Laura Meadows
M.P.A., Brenau University
Associate Director
Governmental Training, Education, and Development
706.542.9771
lmeadowsuga.edu

Laura Meadows came to the Vinson Institute as director of its Governmental Training, Education, and Development Division (GTED) in 2009. She manages the GTED faculty and staff and ensures the successful delivery of the multitude of training programs conducted by the Institute for state and local government.

Prior to joining the Institute, she served as associate vice president for economic development at UGA beginning in 2007. In that capacity, she matched the university’s teaching, research, and public service resources with public and private efforts to promote economic development in Georgia. Meadows served as assistant secretary of state from 2003–2007. She was responsible for the employees and programmatic functions of all divisions of the Georgia Office of the Secretary of State.

Meadows has also held the positions of commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the first executive director of the OneGeorgia Authority, and the state director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development. She earned her Master of Public Administration degree from Brenau University and her B.S. in agriculture from the University of Georgia.