Athens Mass Timber Hub Meeting

📅 April 23, 2025
🕗 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 The Hotel Abacus

Thank you for your interest in the Athens Mass Timber Hub meeting.

This event is full. If you would like to be on a waiting list, please reach out to Amanda Rollins at amanda@gffgrow.org. 

ABOUT THE EVENT

The Future of Building is Wood — Connect with the Experts in Athens!

Mass timber is reshaping how we build—and Athens is joining the movement. From faster construction timelines to dramatic carbon savings, this is not your grandfather’s building material. It’s the future, and it’s growing in Georgia.

The Athens Mass Timber Hub brings together top architects, developers, engineers, and city leaders for a half-day, high-energy event featuring real case studies and new tools for building with mass timber.

💡 If you’re building in Georgia, thinking about sustainability, or just want to stay ahead of the curve—this event is for you.

8:30 AM – Doors Open / Check-In / Breakfast

Enjoy coffee, breakfast, and networking with professionals shaping the future of Georgia’s built environment.

9:00 AM – Welcome & Opening Remarks

Speaker (invited): Dr. Todd Petty, Dean, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources
Setting the tone for the morning, we’ll explore the importance of Georgia’s forest resources in enabling innovation and sustainability in the built environment.

9:10 AM – The Big Picture: Mass Timber & the Georgia Forestry Foundation

Speaker: Matt Hestad, Sr. Vice President, Georgia Forestry Foundation
Learn how Georgia is uniquely positioned to lead the mass timber movement through sustainable forestry, innovative design, and carbon-conscious development.

9:30 AM – Case Study: 619 Ponce – Georgia’s First Locally Grown Mass Timber Project

Speaker: Troy Harris, Jamestown
Take a deep dive into 619 Ponce—the state’s flagship mass timber project. Hear how this building came to life using Georgia-grown wood and local manufacturing and what it means for the future of real estate.

10:00 AM – Turning Carbon into Currency: Georgia’s Sustainable Development Carbon Registry

Speaker: Sam Culpepper, Southface
Discover how developers can quantify and monetize the embodied carbon savings of mass timber buildings using Georgia’s first-of-its-kind carbon registry.

10:30 AM – Case Study: 501 Edgewood – A Mass Timber Accelerator Project

Speaker: Tim Nichols, NO Architecture
Explore this in-progress project supported by the Georgia Mass Timber Accelerator. Get an inside look at design choices, development insights, and the opportunities and hurdles encountered along the way.

10:50 AM – Panel Discussion: Building Momentum with Mass Timber

Panelists:

  • Seth Adams, Britt, Peters & Associates

  • Laura Cullen, WoodWorks

  • Graham Montgomery, Timberlab

A dynamic conversation on where mass timber is going in Georgia—including challenges, breakthroughs, and what’s needed next.

11:15 AM – Launch of the Mass Timber Accelerator – Round 3

Be among the first to learn about new funding and support available for Georgia-based mass timber projects. We’ll also spotlight lessons learned from earlier rounds of the Accelerator.

11:30 AM – Adjourn

Connect, follow up, and continue the conversation before heading back to your workday inspired and equipped.

Meet the Mass Timber Experts

Laura Cullen, PE

Regional Director (GA, AL, LA, MS)
WoodWorks

Laura is passionate about educating others on the benefits of building with wood. Prior to joining WoodWorks, she worked as a structural designer for seven years.

Troy Harris

Managing Director, Timberland and Innovative Wood Products
Jamestown Timberland

Troy has served a key role in connecting the commercial real estate industry to the mass timber industry by building the first “Georgia Grown” mass timber building called 619 Ponce

Tim Nichols

President & Founder
NO Architecture

NO Architecture is based in Atlanta and is a 2024 Georgia Mass Timber Accelerator recipient.

Sam Culpepper

Program Manager, Design Consulting
Southface Institute

Southface is a national nonprofit headquartered in Atlanta that leverages advocacy, education, and service offerings to improve health, the environment, and economic opportunity.

Seth Adams S.E, P.E

Georgia Division Manager
Britt, Peters & Associates

Seth's experience includes complex university, commercial, hospitality, and municipal projects for steel, wood, concrete and masonry structures - including designs in high seismic and hurricane-prone regions.

Graham Montgomery, PE

VP - Director of Preconstruction
Timberlab

Graham is a Structural Engineer with a passion for innovative solutions and efficient structural designs. Behind the scenes he works to propel the industry forward through research and testing of mass timber construction.