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Chattahoochee Hub for Innovation and Production of Semiconductors

CHIPS4CHIPS

Building the southeast semiconductor industry

The Chattahoochee Hub for Innovation and Production of Semiconductors (CHIPS4CHIPS or C4C) is a cross-sector and bi-state coalition of individuals and organizations in the Columbus, Georgia region with a vision for Columbus to become the southeast leader in the growth of U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. 

CHIPS4CHIPS has mobilized public and private leaders in Georgia and Alabama to support the growth of the domestic semiconductor industry. This includes more than 25 top-tier research universities, regional universities, historically Black colleges and universities, community colleges, and technical colleges to fill the workforce pipeline needed to support chip fabrication and advanced packaging, among other aspects of the semiconductor value chain. 

Next Gen Talent Imagine Prosperity Summit

WHY LOCATE IN COLUMBUS

Located just 90 miles southwest of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport, Columbus is Georgia’s second largest city and a thriving metro of 300,000 residents.  

The Columbus region enjoys abundant water and natural resources, and an economy fueled by a bi-state workforce and employers that include the country’s fifth largest military base, manufacturers such as Kia and Pratt & Whitney, and the headquarters of Aflac, TSYS (a Global Payments company), Synovus Financial Corp., and the W.C. Bradley Co. 

Columbus has several unique advantages that in combination, no other U.S. location can offer. 

significant veteran population

A significant veteran population results in strong alignment between the semiconductor industry’s in-demand technical skills and those prevalent in the Columbus workforce. 

top electrical engineering institutions

Georgia Tech is a leader in semiconductor-related education and sponsored research, while the Alabama Micro/Nano Science and Technology Center at Auburn University is the premier micro/nano fabrication center in the state. 

nation’s #1 business climate

Columbus sits in a powerhouse of a state offering advantages that lead numerous experts to rank Georgia as the nation’s #1 business climate. Georgia is among the most competitive U.S. states for manufacturing when considering operating costs, market access and the labor market.

supply chain flexibility & easy accessibility

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world’s busiest airport and among the most efficient. The Port of Savannah is the nation’s third busiest containerized gateway, moving 22% of the East Coast’s containerized cargo.

Next Gen Talent: Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce Today

Next-Gen Talent: Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce Today is a Workforce Development Summit series that brings together employers and educators to align needs, connect with other leaders, spark powerful ideas, and shape strategies to develop the next generation of talent for our region.

This summit series is sponsored through a Recompete Grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley, and CHIPS4CHIPS.

If you missed any of the sessions, you can find speaker presentations, bios, and a full video playlist below. For questions, please contact Andy Hilmes at ahilmes@unitedcv.org.


Speaker Presentations and Bios

Missed a session or want to revisit key insights? You can access the speaker presentations from the Next-Gen Talent: Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce Today summit series below.

Inaugural Summit: January 16, 2025

Presentations Speaker Bios Video Playlist

Imagine Prosperity Summit: April 17, 2025

Agenda Presentations Speaker Bios

Imagine Prosperity Summit

Meet the Panel

Justin Farquhar

Vice President, Regional Industry Support Enterprise

Patricia Ross

Commissioner, Georgia Department of Veterans Service

Kate Vogel

Career Success Coach, Columbus State University’s Center for Career Design

Justin Farquhar

Justin Farquhar is vice president of the Regional Industry Support Enterprise (RISE), which is a workforce development organization serving eight counties in the Savannah Region.  Prior to joining RISE, Justin served as the senior vice president of the Development Authority of Bryan County (DABC).  He joined the DABC in 2016 as a project manager.  Justin graduated from Armstrong State University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a minor in Mathematics.  He is currently serving his second term as a board member of the Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA) and previously served two terms as the organization’s Sponsorship Committee Chair.  Justin is also a graduate of Leadership Bryan, Leadership Southeast Georgia, the Georgia Tech Basic Economic Development Course, and the Georgia Academy for Economic Development. 

Patricia Ross

In November 2021, Patricia Ross was appointed as the Commissioner of Georgia Department of Veterans Service (GDVS), supporting Georgia’s over 1 million veterans and their families. GDVS provides federal and state benefits counseling, operates two state veteran cemeteries and two skilled nursing facilities. Through GDVS, veterans received $4.4B in compensation and pension annually from the Department of Veterans Affairs.   
 
Ross established a veteran suicide prevention program obtaining ~$3M in federal grants and manages the state’s veteran mental health grant, where key partners provide clinical services for military, veterans and their families. She also spearheaded a state-wide referral system which connected over 15,000 veterans to more than 600 partners across the state for a variety of needs.  
 
Prior to serving as Commissioner, she established The Georgia Veterans Education Career Transition Resource Center (VECTR Center) and served as the first Director of Military Affairs at the Technical College System of Georgia. After 25 years on active duty in the Air Force, Ross retired as a Colonel in October 2014 where she served as the vice commander of the Air Base Wing at Robins AFB in Warner Robins, Georgia. 
 
Ross received her doctorate in Leadership from Valdosta State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Tampa; a master’s degree in systems engineering management from St. Mary’s University, Texas; and a master’s degree from the Air Command and Staff College. She is also a graduate of the Air War College.  
Ross serves on two national boards, the VA’s Advisory Committee on the Readjustment of Veterans, and the National Center for PTSD’s Veteran Engagement Team. 
  
In 2023 she was awarded the lifetime achievement award by The Warrior Alliance and was inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame. In 2024 she received the Marvin Meyers Leadership Award from the Georgia Veterans Day Association. She and her husband Scott (also retired Air Force) have four adult children.  
 

Kate Vogel

Kate Vogel is a Career Success Coach at Columbus State University’s Center for Career Design, where she guides students and alumni through purposeful career development. Her work centers on helping individuals identify their strengths, build meaningful professional networks, and pursue opportunities that align with their goals—whether through employment, internships, or graduate school. 

A U.S. Army veteran who served from 1999 to 2015, Kate brings a deeply personal and developed understanding of the military-to-civilian transition process. She is especially passionate about encouraging veterans to step into leadership roles and actively engage in their communities. Her experience has shaped a strong belief in the immense value veterans bring to the workforce, as well as a clear understanding of the challenges employers may perceive when hiring them. This dual perspective allows her to skillfully align veterans and employers in ways that lead to long-term, mutually beneficial outcomes. 

Prior to joining Columbus State, Kate served as a program manager with a nonprofit Veteran Service Organization, where she built and led Vet Above Board—a veteran and employer partnership program designed to ease the transition process for veterans while helping employers better understand and integrate veteran talent. The initiative combined career coaching, leadership development, and direct employer engagement to ensure veterans and employers alike were positioned for success. 

Kate holds a bachelor’s degree in German Foreign Languages and Literatures and a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. She is also an Advanced Coach Trained (ACT) professional, which strengthens her ability to support clients with depth, strategy, and empathy. Her diverse background across military, nonprofit, and higher education sectors equips her with a unique lens on workforce development—particularly at the intersection of veteran advocacy, employer engagement, and career success. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT CHIPS4CHIPS

Our team is mobilized and prepared to work quickly to deliver a compelling solution to companies seeking new locations.

Contact Us

Connect with Us

1005 Front Avenue Columbus, GA 31901
PO Box 1157 Columbus, GA 31902
706-327-3255 (Phone) 678-619-0387 (Fax)
EWELLS@UNITEDCV.ORG (EMAIL)
Made with ♥ in the Chattahoochee Valley