrumental in providing exciting new pathways and opportunities for students as they move into adulthood and eventually choose a career.”

The Impact Awards are presented in memory of Aliceann Wohlbruck, NADO’s first executive director, who was a lifelong advocate for regional solutions and rural economic development.

For more information, contact Beka Shiver, Economic Development Planner, 229-522-3552, bshiver@swgrc.org

The Southwest Georgia Regional Commission (SWGRC)  is one of twelve regional commissions in the state of Georgia and serves fourteen counties and forty-three cities in Southwest Georgia. The SWGRC strives to improve the livability of our communities by providing collaborative, progressive leadership and professional technical services to determine the needs of our region. Learn more about SWGRC at www.swgrc.org.

The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) promotes public policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through the regional strategies, coordination efforts, and program expertise of the nation’s regional development organizations. Learn more about NADO at www.nado.org.