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The Future is Forward.

Columbus Ahead is the regional strategy for 2026–2030. A bold roadmap designed to drive economic momentum, cultivate talent, and build a thriving community.

Read the strategy

Leadership & Partners

Columbus Ahead is a unified regional blueprint, but its success depends on a powerful ecosystem of dedicated community partners. Rather than living within a single organization, the plan is co-owned and executed by a network of leading regional entities, each bringing specialized expertise to the pillars of Jobs, Talent, and Place. The implementing partners include:

Strategy Pillars & Goals

JOBS: Vibrant Economy

  • Rank in the top half of Georgia metros for job growth.

  • Rank among the top five Georgia metros for prime-age workforce growth

  • Strengthen Columbus’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by improving access to capital

  • Attract 15 million visitors

TALENT: Prosperous People

  • Rank among the top five Georgia metros for growth of residents with postsecondary education

  • Improve student chronic absenteeism and grade-level readiness by 20% in the most economically disadvantaged areas

PLACE: Thriving Community

  • Reduce crime rates to below the national average

  • Enhance connectivity by developing the most extensive trail network of any community in Georgia

  • Enhance civic pride and community engagement

2026 -2030 Strategy

The Roadmap.

Built on Insight. Driven by Data. The Columbus Ahead strategy is the result of a rigorous, diagnostic process. To create a plan that truly reflects our region, we moved through three critical phases of discovery and alignment in collaboration with Ernst & Young and our community partners.

  • EY Organizational Workshop Findings (February 2025) - Identifying how our regional organizations can better work together to move the needle.

  • Community Assessment (August 2025) - Analyzing our competitive standing in jobs, talent, and quality of life compared to other Georgia metros.

  • Stakeholder Engagement Summary (August 2025) - Ensuring the strategy was built by the community, not just for it.

“Growth requires a blueprint. Columbus Ahead is the vital plan that turns our collective vision into measurable results for 2030.”

Pace Halter
Chair, Regional Prosperity Initiative, Inc.

RPI, Inc. Board

  • Pace Halter

    Chair, RPI, Inc.
    W.C. Bradley Real Estate

  • Heath Schondelmayer

    Immediate Past Chair, RPI, Inc.
    Synovus

  • Dr. Dionne Rosser-Mims

    Chair, United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley
    Troy University

  • Doug Jenkins

    Chair, Columbus GA Chamber
    Georgia Power

  • Fred Maglione

    Chair, StartUP Columbus
    Boys & Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley

  • Selvin Hollingsworth

    Chair, Development Authority
    LightSpeed Datalinks

  • Tyler Pritchard

    Chair, Midtown Columbus
    Bodewell Injury Group

  • Wes Kelley

    Chair, Uptown Columbus
    Brasfield & Gorrie

Shape What’s Ahead

The future of our region is a shared mission. Whether you are a resident, a business leader, or a community partner, there is a place for you in this strategy. Let us know how you would like to contribute to the momentum.

office

118 W 11th Street
Columbus, GA 31901

mailing

PO Box 612
Columbus, GA 31902