Members of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Rural Prosperity Council recently gathered at the Center for Rural Prosperity in Tifton to discuss the unique challenges and priorities of rural communities across the Peach State. They focused on four key areas — rural incentives, defense communities, talent and education, and homegrown entrepreneurship. Dr. Richard A. Carvajal, president of Valdosta State University, serves as chairman of the Rural Prosperity Council’s Talent and Leadership Development Subcommittee. He has been charged with helping the Georgia Chamber of Commerce develop an action plan designed to attract and retain the best and brightest citizens with the talent and leadership potential necessary to help the state’s rural communities stay economically competitive on a national — and even international — level.