Why Young Professionals Are Choosing Georgia’s Robins Region

©Journal Communications/Jeff Adkins

While military traditions are deeply rooted in the Robins Region of Georgia, an influx of new residents is reshaping its identity. The community is thriving, attracting a new generation who are shaping a vibrant, collaborative future. 

Young professionals share what makes the region a great place to call home, how they’re making a difference and why they believe the best years for this growing community are yet to come. 

Avoly Wainwright 

Avoly Wainwright was born and raised in Perry, where she and her mother, Kimberly, have run MeMe’s Boutique for nine years. She attended Georgia Southern University, but she quickly returned after graduation. 

“I love this area. It’s the only place that truly feels like home. When the opportunity to open MeMe’s came about, we knew that it was too big |to pass up,” says the mother of three. “All my family lives here. I cannot imagine raising my children anywhere else.” 

Wainwright says the area’s growth is attracting young, talented people and entrepreneurs to the area who are involved in the community. She recently co-chaired a fundraiser for the Haseya Women’s Club, which raised over $1 million for the installation of an inclusive playground for children and adults with disabilities. 

April Bragg

Wainwright says she adores Perry’s charming downtown, where residents and visitors can walk to enjoy coffee, dinner, an ice cream or the farmers market. 

“When we first opened, I would have never dreamed of seeing the streets packed at 8 p.m. on a Friday night in Perry,” she says. “There is so much room for growth. I feel like there are many young families moving to our area, which is so exciting.” 

Courtesy of Stedman Ellington

Stedman Ellington 

Stedman Ellington, regional manager at Ashley Furniture, moved to the Robins Region five years ago after his job transferred him from Greensboro, North Carolina. He was sent to help scale the store but quickly realized the Robins Region was a place he could put down roots. 

“One thing that allowed me to grow was getting involved in the community, so I joined the Robins Regional Chamber to meet people, get familiar with businesses and connect in different ways,” he says. “What started as a career move quickly became home because of how welcoming everybody was.” 

Ellington is also a board member and membership chair for the Rotary Club and a member of the Kiwanis Club. He acts as a community partner for the Boys and Girls Club, Sleep in Heavenly Peace (a nonprofit outfitting kids’ bedrooms) and United Way. 

Coming from an area where the military presence defined the local identity, Ellington assumed the Robins Region would be the same. He was pleasantly surprised to discover his new home offered a multifaceted community. 

“It feels like something new is happening almost every single week, and it connects to the growth in the city,” he says. 

Dr. Esther Lee

After stints in Paris, New York, Southern California, Nashville and Atlanta, pediatric dentist Dr. Esther Lee and her husband settled in the Robins Region three years ago. She has since discovered a thriving area with easy access to the beach, fine dining and access to an airport – all without the high cost of living, traffic and other downsides of a major metropolis. 

For these reasons, Lee believes the Robins Region is a premier place to start a career and a family. 

“I was so inspired by the community’s support when we first moved here,” she says. 

To get more plugged in locally, she joined Leadership Robins Region, a program that educates leaders on the community’s social, economic and political dynamics. 

“The class is amazing; it shows how the area runs and how businesses work together to create a great experience for kids, families and young professionals,” Lee says. 

Once settled, Lee began to appreciate the distinct character of the region’s communities and their shared dedication to achieving mutual success. 

“My friends are surprised by how much I love it here because they never thought a ‘city girl’ would want to live in a smaller town, let alone open a practice,” she says. “But I don’t want to be anywhere else.”