Leigh Hopkins, AICP, CEcD

Leigh Hopkins is the Assistant Director of the Center for Economic Development Research (CEDR) at Georgia Tech. As a planner specializing in economic and community development, Leigh empowers her clients with the tools to build strong and resilient regions, create an agile and trained workforce, and help communities secure the resources they need to capitalize on their assets.

Leigh works with her team at CEDR to help create competitive economic climates for communities and businesses to grow and thrive. She is an active member of the American Planning Association (APA)/Georgia Planning Association (GPA) and has held an American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification since 2010. Leigh is also a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), certified and accredited by IEDC since 2023.  Leigh holds a bachelor’s degree in Forest Resources from the University of Georgia, and a master’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in City and Regional Planning.