Maria Thacker-Goethe, Georgia Bio President and CEO, Named to “100 Most Influential Georgians” list by Georgia Trend Magazine

Atlanta, Georgia (January 11, 2021) – Georgia Bio, the state’s public policy and business solutions organization representing Georgia’s life sciences sector, announced today that President and CEO Maria Thacker-Goethe was named to Georgia Trend magazine’s “100 Most Influential Georgians” list for 2021.

“It is an incredible honor to be chosen amongst such esteemed colleagues,” said Maria Thacker-Goethe, Georgia Bio’s president and CEO. “The list contains several of our life sciences partners, exhibiting the influence and impact that our sector has on the state of Georgia. Thank you to Georgia Trend for the merit and for highlighting the importance of the life sciences to our state.”

In its 23 rd year, this year’s “100 Most Influential Georgians” list contains CEOs, politicians, college presidents, nonprofit and economic development leaders who “have risen to the challenges of the past year to help make life better for all Georgians.”

Per Georgia Trend : “Under Thacker-Goethe’s leadership, Georgia Bio cultivates a high-growth life sciences

sector vital by many measures, including the nearly 200,000 jobs and approximately $22-billion impact for Georgia. She not only brings 13-plus years of nonprofit management to the role, but also the vision and experience from her concurrent leadership roles at the Georgia BioEd Institute and Global Health Alliance.”

To read more and view the full list of recipients, click HERE.

Thacker-Goethe also serves as CEO for the Center for Global Health Innovation. Georgia Bio is a division of The Center for Global Health Innovation, an Atlanta based 501(c)3 organization that was launched in 2020 to bring together diverse Global Health, Health Technology and Life Sciences entities to collaborate, innovate and activate solutions to enhance human health outcomes around the world. ( innovateglobalhealth.org )

About Georgia Bio

Georgia Bio ( www.gabio.org ) is the state’s private, non-profit life sciences association. Members include pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies, medical centers, universities and research institutes, government groups and other business organizations involved in the development of life sciences related products and services.

Georgia Life Sciences Designates Paulding County as Newest BioReady® Silver Community

January 20, 2026
January 20, 2026. Paulding County has been designated a BioReady Silver Community by Georgia Life Sciences, the state’s leading life sciences membership organization. The BioReady designation recognizes communities that demonstrate strong zoning practices, infrastructure capacity, and readiness to support biotechnology and life sciences development. “We are proud to recognize Paulding County as our newest BioReady Silver community,” said Maria Thacker-Goethe, President and CEO of Georgia Life Sciences. “Paulding County’s proactive planning, growing workforce, and access to regional healthcare and transportation infrastructure position it well to support life sciences manufacturing and commercialization. Through the BioReady program, we champion communities that are intentionally preparing to compete for industry investment and job growth.” Paulding County’s designation reflects its commitment to thoughtful land-use planning, scalable infrastructure, and business-friendly development policies that support life sciences and advanced manufacturing uses. Located in the northwest Atlanta metro region, the county offers access to a strong labor pool, major transportation corridors, and regional healthcare systems, making it an attractive option for biotechnology, medical device, diagnostics, and related life sciences companies seeking room to grow. “Georgia BioReady designation validates Paulding County’s readiness to support bioscience investment and strengthens our position as a growing hub for advanced industries,” said Alex Almodovar, President & CEO, Paulding County Economic Development Inc. & Industrial Building Authority The BioReady rating system evaluates communities across three tiers—Bronze, Silver, and Gold—based on their readiness to attract and support life sciences facilities. Through these ratings, Georgia Life Sciences helps municipalities better showcase biotech-appropriate sites, strengthen infrastructure planning, and clearly identify life sciences-friendly locations. This approach enables communities like Paulding County to compete more effectively for private investment and high-quality job creation. Georgia Life Sciences advances innovation, strengthens the workforce pipeline, and grows Georgia’s life sciences economy through the BioReady Community program, modeled after MassBio’s nationally recognized rating system, which assesses a community’s readiness to host life sciences facilities based on zoning practices and infrastructure capacity. About Georgia Life Sciences Georgia Life Sciences, founded in 1989, is a non-profit, membership-based organization that promotes the interests and growth of the life sciences industry. It is the state’s largest and most influential life sciences advocacy and business leadership organization working to improve access to innovative discoveries that have lifesaving impact. The association connects business, academia, government, and other allied entities involved in the application of life sciences products to fuel growth and collaboration through policy development, community programs, national industry initiatives, and a portfolio of educational and networking events. Learn more at galifesciences.org.

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