SPN’s founder, Thomas Roe was a successful businessman and philanthropist who believed in the power of federalism and lead the charge in developing bastions of liberty in every state. Each year at Annual Meeting, we recognize leaders in the states whose achievements have advanced and expanded free-market policy solutions with our flagship Thomas A. Roe Award.

This year, we were honored to present the Thomas Roe Award to Randy Hicks, CEO and President of the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO). Randy has led the GCO team to create successful statewide initiatives that break the cycle of poverty in communities, but also connect individuals with meaningful job opportunities, regardless of their background. GCO has not only become a model in the state of Georgia for these efforts and has also worked outside the state to share its success and help other states start similar initiatives.

Speaking on the work of GCO and how the Network has made an impact over the last 30 years, Randy said: “When I joined this Network ten years ago, I was inspired and challenged by leaders in the Network. I thought, ‘It’s great that people are accomplishing these great things. I hope we can accomplish great things as well.’ The significance of this award is it really signifies good work, it signifies impact, and it’s an amazing honor.”