With every available seat filled and standing room expected, the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce will convene education, industry and community leaders Wednesday for its fourth and final Macon & Eggs program of 2026, From Classroom to Career: Building Our Next Generation Workforce.

The sold-out program comes at a particularly timely moment for Central Georgia, just days after Audi announced plans to establish its first U.S. manufacturing facility at the Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County, bringing an anticipated $4 billion investment and 4,500 jobs to the region. The announcement underscores why educators, industry leaders and communities are investing now in stronger pathways connecting students to high-demand careers.

“Economic development announcements of this scale make it very clear that workforce development cannot begin when the jobs arrive,” said Jessica Walden, President & CEO of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce. “The momentum begins years earlier in our classrooms, through our partnerships and by giving students a clearer line of sight between what they are learning today and the careers that will be available to them tomorrow. This program is about the people and partnerships already doing that work.”

The program will feature Fran Dundore with the Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Strategy as keynote speaker, sharing insight into Georgia’s efforts to better align education with workforce needs and strengthen the state’s talent pipeline.

A featured panel will then bring the conversation closer to home, highlighting how education, government and industry partners are working together to create career pathways in Macon-Bibb County and across Central Georgia.

The panel will be moderated by Jessica Walden, President & CEO of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce, and Stephen Adams, Executive Director of the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority.

The discussion will include:

Lester Miller, Mayor, Macon-Bibb County

Dr. Ivan Allen, President, Central Georgia Technical College

Dr. Dan Sims, Superintendent, Bibb County School District

Dr. Cassandra Washington, CEO, Hutchings College and Career Academy

Raymond Shelton, Vice President/Chief Sustainability and Communications Officer, YKK AP

Tyson Firlotte, Vice President, Human Resources, North America, Irving Consumer Products

Central to the conversation will be the Advanced Manufacturing Pathway at Hutchings College and Career Academy, a collaboration among Bibb County Schools, Macon-Bibb County Government, Central Georgia Technical College, the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority and local industry partners.

The pathway is designed to give students access to industry-relevant skills, opportunities to earn college credit and preparation for high-demand careers in advanced manufacturing while they are still in high school.

The model reflects a larger shift in workforce development: employers and educators working together earlier to ensure students understand the careers available in their own community and have the skills needed to pursue them.

Immediately following Macon & Eggs, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a VIP tour of the Advanced Manufacturing Pathway classroom at Bibb County Schools’ Innovation & Technology Academy, located directly across Eisenhower Parkway from the Macon Mall.

Members of the media are encouraged to attend. With a standing-room-only crowd and leaders from education, government and industry gathered around the same table, Wednesday’s program will offer a timely look at workforce initiatives already underway across Central Georgia. The recent Audi announcement provides a clear example of why continued collaboration and investment in these education-to-career pathways are critical to preparing students for the high-demand opportunities emerging across the region.

PROGRAM DETAILS

Macon & Eggs: From Classroom to Career: Building Our Next Generation Workforce
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
8:30–10:00 a.m.

LOCATION:
Macon Mall, Conference Room near the Board of Elections Office, Ground Floor
3661 Eisenhower Parkway, Macon, GA 31206