Jeff Humphreys, director of the Selig Center for Economic Growth, is one of five faculty members and service professionals are 2019 recipients of the Walter Barnard Hill Award for Distinguished Achievement in Public Service and Outreach. The award recognizes their contributions to the improvement of the quality of life in Georgia and beyond.
During Humphreys’ nearly 30-year career at UGA, he has been recognized as one of the foremost experts on the Georgia economy. His expertise and economic forecasting is sought after and utilized by countless private businesses, government officials and nonprofit organizations.
Humphreys was instrumental in growing Terry College’s Georgia Economic Outlook series across the state beginning in 1989, helping the program expand beyond Atlanta and ultimately reach 10 cities and more than 3,000 attendees each year. Humphreys’ research and analysis is at the core of the outlook series, which provides reliable insights regarding Georgia’s economic outlook for the coming year.
Humphreys has lent his expertise to numerous boards and governing bodies over the years, including as a member of the Athens Chamber of Commercial Small Business Council (1990-96), a board member on the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau (1993-2003) and as an appointed member of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors since 2003.