Dear UAC Members and Supporters,
2025 is rapidly sailing by, and October brings cooler weather, fall color (and lots of leaf blower activity), and next thing you know, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year!
Major milestone
This year marks a milestone for UAC staff. I celebrated 20 years as Executive Director on September 9, serving since 2005 (first with MALTA, then with the Georgia Urban Ag Council from 2011-2025).
Recalling these years, which included terrible drought and water wars, economic uncertainty and volatility, political and legislative wins and losses and Covid, the brighter side has been the resiliency, positivity, innovativeness and the good men and women who lead and encourage a bright future workforce.
At a recent UAC event at Cultivation Brewery, it was great to see energetic young attendees. This bodes well for the future of UAC and the industry!
Staff changes
2025 also brings changes to the UAC staff. Kathy Johnson, Marketing Director, retires December 31. Kathy has been with UAC for 19 years, starting as a horticulture intern from Gwinnett Tech. She has played a key role in our success, consistently supporting the organization and adapting alongside me through many changes. I know that all of you join me in wishing her the best, and are grateful for the assistance, professionalism and dedication that she has provided all these years. Kathy and her husband, Jeff, will still be in the metro-Atlanta area, and she has promised to be just an email, text or phone call away for support! I'm deeply grateful for her friendship and guidance, and I will truly miss working with her.
Although Kathy will be retiring, UAC continues to expand its staff! We are pleased to announce the appointment of Devon Phillips as Director of Membership, Marketing, and Communications, effective October 1. Devon has six years of experience in the urban agriculture industry, having previously worked for UAC member company Legacy Turf Farms. Devon and her family live in Cartersville, where she will fulfill this full-time position both remotely and in person at many UAC events. Learn more about Devon in the "Have you met" article.
Over the coming months, Devon will collaborate with Kathy to transition responsibilities and will work with me to assist with events, membership recruitment and retention, and communications. Devon's industry expertise, contacts, business skills and other qualities make her a valuable addition to our team. I look forward to all of you meeting Devon and warmly welcoming her to the team!
Looking forward
As 2025 concludes and 2026 presents new opportunities, the UAC Board of Directors looks forward to sharing our new Strategic Plan to our members. We are very excited about the future of our association, and our new vision and mission statement reflect this. We hope you’ll engage with us as we plan the road map for UAC 2.0!
Please join us
I hope to see you at one of our many networking and educational events this fall and winter. As always, thank you for your support and please do not hesitate to contact us at any time if we can be of assistance.
