Greene County has been selected as the University of Georgia’s newest Archway Partnership community. Over the coming months, local leaders, organizations and residents will work together to identify opportunities and challenges that will shape future projects and partnerships. The Archway Partnership, a unit of UGA Public Service and Outreach, connects university faculty and students with partner communities through a community-based faculty member.
Greene County’s selection reflects its longstanding commitment to collaboration and community development. In recent years, the community has advanced downtown revitalization efforts, launched the Portrait of a Graduate partnership between the Greene County School System and Lake Oconee Academy and experienced significant housing and commercial growth. The county also has a long history of working with the University of Georgia through Cooperative Extension, faculty outreach, economic development initiatives and other collaborative projects.
“We are so pleased to welcome Greene County as an Archway Partnership community,” said Stacy Jones, vice president for public service and outreach. “The most successful partnerships begin by listening. Through Archway, we match university expertise and resources to help meet community-defined challenges. We look forward to supporting Greene County as it builds on its many strengths and creates new opportunities for the future.”
As an Archway Partnership community, Greene County will lead the process of identifying local priorities and opportunities for collaboration with UGA. Community members will have multiple opportunities to provide input through listening sessions, surveys and participation in local work groups. These community-driven priorities will shape future projects and partnerships with university faculty, students and public service professionals in areas such as workforce development, economic development, housing, healthcare, infrastructure, leadership development, education and quality of life.
“This partnership represents Greene County working together to move forward,” said Corey Williams, Greensboro’s mayor. “This is Greene County coming together as one, and I am looking forward to working with every city, the county and the school board to build a better future for Greene County.”
Steve Kilgore, vice chair of the Greene County Board of Education, believes the partnership will strengthen connections between education and the broader community.
“To say I am excited to see this collaboration develop between the University of Georgia, the Greene County Board of Commissioners, the Greene County Board of Education and city governments would be an understatement,” Kilgore said. “The timing is perfect, the program is sound, and leadership is in place to see great things happen.”
As the county continues to grow, the partnership comes at an important time.
“We are thrilled to partner with the University of Georgia through the Archway Partnership and the opportunities this collaboration will bring to Greene County,” said Gary Usry, chairman of the Greene County Board of Commissioners. “By combining the expertise and resources of UGA with the vision and commitment of our citizens, community organizations and local leaders, we can tackle challenges, identify new opportunities and develop solutions that will benefit our citizens for years to come.”
The Archway Partnership is one of eight University of Georgia Public Service and Outreach units serving communities across the state. Since its founding in 2005, the nationally recognized program has connected communities with university expertise to address locally identified priorities. Over the past three years, Archway has generated a return on investment of more than $22.9 million for Georgia communities and recently received the 2025 Association of Public and Land-grant Universities Innovation & Economic Prosperity Award for its leadership in community engagement and economic prosperity.
For more information about the Archway Partnership, please visit archwaypartnership.uga.edu or contact Michelle Elliott, mwe@uga.edu.