For the second year in a row, Columbus State University President Stuart Rayfield has been named by Georgia Trend magazine as one of Georgia’s 100 most influential leaders. This annual list recognizes Georgians who excel in their careers, hold significant influence and help improve the lives of people in the state.

At the midpoint of her third year as university president, Georgia Trend celebrated Rayfield’s leadership in expanding the university’s academic, workforce development and cultural partnerships with South Korean leaders and businesses. Over the past year, Rayfield has also actively promoted Columbus State globally. She led delegations to South Korea in June and October 2025, meeting with government officials and business leaders. At the Jinju International Forum on Entrepreneurship in October, she engaged in discussions with entrepreneurs and policymakers.

These efforts, in collaboration with local leaders and Choose Columbus, have enhanced the university's impact on economic and workforce growth. Notably, Columbus State—through its newly established Korean Institute—played a key role in attracting JS Link America, a South Korean manufacturer of rare-earth magnets. The company is opening its first U.S. facility in Columbus, which will create 520 jobs and involve a $223 million economic investment in the local community.

Under Rayfield’s leadership, the university began reimagining the student experience in 2025, aligning with many of its strategic plan’s tenets. This has included investing $4 million in a new academic and career success coaching model, incorporating industry-recognized credentials into degree programs and courses, boosting student engagement through new initiatives aimed at first-year students to boost recruitment and retention, and redesigning the relevancy of the core curriculum to support students’ experiential learning and career readiness.

Last summer, the university received its largest donation ever to support arts students and the Archives & Special Collections. It also launched a professional development lab school in partnership with the Muscogee County School District and Columbus Technical College at Dimon Magnet Academy. Additionally, the university announced a new $22.2 million joint robotics engineering and space science facility on its Main Campus—its first state-funded academic building in over 20 years. This facility will enhance CSU’s focus on advanced science, engineering, innovation and workforce development.

Rayfield emphasized that the driving force behind these and many other university accomplishments is the commitment to bettering the future for its students and the Columbus community.

“Columbus State exists today thanks to the support of this community. We would not be here without our community’s commitment to the idea of a local university and what it means for the region,” Rayfield remarked. “Community—both our campus community and our partnerships with the local area—is our foundation. We couldn’t achieve this without our students who choose to learn and grow here, our dedicated employees who support and educate them, and our alumni, donors and community partners whose tireless support drives our collective success.”

Sharing the spotlight

Rayfield is one of 10 Georgia higher education leaders recognized on the list, including University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue and six of her USG presidential colleagues. She joins other notable Columbus leaders featured by Georgia Trend on its 100 Most Influential list: Synovus Chair, CEO and President Kevin Blair and Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson. This year, Aflac Chairman and CEO Dan Amos will be inducted into Georgia Trend’s Most Influential Hall of Fame.

Joining them as 2026 Notables—individuals who have made a significant impact in the Peach State over the years—are Columbusites Pace Halter, W.C. Bradley Co.’s president and chief operating officer-real estate; James Hillenbrand, retired W.C. Bradley president and CEO; and Jansen Tidmore, recently named president and CEO of the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce

Visit the Georgia Trend website for the digital version of its “100 Most Influential Georgians of 2026” edition. Rayfield’s full professional biography is available on the university’s website.