Douglasville, GA— GeorgiaForward recently selected Madison Krilla as one of the 49 promising professionals to serve the organization’s 2025 Young Gamechangers (YG) program. YG is a unique leadership action program hosted by GeorgiaForward, a non-profit organization administrated by the Georgia Municipal Association. Young Gamechangers brings professionals from across the state to work on the persistent challenges of one Georgia community.
In 2025, the City of Athens and Clarke County will host the Young Gamechangers. Local leaders have finalized their four “Challenge Questions” that the 2025 cohort will be charged to answer during the eight months focused on Athens, developing specific, actionable recommendations for the community. These questions focus on community impact, the town-gown relationship, economic disparity, and regional growth.
“Each year, our Young Gamechangers, through the energy and innovation of our state’s best minds, help improve our cities and counties,” said Amir Farokhi, chair of GeorgiaForward’s board of directors. “This year, we are excited and grateful to partner with Athens-Clarke County. Great ideas come from all over Georgia, and we cannot wait to see our Young Gamechangers in action.”
Madison Krilla, 25, is one of the 45 Gamechangers selected for this class. Recently promoted to Recreation Superintendent at Douglas County Parks and Recreation, she previously led marketing and branding efforts. She is passionate about community engagement, building meaningful connections, and enhancing programs and events.
“I’m excited to collaborate with other passionate individuals to develop creative solutions for Athens-Clarke County,” Madison said. “Ultimately, I hope to bring back everything I learn to not only better myself but also positively impact our department and community here in Douglas County.”
“Athens has always thrived on innovation and creative energy, so we are delighted to host the Young Gamechangers here in 2025. This is a group that I know will contribute enhanced vitality to Athens and the entire state of Georgia,” said Mayor Kelly Girtz of the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government.
The 2025 cohort of Gamechangers will meet for the first time in Athens on April 23rd, and their work will culminate with a community presentation of their findings and recommendations on Thursday, November 6th. The Gamechangers are accomplished professionals aged 40 and under from across the state who wish to make an impact through civic engagement, economic development, and community partnerships. A third of the class is from the Athens-Clark County area, another third is from the metro Atlanta region, and the remaining third are from greater Georgia.
Previous Young Gamechangers Host Communities are Columbus-Muscogee County, Americus-Sumter County, Dublin-Laurens County, Douglasville-Douglas County, Augusta-Richmond County, LaGrange-Troup County, Milledgeville-Baldwin County, Albany-Dougherty County, Monroe-Walton County, Dalton-Whitfield County, Columbus-Muscogee County, and Valdosta-Lowndes County.
About GeorgiaForward: GeorgiaForward is a convener, connector, and unifier. We exist to unite our state, strengthen communities, and create a talent pipeline within Georgia.
GeorgiaForward engages young professionals with leaders in civics, industry, government, academia, and the media to find a common vision for Georgia. The nonprofit organization, which is administered by the Georgia Municipal Association, accomplishes this by creating an environment in which vision and pragmatism can overcome political deadlock, fostering communication and goodwill among Georgia’s stakeholders, and seeking innovative solutions to Georgia’s biggest challenges. To learn more about GeorgiaForward visit georgiaforward.org.
About the Georgia Municipal Association: Based in Atlanta, GMA is a voluntary, non-profit organization that provides legislative advocacy, educational, employee benefit and consulting services to all of Georgia’s 537 cities. GMA anticipates and influences the forces shaping Georgia’s cities and to provide leadership, tools and services that assist municipal governments in becoming more innovative, effective and responsive. Created in 1933, the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) is the only state organization that represents municipal governments in Georgia. For more information, visit www.gacities.com.
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