Margie Coggins Miller now serves as Vice President of Government Relations. Prior to this she served as Director, State Government Relations in the Office of Government Relations at Augusta University.
Margie recently completed a master’s degree in Professional Politics from Georgia State University. She received her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of North Georgia. Margie began her career in the Georgia House of Representatives Budget and Research Office (formerly known as the Legislative Budget Office) as Budget Analyst and later as Senior Fiscal and Policy Analyst, where she specialized in healthcare.
She and her husband, Jeff, reside in Evans. She is stepmom to Jack and Eliza and mom to her havanese, Georgia.
Ashton Blackwood serves as the Director of State Government Relations for Augusta University and AU Health. She has been a proud part of the team since 2019 and has worked to advocate for students, faculty, and staff statewide, engaging with stakeholders and legislators.
A career-long public servant, Ashton spent most of her tenure working for the Georgia State Senate as well as the Governor’s Office.
She is a 2013 graduate of the University of West Georgia with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and a 2022 graduate of Valdosta State University with a Master’s degree in Public Administration.
A member of the 2015 30 Under 30 Class at UWG, Ashton continues to serve as a member of the Alumni Board of Directors at her alma mater. She is also a graduate of the 2019 Leadership Hall Class and the Zell Miller Leadership Institute. In addition, she currently serves as a member of the Legislative Task Force for the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals and is active with the Georgia Chamber Government Affairs Council.
Ashton resides in Atlanta, Ga.
Luke Ray serves as the Assistant Director of State Government Relations. Luke received his Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Georgia in 2022.
While in college, Luke was an administrative intern at Project Safe, a local domestic violence prevention nonprofit in Athens. He then worked at the Metro Atlanta Chamber as a public policy and government relations intern and a post-legislative session consultant before field organizing in the 2022 Georgia election.
Luke resides in Atlanta, GA.
