The head of the Gainesville-based Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) and the state Department of Transportation (GDOT) Commissioner are included on Georgia Trend Magazine’s 2025 list of the Most Influential Georgians.
Dr. Matt Hanley (pictured) has headed the NGHS less than a year, having replaced longtime President & CEO Carol Burrell who retired last year.
GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry, who lives in Buford, is a former head of the GDOT district office in Gainesville.
Of Dr. Hanley and McMurry and the others on the list, Georgia Trend says “In selecting the state’s most influential people each year, the Georgia Trend staff has the unenviable job of narrowing down an extensive list of impressive people to just 100. It takes time and effort, but ultimately, we feel the group chosen represents the best qualities the state has to offer.”
You’ll find the entire list plus the magazine’s Georgian of the Year and latest Hall of Fame inductees in the publication’s latest issue, which you can access here: Georgia Trend : January 2026