Theme: Power of the Public Square

At Georgia College, we believe in the power of the public square. We know that sharing ideas with our neighbors awakens our curiosity and opens our eyes to the transformative power of new ideas. It's together that we can nourish our imagination and redefine the possible. Our greatest ideas are born through dialogue, exchange, and collaboration. We are a community of explorers, innovators, and doers—united in our goal to serve the public good.

Georgia College
231 West Hancock Street
Milledgeville, Georgia, 31061
United States

Candace Doby

Courage Commissioner

Candace Doby is founder and CEO of the Can-Do Company. She previously served as field marketing manager for Chipotle. Doby is the author of A Cool Girl’s Guide To Courage. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and in English and a Master of Arts degree in technology and communication, both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Chris Clark

Thought(ful) Leader

Chris Clark is president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. He previously served as Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and as Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Economic Development. He is a graduate of Leadership Georgia and has been consistently named one of Georgia Trend magazine’s 100 Most Influential Georgians and one of the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Most Influential Atlantans. He holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Georgia College.

Hasitha Mahabaduge

Chaos Controller

Hasitha Mahabaduge is associate professor of physics at Georgia College, where he has taught since 2016. He has earned multiple awards for his teaching excellence, and was named to the University System of Georgia's Felton Jenkins Jr. Hall of Fame in 2020. Mahabaduge holds a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Toledo.

Jacob Carter

Motivation Multiplier

Jacob Carter is a Bachelor of Science candidate at Georgia College, where he is studying mathematics. Upon graduating in May 2023, he will begin the Master of Arts in Teaching degree program in the John H. Lounsbury College of Education at Georgia College.

Jehan El-Jourbagy

Corporate Optimist

Jehan El-Jourbagy is associate professor of business law and ethics at Georgia College, where she has taught since 2013. An attorney by training, she practiced previously at the firm of Haygood Lynch Harris Melton & Watson, LLP. She holds a JD from the University of Georgia School of Law.

Joanna Schwartz

Pride Purveyor

Joanna Schwartz is professor of marketing at Georgia College, where she designed the first college-level course in LGBTQ+ Marketing. She is a Georgia Governor’s Teaching Fellow and is a member of the University System of Georgia's Felton Jenkins Jr. Hall of Fame. She holds a Ph.D. in marketing from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Lisa Calvert

Voice Amplifier

Lisa Calvert is preparing for entry into law school. She is a recent graduate of Georgia College and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and baccalaureate certificate in leadership studies.

Melanie DeVore

Serendipitous Songster

Melanie DeVore is professor of biology at Georgia College, where she has taught since 1999. She holds appointments at the Center for Biology & Society and School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University and is Research Associate in Paleobotany at the Burke Museum, University of Washington. She is also Honorary Research Fellow in the Center of Excellence in Biodiversity & Natural Resource Management at the University of Rwanda. DeVore holds a Ph.D. in botany from The Ohio State University.

Nadya Gutierrez

Mindset Messenger

Nadya Gutierrez is marine ecology intern at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Dauphin Island, Alabama. She is previously a Hollings Scholar at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science from Georgia College, where she graduated in 2022.