08/20/2026
Georgia Downtown Association Annual Statewide Conference 2026
📍Rome, GA
Last year at the Georgia Downtown Association conference, CEM Carly Glaze heard Ashley Umbehant from Lavonia say, “Hand me a mic and I won’t shut up about downtown Lavonia.”
Boy, does that make sense now. 😂
It was an absolute honor this week to have the opportunity to share just how proud the CEM is of all that is happening in Downtown Jasper. Surrounded for four days by counterparts, other town’s board members, Mayors, Deputy City Managers, DCA state employees for Main Street and more!
Erin Barnes, President & CEO of Main Street America was the keynote speaker- she received her Master’s at Yale & conducted international research, worked with the UN & VP Al Gore, co-founded the national nonprofit ioby, received the Jane Jacobs Medal and was selected as an Inaugural Obama Foundation Fellow — talk about inspiring!
Throughout the conference, cities and Main Street communities including Monroe, Canton, Rockmart, Milledgeville, Warrenton, Cartersville, Calhoun, Nashville, Hahira, Loganville, Lavonia, Royston, Toccoa, Woodstock and Hartwell offered so much praise, support, encouragement and curiosity about what’s happening in Downtown Jasper.
“I love what y’all did.”
“I love what y’all are doing.”
“How did you do it?”
“Tell me more.”
“We are here for y’all!”
Getting to see Downtown Jasper become on the radar of other communities who are looking for ideas but also long time veterans and subject matter experts of the work being done in Jasper now, was truly something special.
And a special shoutout to Jeffrey Fowler from Warrenton, the CEM was honored to be his Downtown mentee this year, and Warrenton also lead Jasper’s board annual Main Street training back in June. Getting to learn from other communities is one of the best parts of this work.
The week ended with another really cool Downtown Jasper connection.
Each year, the Pickens County Chamber of Commerce hosts a Leadership Pickens adult cohort. The CEM is actually a member of the 2026 class, but unfortunately missed today’s session because of a CDP certification class at the conference focused on master and strategic planning.
While the CEM couldn’t be there, DDA/Main Street Board Chair Parish Lowrie spoke to the class as part of their day focused on economic development and vitality, sharing what’s happening in our historic Downtown/Main Street District.
It has been such a GREAT week for Downtown Jasper. ❤️
There is so much happening, so much to be proud of, and so many incredible people working together to make Downtown Jasper a place that all people, locals and tourists alike, notice, talk about, visit, invest time and effort in and believe in.
And yes… apparently CEM has officially become a person who can be handed a microphone and will happily talk about Downtown Jasper all day 😂🎤💚
Keep watching, because we promise, we’re just getting started.
